Boy is there some great takeaway out there to perk us right on up this week. From lobster rolls that are proving to be a lockdown success story to meals from fancy diners giving a boost to people experiencing food insecurity, here’s how we’re getting through the days, one meal at a time.

Bart Jr, Redfern

Two words: lobster roll. The perfectly sweet-salty bread creation, with generous hunks of WA rock lobster, has become the hero of lockdown for Redfern’s corner wine bar Bart Jr. In fact, chef and owner George Woodyard says it accounts for 20 per cent of the venue’s weekly revenue. The roll began life as a special, but after selling out in an hour it’s become a highlight of the takeaway menu. And boy oh boy, it’s a good one. It’s made by taking generous bits of lobster, adding in pieces of Clarence River king prawns, folding in mayo, horseradish, tarragon and chives, and stuffing it all in a brioche-style roll. Only 110 of the $28 rolls are available every Friday, and you need to pre-order. There are also heaps of other goodies to be snapped up at what Woodyard is calling “Bart Mart”: kingfish and avocado ceviche; pies; lasagne; meatball subs; and its Filet-O-Fish (panko-crumbed ling with tartar, smoked cheddar and iceberg lettuce). Plus pre-batched cocktails (our pick is the smoky Margarita) and bottles of minimal-intervention wine.

Bart Mart is open Thursday 12pm–3pm, Friday & Saturday 12pm–6pm (food service finishes at 3pm). Order here.

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Harvest Bites
Ozharvest’s impressive meal-delivery service started last year in cahoots with the Fink Group, which runs some of Sydney’s best-known eateries, including Quay, Bennelong and Firedoor. When it started, it was delivering meals from top-quality restaurants on Mondays – but now, it’s stepped it up a notch, with a range of options almost every day of the week. This Thursday, get meals from Ester or Hartsyard delivered, or save your cents for Friday’s Firedoor delivery. It includes focaccia, house-made burrata, Italian sausages, cheesy polenta, ribollita (bean stew) and tiramisu, and requires just a little bit of at-home prep. We ordered last week’s Firedoor box, and though our flame-wrangling skills don’t hold a candle to co-owner and chef Lennox Hastie’s, it was a taste of what to look forward to when things begin to reopen. Harvest Bites is also selling Mexican taco kits, Jovi’s DIY burger kits, Rising Sun Workshop’s ramen and Ho Jiak dinner packs. Proceeds from every meal sold help feed people in need.

Order here. Delivery dates depend on the meal you order.

Carbon, Bondi
Taco kits seem to be a running theme of this year’s lockdown, with taquerias, bars and restaurants – even those that don’t usually specialise in Mexican cuisine – getting in on the build-your-own action. A fantastic take on the genre comes courtesy of Milpa Collective and its Bondi eatery Carbón. Its kits come with 24 corn tortillas and loads of gear to load them with: a beautiful guac (with corn chips for dipping while you cook), chicken, beef cheeks, cauliflower, beans, corn esquites, pickled cabbage and sauces. Mix and match with fillings as you wish (this is a rule-free zone). All you have to do to prep is heat the proteins in the microwave, and give the tortillas a flash in the frypan. Depending how hungry you are, you’ll get at least two meals for two out of the kit.

Order here for delivery.

PS40 x Black Star Pastry
It’s the partnership we never knew we needed: CBD bar PS40 has joined forces with cult cake group Black Star Pastry (BSP), creating three cocktails to match three of the patisserie’s ever-popular cakes. Because, let’s face it: this far into lockdown, ploughing through cocktails and cakes feels like a pretty great idea. As you’d expect, there’s a concoction inspired by BSP’s legendary Strawberry Watermelon Cake (gin, fresh strawberry, rose-petal tea and clarified rose-scented cream). The Japanese Forest Cake has been reimagined as an Old Fashioned, with whisky, red-miso caramel, Mr Black coffee liqueur, hojicha tea and bitters, and the Pistachio Lemon Zen cake has taken cocktail form as a Paloma, with red grapefruit and lemon, butter-washed tequila, and coriander and fennel seeds. The cocktails come in a three-pack of 250-millilitre bottles (two serves; $80), or with their matching cakes ($125).

Order the PS40 x BSP collaboration here by 3pm for next-day delivery; delivery is free on orders over $100.

Burger Head’s Lockdown 5.0 Pack
A couple of weeks ago Burger Head teamed up with Sydney band Polish Club for a cookalong listening party – we dialled in to hear new album Stop for a Minute and grilled beef patties on the barbie for a feel-good Friday night. It was a creative pivot for the Penrith and Botany-based burger joint, which has taken to delivering boxes of fresh ingredients across Sydney so we can all have a crack at making our own juicy burgs at home. Co-founders Joshua DeLuca and Timothy Rosenstrauss are continuing the fun and games with a cheeky pack inspired by a cease-and-desist letter they received last year from the one with the golden arches. For $30 you’ll get four beef patties, “special” sauce, lettuce, American-style cheese slices, pickles, onions and Urbun Bakery milk buns. Fries are an optional $6 extra. Check Instagram for a live cookalong with the Burger Head team from 6pm on the day.

Order via Burger Head’s website from August 25–31 for delivery on Thursday August 31. Deliveries can be made across Sydney metro areas, or you can pick up from Burger Head’s Penrith or Botany stores: 17/98 Henry Street, Penrith or 1427 Botany Road, Botany, NSW.