Though the UK didn't quite know it, last year's Valentine's Day was one of the last seasonal holidays to be celebrated without any Covid-19 to dictate its events. Since then, almost everybody has had a 'lockdown birthday' and the list of unique ways to celebrate milestones at home is narrowing fast.

Though it might not seem it as you make your go-to meal for the fifteenth time, food and drink options are endless. This year's Valentine's meal might not be delivered by an attentive waiter but there are many ways to make the night feel special at home. Here's what to eat and drink during 2021's lockdown Valentine's Day.

Eat

...from your favourite restaurant
Whilst the following recommendations are mostly restaurants with online ordering forms, it's worth checking the website or Instagram of your favourite local restaurant. The hospitality industry has taken many blows this year but some eateries were able to adapt quickly and sustain themselves by catering to 'at-home' demand. That first-date seafood place or local pizzeria you love may just be able to reward you for shopping local with a delicious dinner for two.

Home-X
Featuring Six by Nico, The Cheese Club, Green Haus and more, Home-X is a fantastic hub for finding and ordering a luxury dining experience to your door. All dishes are to be heated at home to provide a restaurant-quality dinner with little fuss and lots of flavour.

From an eight-course sharing vegan experience to Home by Nico's monthly themed tasting menus, there are multiple exciting options to choose from. Prices for two start from £55 per box, including alcohol and UK-wide delivery is available.

Fine dining at home
If your budget can stretch a little further, you'll be glad to know some of the UK's most coveted fine-dining eateries and Michelin-starred restaurants are delivering delicious meals for two this Valentine's Day. Check out the following Valentine's offerings from Quo Vadis (£95), Mortimer House Kitchen (from £23-120), Simon Rogan at Home (£95) and Hame by Adam Handling (£250) for starters.

Recipe boxes
The unsung heroes of the UK's many lockdowns since 2020 has to be the recipe box subscription service providers. Not only have the likes of Gousto, HelloFresh, Feastbox and Mindful Chef shaken up family mealtimes, swapping mundane dinners for ultra-easy delicious ones, but they have been dishing out seasonal menus (like Christmas dinners) to help mark special occasions.

Valentine's Day will be no exception, with Gousto leading the way with a unique Valentine's menu in 2021. On the 14th February try your hand at rolling your own pasta with sausage ragú or pesto with a green bean salad or cook a rump steak with herby yorkshires and truffle roasties with little to no fuss. How's that for a streamlined Valentine's dinner?

Each service delivers everything you need to follow along, with simple recipe cards to create a slap-up meal for two. Browse the latest recipe box discounts including 30% off Gousto, 40% off HelloFresh and more.

Japan Centre can inspire and help you create a Japanese feast this Valentine's Day. For a foolproof, delicious dinner try a DIY shoryu ramen kit, featuring everything you need to make ramen at home. They also stock pourable Japanese cocktails like cedroni, yuzu jasmine tea, dirty lychee and more. Pair this with a lockdown date night Japanese tableware set from Mij you're all set for an authentic experience at home.

Japan Centre can inspire and help you create a Japanese feast this Valentine's Day. For a foolproof, delicious dinner try a DIY shoryu ramen kit, featuring everything you need to make ramen at home. They also stock pourable Japanese cocktails like cedroni, yuzu jasmine tea, dirty lychee and more. Pair this with a lockdown date night Japanese tableware set from Miji you're all set for an authentic experience at home.

DIY dessert
Try your hand at baking together this Valentine's Day with the help of a baking kit curated by Britain Loves Baking's award-winning Michelin Star chef. They have a luxurious selection of baking kits available to help you make some magic together this February. Each limited edition box is packed with everything you need — from rich ingredients and easy to follow instructions — to make a delectable array of desserts. Choose from Bailey's red velvet chocolate fudge with champagne (pictured below), ruby, white and dark chocolate brownies, ruby and white chocolate marshmallow brownies and many more with gluten-free and boozy options available.

Drink

Wine tasting at home
Laithwaite's Home Tasting Experience features everything you need for a wine tasting night in. The set includes 20% off a case of six wines (choose red, white or mixed) and comes complete with tasting glasses, a corkscrew, scorecards, an online wine-tasting tutorial video and downloadable tasting notes all packed into a gift box.

Join a gin or beer tasting party
Friday Night Gin Club are taking it one step further and inviting you to join them for a live gin and beer party on Friday 12 February. The FNGC party will take you and your partner through a fun tasting experience featuring four craft gins or beers. The event will be led by a panel of gin and beer experts and features a quiz with prizes up for grabs. The event runs from 7-8.30pm on both YouTube and Facebook. Tickets are priced at £14.99 and include four craft gins or beers.

DIY and pre-mixed cocktails
Fuss-free and fancy cocktail making kits are available for espresso martinis, Long Island iced tea, margaritas, mojitos and more. Kits come with all the high-quality ingredients and liquors you need to get that bar-standard drink at home.

MicroBarBox delivers a scaled-down bar experience in a box. Subscribe to receive regular boxes of craft spirits and fancy mixers or, this Valentine's Day, choose a one-off box of cocktails, gin, vodka, rum, prosecco or spirits.

For pre-mixed, authentic flavoured cocktails, there are plenty of top-rated tipples to choose from. The Handmade Cocktail Co.'s award-winning Old Fashioned and five-star rated Negroni come highly recommended.

Cocktail company NIO runs a neat build-a-box cocktail delivery service that allows you to create a bespoke evening of drinks from a selection of 17 mouth-watering options. Each box can be tailored to your preferences and is neatly packaged to fit through the letterbox.