£195 for a beef wellington!

I think a lot of folk on this thread are absolutely clueless when it comes to the true cost of meat/produce production in the UK.

Yes, a £195 Beef Wellington isn’t an every day meal, however, society have became far too used to “cheap” meat and produce prices which just aren’t realistic anymore.

Subsidies paid to farmers for years have kept goods cheap, however subsidies are declining and prices will continue to rise. The era of the cheap fairytale is coming to an end.

Consumers need to open their eyes to this. Especially considering Inheritance Tax changes and other (poorly researched) climate based legislation which ultimately will end the production of good quality meat and produce for the UK. The farming sector will be dead and buried within 20 years.

And for those thinking “great, we can just import in cheaper goods” - nope. Imported meat is only cheaper to undercut British and Irish offerings. Once those are gone the prices will be higher than what they even are now, for poorer quality meat which is raised in substandard conditions with absolutely no accountability over hormone and antibiotic usage.

A £195 beef wellington honestly won’t look so bad in a few years time.

Assuming you are bringing genuine, what would you rather they did? Nothing but gruel for Christmas dinner options?

Yes, I’ve just seen this is their restaurant quality one. There is also a £60 beef wellington available too. It’s fine as it would cost even more in a restaurant and people are allowed to choose how much to spend.

You could make that comment about absolutely everything that’s not the cheapest possible essential, though.

I won’t personally be buying this, but some of the comments on this thread about starving children / Gaza are ridiculous.

There won't be. This is food to order.

Because people aren’t going out to restaurants as much, supermarkets have added ranges that try to rival restaurant food but those ranges are expensive. It’s the supermarkets trying to capitalise on a change in our behaviour. I think it’s ok so long as they have their usual ranges too.

" paying rock bottom prices and then ramping that price up to sell it and pocket the profit, I think that's wrong"
Isn't that what most retailers in the UK do!?

I’m bemused by the storm this has caused on social media tbh. It’s a reasonable price. It’s beef wellington. For 6!!!!

Plenty of people. The M&S core base of affluent shoppers, the people who can’t afford or can’t be bothered with Fortnum and Masons and other high end places. I really don’t think that most of the meat eating middle class types with plenty of disposable income who think nothing of dropping hundreds if not more on M&S Christmas food every year will have any qualms about buying this. As others have said, these prices, the recipe and the partnership with TK will have been planned for months with market research and PR teams etc. They will be confident it won’t flop. Threads like this help!

It will. I'll shoot in on Christmas Eve and see if there are any left!

cooking it yourself will always by better rather than a ready version

You don't know my cooking

Sadly, M&S meals - particularly the high end ones (I forget the name of the range) - are almost invariably better than my offerings.

Not talking beef wellington, but also find their expensive tastier offerings cheaper to buy than to make as they use so many bloody ingredients and herbs and what have you that it would cost me a fortune to buy and make

I bet it will be sold out.

I agree OP. What a disgusting rip off. There are children starving. And, M&S pretends to be ethical. Makes me sick to my socialist stomach 🤮

I despair every time i walk nto a supermarket now, dont know how folk are coping x

The beef will be expensive, £100's a bit much though, but at least if you buy it from an excellent butcher you know you're more likely to get good beef, not just OK beef. It's actually not hard to make if you're feeling brave and much easier to cook than a roast beef joint.

Plus the cost of the rest of the meal, veg, potatoes, stuffing etc and desserts. I’m glad I have simple tastes. Couldn’t begin to justify this even if I was a millionaire

The price of meat has gone through the roof. About 20 years ago I bought beef fillet from Asda to make my own beef Wellington and it was the best part of £40.

Lol. I was just thinking I don't like Beef, mushrooms or Tom Kerridge, so my £195 is safe!

Yes, exactly! It’s there for those that want it. And, I’d put money on it selling out so the slightly bitter posts about them all being reduced are pie (or wellington…) in the sky :)

This thread has reminded me that ds wanted beef Wellington last year. Mind you I'm not spending that much. Dh will cremate it and serves 6 always makes me laugh.

I can't find it on the website. Guess you've all ordered them.

Don't buy it. If people don't buy it, they won't sell it. Everyone is responding as if there's some law that says you have to buy this stuff but you don't. You can make a beef wellington yourself! This goes for all the unnecessary crap that people fork out for at Xmas; it's like mass hysteria.

I could have guessed it’d have that twat’s name on it