A popular Oakham Indian restaurant has launched a range of cook-at-home meals in addition to its take-away service.

Sarpech Wine Bar and Restaurant opened early in 2018 at Burley Corner and rapidly gained a reputation for Indian fine dining and excellent service, earning a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2019.

Though Sarpech offered a limited take-away, its core business was always a restaurant and wine bar.

In March, Sarpech closed its doors as part of the government lockdown and furloughed its staff.

Owners Adi and Soma Sinha, decided to wait a while and to

follow developments rather than reopen immediately as a take-away.

Restaurant spokesman Mark Bullock told Nub News: "In April, discussions were held and menus planned for a limited Take Away service similar to a 'click and collect' system which would allow social distancing and a safe environment for customers to order, pay for and collect meals.

"Obviously this venture could only be undertaken with a limited number of staff and the majority remain on furlough.

"A bespoke on-line ordering system was built allowing customers to choose a time of meal collection or delivery and once a time slot has been allocated it cannot be booked by anyone else."

Mark says paying when ordering online is safer as it is cashless. A further safety measure is encouraging customers to park in Market Square near their near their chosen collection time and wait in their vehicles until they receive a call via cell phone informing them that their food is ready.

Collection is then made from a table at the foot of the stairs outside the entrance to the restaurant.

Mark continued: "Adi would be the first to acknowledge that during the initial weekend of re-opening there were a few teething problems and he was not satisfied that the overall standard of food was up to that expected of Sarpech, so that now every meal is individually prepared and cooked immediately prior to the allotted collection/delivery time giving restaurant quality food in a Take Away.

"Reviews across social media platforms, Tripadvisor and Google indicate he has got it right! The menu is being changed and extended on a weekly basis and the demand monitored with the option to open for longer hours or on more days if required."

Earlier this month, Sarpech also launched its 'Cook at Home' service based around Indo-Chinese inspired cuisine.

Customers choose from a selection of dishes which are prepared in the Sarpech kitchen.

All the ingredients are provided including specially made sauces and accompanied by a recipe sheet with full cooking instructions.

Mark says at £15 per meal for a 'generous' double portion they are excellent value.

Looking ahead, Sarpech expects when restrictions are lifted it will take some time for things to get back to normal and social distancing is likely to be a continued requirement within the hospitality/restaurant business.

Mark explained: "Initially upon the opening of the restaurant it is envisaged that approximately only a third of customers will be able to dine as compared to that prior to lockdown.

"This is likely to mean that take-away meals could continue to feature prominently into the future as running costs etc are unlikely to reduce and profit margins will obviously significantly reduce as a direct result."

He added at present the take-away menu and booking system is live from midday each Tuesday for service on the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday and customers are advised to book early as the slots fill quite quickly.