It’s time for the Disco Cauliflower to make a glorious return
After closing their doors for all delivery operations on 24th March to comply with the UK government’s coronavirus lockdown process, the owners of Maray have announced that the Allerton Road site will be back open for deliveries from this weekend.
If you’re missing Maray, you probably need to order earlier to avoid disappointment
Although fans of the Middle-Eastern inspired restaurant, which also has branches on Bold Street and on The Royal Albert Dock, will know that the Maray team have not been idle in the past few weeks. They have been keeping the restaurant spirit alive by generously sharing their much loved recipes on instagram – but now it’s time to let the experts work their magic.
Maray will start by opening on Uber Eats from 5pm-9pm this Thursday, Friday and Saturday whilst they re-acquaint themselves with the flow of service and get back into the groove. If all goes well, they’ll be extending these hours from next week.
The limited menu will include Maray staples such as the Disco Cauliflower, whipped goat’s cheese, falafel, kofta, chicken and sweet potato wedges as well as a selection of wine.
“We regrouped, took some time to reflect and work out what steps we would need to take to operate as responsibly and safely as possible,” says Thomas White, co-founder of Maray Restaurants. “If you know anybody that runs a small business, you’ll no doubt be aware of how complex and convoluted the current situation is. Despite the inherent uncertainty present with each passing week, we have made it our priority to communicate with our entire team regularly and transparently, giving them as much information as we have available to us.”
After this, few senior members of Maray’s management team decided to come back to work on a voluntary basis to support the restaurant. “We are blessed to have such people within our organisation,” says Tom. But how does he see the future of the restaurants? “Based on the information we have available to us, we have drawn up a three month roadmap made up of several phases which will see us opening our doors again in some capacity”, he says.
“Safety is paramount, and over the last six weeks our brilliant management team have been working on a thoroughly comprehensive safe-working policy that will enable us to embark on this initial phase of our gradual reopening. These policies will be adhered to strictly, and as such they will dictate how many people can work on site at any one time.
“This will of course reduce our capacity somewhat, meaning the amount of food we can prep, the speed at which we can cook, and the number of orders we can take at any one time will both be finite. We trust our customers will understand this,” he adds, so if you’re missing Maray, you probably need to order earlier to avoid disappointment.
In terms of Maray’s future, Tom adds, “Moving forward we will be reviewing our policies regularly and using our partnership with local compliance group Foursquare to audit both our methods of working and our environment.
Together with fellow co-founders James Bates and Dom, Tom adds a message to Maray’s loyal fans: “Thank you for all your support and we are incredibly excited to be in a position to bring food to you again!”
Everything you need to know about ordering from Maray
What are your opening hours?
Thurs/Fri/Sat 5-9pm this week (14th, 15th, 16th May). Reviewing for next week based on demand
What’s on the menu?
Maray staples such as the Disco Cauliflower, whipped goat’s cheese, falafel, kofta, chicken and sweet potato wedges as well as a selection of wine.
Can I use my vouchers?
As this initial phase is being facilitated by a third party (Uber Eats) you cannot redeem gift cards for this delivery service. However we are forming plans to open a collection service and shop from Allerton Road in the future and you will be able to use your gift cards then as the transaction will be directly with Maray.
What is your delivery radius?
We are operating this service out of our Allerton Road restaurant, and the delivery radius is set by the Uber Eats app to ensure highest quality food and speed of service. The delivery radius is typically 1.2-1.5 miles but can vary depending on the area, how many other restaurants are available and various other factors. We will expand our delivery radius in time but we are starting small to keep things manageable. You will need to go onto the app and type in your postcode to see if you are close enough to receive delivery.
How are you working to ensure the safety of your team, the drivers and to ensure food hygiene?
Our health and safety policy is available to view on our website. All our employees work in strict adherence to this policy.
Can I collect? I’m outside of the delivery area
:( We do not have the capacity to provide a collection service at present but are working to introduce this in a safe way soon!
