Enjoy a restaurant-quality meal from the comfort of home

Sitting down to a three-course meal and a bottle of vino in a restaurant feels like an experience from a long-forgotten time.

To help relive those golden days, there are thankfully some eateries coming to the rescue and satisfying the need to make a Saturday night in feel like you’ve ventured out.

If you find yourself in the Borders, Kelso to be precise, The White Swan – a wine café & bistro – offers a selection starters, mains and puddings which are made to order and can be collected.

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful throughout the process and everything was well packaged and packed with sauces served in separate containers. Notably there was a minimal use of plastic which was refreshing to see considering how many plastic containers I have bursting out of one kitchen cupboard exposing my building takeaway habit from the past year.

For starters we had the tempura battered prawns with sweet chilli dipping sauce (£5.75) and the haggis bon bons with garlic mayo (£5.50). The bon bons were delightfully bite sized and the portion was more than enough for two to share with possibly a few left over for a late-night snack (to make you really feel like you’ve been out on the town).

Served with a garlic sauce that packed a punch, the well-seasoned haggis was covered in a light layer of breadcrumbs which provided the perfect crunch. While I’d have liked the prawns to have been slightly bigger, the combination of the batter, juicy prawns and sweet chilli sauce was a winner for both of us.

Fuelled by a mutual hankering for a quality burger and fries, we both couldn’t resist the Scottish Wagyu steak burger (£8.95) served in a brioche bun, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickled gherkins, double cheddar cheese and homemade burger sauce.

We added skinny fries (£1.50) which actually proved to be one of my favourite parts of the meal. The burger itself didn’t disappoint, loaded with a 6oz patty and all the aforementioned toppings, it was juicy, moreish and was an example of a classic executed perfectly.

For our after dinner treats we chose the banoffe pie and salted caramel cheesecake (both £3.50). These arrived not as individual slices but to our delight, as full mini versions. I say ‘mini’ but like the haggis bon bons, the portions were very generous and we had some left over for the following day’s coffee and cake moment. Sinfully sweet, they were a creamy indulgent treat guaranteed to bring smiles all around.

Everything is reasonably priced, and considering the portion sizes, you get even more bang for you buck. Pre-ordering is advisable.

They also offer a Sunday brunch menu and Sunday roast lunch special which, judging by our top takeaway dinner, is something I’d be keen to try.

The White Swan

11 Woodmarket, Kelso, TD5 7AT. Telephone: 01573 348809

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