Easter Sunday lunch conjures up particular things, like yellow, flowers, the first glimpse of Summer dresses and linen shirts, and lovely lamb on the menu. Nothing else seems quite right.

On one of the daily office catch up calls this week, we decided that there are good things to come from social distancing, one of them is having less people to cook for, although we miss the company, cooking for hoards when they all have different intolerances, can be a challenge.

The other bonus is – for those of us who were prepared for Easter but not for a lockdown….. there’s loads of Easter eggs for the family that you can’t give them! We do advise you limit the chocolate intake, otherwise you’ll be in a size bigger before the Summer arrives and hopefully normal life resumes.

But on to my favourite topic, let’s talk about lunch. Everyone is telling you to get dressed every morning, and we know from the hilarious stories of conference calls where people have tidied their bookcase / back drop for a video call …. and forgotten they are in pyjamas, that not all of you are following this.

But we’d like to encourage you on date night and special days, to really make the effort. It really does make a difference to your mental state and your partner / housemates will appreciate it too. We’re a few weeks in now and probably starting to look a bit bedraggled. There are some home spa type treatments you can do to pep yourself up, and why not push the boat out and get dressed as if you are meeting the family?

If you don’t have an outdoor space to have lunch in, a linen shirt, chinos and moccasins in summery colours will show your partner you’re making an effort. If you are lucky enough to have a terrace or garden, go the whole hog and don a waistcoat and jacket with a pocket square. If these are new to you, at least you can test them with the reaction from your partner and without the ridicule of that annoying brother/nephew/cousin who has no style anyway.

Lunch can be as lavish as you like – the lamb can now be shanks instead of a whole leg, which cuts cost and also cooking time. You can of course go the traditional (stuff with garlic and rosemary) route or, try this tongue pleaser. You’re welcome.

Rub your shanks with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsps of each paprika, ground cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon and a good pinch of chilli flakes. Cook for an hour in 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, and two tins of water, turning every 15 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve with pitta bread, hummus, couscous and a green leaf salad.

Obviously chocolate eggs are for dessert. And afternoon tea. And supper.

Have a lovely weekend.