3 easy packed lunches made with local ingredients
When it comes to packed lunches, you don’t want to be thinking about what to make every single day – because why make five separate decisions when one evening of planning will do the trick?
The good news is that a handful of staples, ordered once at the start of the week, will cover most of it - and your children probably won’t notice they’re eating variations of the same three ingredients on rotation, which is exactly the point.
Our family of Best of Local suppliers are based across the North West and offer a range of high quality, locally sourced produce and ingredients. For these packed lunches, we’re making a virtual visit to our local butcher, baker and deli.
Order once, use across the week
The approach is simple: pick a few things that travel well and work in different combinations. No elaborate planning, just a short list that stretches across the week.
• A Cheshire Cheese Company truckle – Perfectly portioned for a week of lunches. It works in sandwiches, alongside crackers, or with apple slices.
• A loaf of Thatchers sourdough or bloomer - you can’t beat a sandwich for convenience, but you can easily elevate it by using freshly baked bread
• A pot of Ann Forshaw's vanilla yogurt - Covers two or three snack portions with fruit, and doubles up as a breakfast if the morning goes sideways.
• Crackers and chutney from the deli range - These work as the main part of a lunch, or as an extra little snack.
• Sliced ham or turkey – A quick way to add protein to a lunch without any cooking. Our ham and turkey slices come from local family butchers Little Pigs in Didsbury.
Three lunches that take under five minutes
Cheese and chutney on sourdough - Cheddar cheese and a spoonful of chutney from the deli range on thick slices of freshly baked bread. Even a picky eater won’t turn down a good cheese sandwich, and the chutney adds a nice kick of flavour for more adventurous kids.
Yogurt pot with fruit and granola – Yogurt pots are a great snack for a lunchbox that also double as a breakfast option if the morning gets rushed. Just get a pot or a small jar, add a good dollop of yoghurt, and top it with your child’s favourite fruit or cereals.
Deli DIY Lunchables - Simply get some sliced ham or turkey, the rest of that Cheshire cheese, and a box of crackers from the deli range. It’s like those supermarket lunch kits that your child is always asking for, but with high-quality local ingredients. Still just as fun, but less processed.
A note on ordering
To get your Best of Local order delivered on Monday (in line with your usual delivery days), it needs to be placed or amended by 9pm on the Friday before. For deliveries on any other day, just make sure you’ve got your order all sorted by 9pm two days before your delivery is due.
Once you’ve placed your order, we’ll handle the rest. Your local roundsperson will drop off your box of Best of Local goodies on your doorstep, with everything you need for quick and tasty packed lunches.
