It has been almost a year since the start of the nation-wide lockdown and looking back at the year we all had to endure reminded me of everything we have to be thankful for. As I reflected on the past year it dawned on me that we faced all five of the Pandemic alert levels, some with more success than others. As I thought back on Alert level five, I realise going through hard lockdown has a striking resemblance to the five staged of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance.
At first almost everyone was in denial that we suddenly could not leave our homes, visit with family and friends or shop the way we use to. Denial perhaps about how long this would last, if the virus truly called for a nation-wide lockdown, and for some the denial that they suddenly became a teacher, cook, cleaner and entertainer to their family. We were in denial about who much we baked and the amount of time we spent online.
Then came the inevitable anger, everyone moaned about being stuck inside. We got angry at the lack of entertainment on TV, we got angry at the sheer amount of laundry and dirty cups the lockdown suddenly brought with it. We got angry at ourselves for never organizing anything and now being stuck with chaos and no way to escape it. We got angry about not being able to buy a rotisserie chicken or going to the hair salon, not to mention the anger about not being able to travel, have family over or even attend religious ceremonies. We got angry over uno & board games, let us just say we got angry a lot.
Then came the bargaining, we started signing every petition we could in the hopes someone will get us out of this mess. Family members began to bargain over the TV remote and whose turn it was to cook. We bargained with ourselves over when we will finally give in and sort out the Tupperware drawer. Some started taking the bargaining online and suddenly you could buy things from friends your local supermarket could not offer you.
Again, the wheel turned but this time brought with it depression, we sulked and slept way too much. We started to moan and cry about everything. We even cried over that new telenovela we started watching, we could suddenly relate with the craziness of that odd hotel. We cried over zoom meetings as we chatted to our family and friends again. It left us in a bit of a slump for a while.
And just like that we got up one morning and started a new way of doing things, we setup little office nooks and got into a new routine that made all the uncertainty a bit easier to handle. We finally got a handle on the cooking and the laundry. We learned to managing our new office dynamic that now includes pets and kids and our lovely spouses. But most of all we finally found peace in the realisation that we have so much to be thankful for.
But the Lock-down also brought with it time to come up with wonderful new menu ideas and even a fantastic new website and online shop for Saffron kitchen.
We are ecstatic to share some of our new menu options and other ventures with you.
We started a convenience range with more than 30 fantastic ready-made meal options available in 2kg, 1kg or 350g portions. These meals are freezer friendly so you can stock up on a whole month worth of meals and never worry again whose turn it is to cook dinner tonight. From basics like lasagne & the traditional cottage pie to more adventurous options like pulled sriracha chicken Mac n cheese there is something for every palette.
We also have a fantastic halaal butchery with everything from biltong and braai hampers to monthly bulk meat packs. Its all approved by our onsite halaal supervisor Mr Zakareeyaa Johennesse. Our highly skilled butchery team keeps upping their game and we have new creations almost every month. From phenomenal Espetada’s and rump kebabs to the best wors any braai could ask for. In addition, we also now offer an amazing chicken range. From BBQ whole chicken rolls that is nothing short of divine to mouth-watering deboned whole chickens available in 5 amazing marinades. Our whole deboned chickens takes the humble chicken flattie to soaring new levels.
Go have a look at our online shop to place your order today.
We also started a brand-new biltong sticks range, that will be available at leading retailers nationwide. Keep an eye out for the S&K meat sticks range when you hit the stores again.
It has been a challenging but innovative time for us here at Saffron kitchen, we have missed chatting to our clients and the busy hustle and bustle of our kitchens, but just as the 5 stages of “grief” the 5 lockdown alert levels will also come to pass.
Looking back at those first few months it humours me that everyone handled their “grief” differently. Some ran marathons in their own back yards, others self-soothed with way too much baking (guilty as charged). Others suddenly became social media motivators; others eased the uncertainty with humour.
However, you managed to work through the last year, we are thankful that you are still with us and for your continued support. We look toward the future and will keep providing your work and home family with amazing halaal certified catering.
Yours truly
Juannette & The Saffron Team