HOT OFF THE PASS | This week in food news: April 30

As we gear up to celebrate the end of hard lockdown — or level 5 as it's been dubbed by the government — it's become clear that little will change in terms of everyday life as we move into level 4 on Friday.

While social media timelines are flooded with “will they/won't they” discussions about whether the powers that be will change their minds about the ban on dog walking, and the debate about which face masks are most effective/fashionable/sustainable rages in WhatsApp groups, there's one thing most South Africans agree on: we're excited that restaurants will be able to open for deliveries from May 1.

After almost five weeks of home cooking and performing culinary experiments with varying degrees of success, many of us can't wait to get our hands on our favourite takeaways. We ran a poll to find out which foods Mzansi plans to order first; cast your vote and view the results here. At the time of publishing, fried chicken was in the lead.

'A game of restaurant Russian roulette'

Though Joe Public is rejoicing at the thought of burgers, pizzas and more, the concept of operating on a deliveries-only basis is something many restaurateurs are finding harder to swallow.

Critically-acclaimed chef Liam Tomlin feels that reopening with the current restrictions in place would be the equivalent of playing a “game of restaurant Russian roulette” for many local eateries. Read more about why he strongly believes deliveries aren't enough to save our ailing restaurant industry here.

A pineapple a day

While the prohibition-like legislation we're living under has further hindered restaurateurs, it has been good news for pineapple growers.

Without being able to buy alcohol, South Africans have got inventive and started brewing their own pineapple beer at home. This has seen a huge spike in sales of the prickly fruit, with the number sold skyrocketing from 10,000 to 90,000 a day.

Have your cake and eat it

Besides brewing, Mzansi has continues to bake with people sharing snaps of everything from banana bread and brioche to sourdoughs and scones on social media.

If baking is not your forte, fear not: NetFlorist have announced they'll now be delivering Chateau Gateaux's decadent cakes. Whether you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary or just the fact that you put on a new pair of sweatpants today, you can order your cake online here.