Helping hands during lockdown

As Greater Sydney faces its second week in lockdown and its second week of school holidays, businesses are having to cope with employees working from home, and parents are having to juggle working around children.

Eateries are facing empty tables, and for the carefully planned and coordinated holiday camps, well, it’s no kids allowed.

It’s these businesses that are now offering extra support for the community, especially for those in isolation.

Eateries and food

Patisserie Le Marais*
While the shop has been closed completely for lockdown, the bakery is still offering delicious baked goods for pick-up. Orders will be prepared, packed and delivered to you outside the shop. For those in isolation or those more vulnerable community members, the Le Marais team has set up a delivery service with a minimum $50 purchase.
Visit www.lemarais.com.au or call 0406 027 194.

The Bagel Co*
The Bagel Co is open for takeaway, serving customers through the large window that opens to the street, ensuring things are kept COVID-safe. Barriers are set up, as well as a sanitising station with the all-important QR code to ensure everyone is playing by the rules. The restaurant is also on Deliveroo and the team is available for special deliveries if required. The Bagel Co has also created the COVID Relief package, offering a free Shabbat package including challot, fish balls and babka, which can be delivered for those in isolation. “Shabbat should be a time to enjoy with family, no one should ever worry where their meals are coming from,” Baruch Kluwgant, from The Bagel Co says.
To order email orders@thebagelco.com.au

Soul Gourmet*
Alan from Soul Gourmet is a fixture in the North Shore community, offering traditional kosher food for Shabbat. Now, they’ve also added daily specials designed for kids to help parents deal with Sydney’s lockdown. All food is delivered to St Ives Greengrocer for pick-up, which has been completely set up for COVID-safe shopping.
To see the menu, head to www.soulgourmet.com.au or call 0422 553 493.

Nooks Place
Well-loved Nooks Place is remaining open for takeaway and deliveries. The full menu is available online or through Deliveroo or Uber Eats. For takeaway, customers are encouraged to call the cafe, so the order is ready and waiting when you arrive. Everything is kept COVID-safe at the cafe premises. Only one person is allowed at the counter at a time and masks are mandatory.
To view the menu, head to www.NooksPlace.com.au and to order directly call 9398 6000.

Site Pizza
The Site Pizza team are working hard to ensure their menu remains available while also adhering to strict COVID-safe practices. With online ordering and contact-free deliveries, including changing gloves and masks between each delivery, it is exceptionally easy to grab your next meal. There are even nightly specials to make it more affordable, and family and single-portion meals available for pick-up. As a bonus, there’s pizza dough available to keep the kids busy – they’ll be making their own meals in no time! In a wonderful example of community spirit, the Site Pizza team donated dozens of complimentary pizzas to the frontline workers and people waiting to be tested at the Heffron Park testing clinic.
To order email order@sitepizzabar.com.au or call 9344 4444 (Maroubra) or 9113 7070 (Little Bay).

Plenty of options

Perfect Pita* – offering free home delivery on certain days. Visit perfect-pita.square.site or call 0418 423 545.

Bennett St Diary and Blair St Diary – delicious cookie-dough rolls delivered straight to your door. Visit www.bennettstdairy.com or call 8387 2149.

Lox in a Box – open as normal for takeaway. Order ahead so it’s ready for immediate pick-up. Orders available through outdoor window. Visit www.loxinabox.com.au or call 0549 568 084 to order.

South Dowling Sandwiches – extended delivery areas for the duration of lockdown. Visit www.southdowling.com.au or call 9360 9355 to order.

Tucker – open for takeaway with Grab N Go options filled fresh daily. Visit tuckersydney.com

Moshiko – open with a special takeaway menu. Call 0404 496 105 to pre-order for pick-up.

Millee’s Deli* – special lockdown burger menu and catering menus also available. Call 0418 666 901.

Katzy’s Food Factory* – weekly specials and offering delivery on Shabbat orders. Order online at katzys.com.au or call 9130 6755.

Lewis’ Continental Kitchen* – open for takeaway and catering as needed. Visit lewiskosher.com or call 9365 5421.

Pita Mix* – open for takeaway with Shabbat menu still available. To order, email info@pitamix.com or call 9388 4400.

Lox, Stock and Barrel – open for takeaway with catering menu options and free delivery if you spend over $65. They also put together special family meals for a set price each week. To order, visit loxstockandbarrel.com.au

*Supervised by the Kashrut Authority (KA). 

Help at home

Casey’s Toys
Casey’s Toys, which has an online store and several physical stores throughout NSW, is offering a concierge service so you can get your hands on plenty of entertainment for your kids. The team will hand-pick your orders off the shelf for you, process your payment over the phone, and then take your package to a local St Ives address for easy pick-up. Packages are left outside in a safe, undercover area for you to easily grab and go. The service is being offered at no extra cost and is available to ensure you can get what you want, as easily and in the most COVID-safe way as possible.
Call Ryan on 0481 179 816 or visit www.caseystoys.com.au

Code Camp
One of the most popular camps for kids, Code Camp has moved completely online for NSW these holidays, after having to cancel in-person camps at 50 locations. Now, children in lockdown areas are being offered a week of online coding to create their own DC Super Hero game. Other camps are also available online including Blast 3D and Web Builders. Kids can code when it suits them with a live tutor team available to assist.
Visit www.codecamp.com.au/online

My Creation Station
With several holiday options cancelled due to lockdown, including arts and crafts workshops for all ages, from tiny toddlers through to art sessions with JewishCare for adults with disabilities, My Creation Station is now offering take-home packs to keep the kids entertained. Arts and crafts boxes are filled with five different activities and include all materials and instructions, all packaged neatly into a box that will be delivered to your door.
Purchase a box on the website mycreationstation.com.au

Junior Chefs
Junior Chefs had a jam-packed (excuse the pun) program on offer at Our Big Kitchen, including baking, making sushi, pizzas and daily challah. Now, the team from Junior Chefs are offering contactless home delivery of fully kosher home kits for all kinds of delicious meal options, plus more. “I have been overwhelmed by the understanding and compassion of so many families, and wanted to create something that allowed kids to still bake and create during the holidays and that gives parents some much-needed respite,” Junior Chefs Manager, Vicki Ryvchin says.
To order, visit juniorchefs.com.au/home-kits/

The Music Suite
Every school holidays, The Music Suite offers fantastic opportunities for budding musicians, including access to industry professionals, some of whom are currently on television or starring in musicals. This year, one of the workshops even included a gig at a local cafe in Bondi. Now, many (not all) of the workshops have been moved online, ensuring that all music-lovers, from the littlest toddlers through to teenagers, can have some musical fun.
To book, email info@themusicsuite.com.au

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