Melbourne’s no-fuss lasagne delivery service, 1800 Lasagne, has been running with an air of mystique for years. Over the next few months, it’ll be ramping up service for Melburnians holed up at home to stop the spread of coronavirus.

“We're pretty keen to get lasagne to the people. It's a big responsibility,” says Joey Kellock, who started the service around five years ago and keeps it going between other gigs. “You’ve got to be really careful, because you are fucking with some deep emotions in people. People love lasagne.”

The Fitzroy local, of Italian heritage, lets his fans know on Instagram when he’s batch-baking his bolognaise and vegetarian lasagnes. He takes orders via direct message or on the phone – the number is 1800 LASAGNE – then drops them off in his ’91 Holden Barina between 6pm and 8pm on the designated delivery day.

Stay in the know with our free newsletter. The latest restaurants, must-see exhibitions, style trends, travel spots and more – curated by those who know.

SIGN UP

“Sometimes we smash out like 50 deliveries in a night but [that's with] two drivers, 25 [orders] each. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam – we just plot the course and smash it,” Kellock says.

The lasagnes are made with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano and mozzarella, so they’re real cheesy. A $25 serve feeds “one hungry person or two little people”, and each comes with a side of homemade chilli oil and buttered bread to mop up the sauce. Make a meal of it with a bottle of Pat Sullivan's special 1800 Lasagne natural wine ($37).

In the past Kellock has used friends’ restaurant kitchens to pump out his wares, but tonight (Tuesday March 24) 1800 Lasagne is operating out of Brunswick’s Theodore’s, which is temporarily closed as a result of the nationwide lockdown of non-essential services.

If you miss out don’t worry – Kellock promises he’ll be cooking lasagnes around town for the next few months. Just keep an eye on his Insta.

“It's my passion, more than anything,” Kellock says. “We just make really, really incredible lasagne and get it to the people. Align people's bloody lasagne chakras, you know?”

instagram.com/1800lasagne/