Charlie Bingham ready meals

[TheGhostOfTheYearYetToCome]

£9.80 for a pasta ready meal.

I don't know quite what I was expecting but I was so disappointed. Are the curry ones any better?

(Currently looking after someone in end of life care, cooking from scratch isn't possible)

I love the Charlie Bigham butter chicken curry.

www.charliebighams.com/faqs

We share one single portion. A meal for two is too big and a lot gets wasted, a meal for one is usually enough for DH and me, I do cook veg as well though.

This is true for CB meals and Sainsbury's Taste the difference.
Supermarket bog standard range tend to be a bit smaller.

Another vote for Cook meals

Wow CB individual meals are not enough for me and I need to make some veg as a side order and I really am not a big eater

Meanwhile, in the normal world a CB 'serves 2' is barely enough for two adults unless you are treating it as the entreé of a three course meal and bulking out with extra vegetables.

Portion sizes in general may vary. I have a reasonable appetite, not over or underweight, never dieted. I could eat a whole one but would feel over full. I know this is MN and people are prone to exaggeration but reading this makes me wonder how much people's perception of a normal portion size varies.
When I read those threads by posters asking for advice on what people eat who are naturally slim I will think of this thread.

Re processed foods / UPF - I think CB is one of the better ones. Here's the korma:

• Cooked Rice (Water, Rice),
• Chicken (20%),
• Coconut,
• Onions,
• Flaked Almonds,
• Water,
• Butter (Milk),
• Rapeseed Oil,
• Lemon Juice,
• Ginger Purée,
• Sugar,
• Salt,
• Cornflour,
• Garlic Purée,
• Parsley,
• Ground Cumin,
• Ground Coriander,
• Mustard Seeds,
• Ground Cardamom,
• Turmeric,
• Ground White Pepper,
• Ground Fenugreek,
• Mustard Powder,
• Ground Turmeric,
• Cumin Seeds,
• Ground Ginger,
• Ground Cinnamon,
• Coriander Seeds,
• Chilli Powder,
• Ground Black Pepper,
• Ground Dill,
• Ground Mace,
• Ground Cloves,
• Ground Bay Leaves,
• Secret ingredient: Obsession

Here's the fish pie:

• Potatoes,
• Milk,
• Hake (11%) (Fish),
• Salmon (11%) (Fish),
• Cream (Milk),
• Butter (Milk),
• Smoked Haddock (3%) (Smoked Haddock (Fish), Salt),
• Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin),
• Cheddar Cheese (Milk),
• Spinach,
• Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Yeast, Caramelised Sugar, Colours: Paprika Extract, Turmeric Extract),
• Double Cream (Milk),
• Salt,
• Parsley,
• Free-Range Egg Yolk,
• Fish Stock (Water, Salt, Fish Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Dried Cod (Fish), Anchovies (Fish), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Dried Onion, Dried Potato),
• Lemon Juice,
• White Pepper,
• Secret ingredient: Obsession

Apologies for the bullet points, it's Sainsbury's website rather than me.

Like PP I also find the portions "for two" not quite enough, and yes they are pricey, but I like them.

Bloody hell!

We find the "double" fish pie is just about a single serving in our house!

👀 Watches thread deteriorate into a 'who eats the least' competition.

I seem to have triggered that unintentionally 👀

The trouble with CB meals for me is that they all have onions in them. I can't eat onions.

Tbf, just about every other ready meal does too. Is it really necessary for everything to bulk out so much with cheap onions?

Expensive for what they are compared to M&S and Waitrose. Also I hate the way Charlie B is portrayed in the ads...ohh you all think we made him up nonsense.

It's like shock horror entitled posh bloke set up a posh ready meal business shocker. He comes across as an entitled pink trouser, pinky ring wearing dim wit. Sorry a real pet peeve as I see a lot of posh blokes with their entrepreneurial ideas getting off the ground when others have better

Not surprised it’s pretty tiny the single one

baffled that anyone could think the single serve it too much! Half of it would basically be two mouthfuls.

This is a pet peeve of mine, I absolutely despise onions!

Sorry about the end of life care.

I agree they are bland. Also, too much for one, not quite enough for two, in my opinion.

I had an M&S Delhi butter chicken last night - the Collection range - for £6.50. I usually get the normal ones. I was pleasantly surprised and thought it worth the extra £2 or so. It will do me two nights.

The fish pie is one of the best readymade fish pies in the supermarket, and is very nice. (Not that it’s got much competition, most are pretty awful)

It’s a good one because fish pie is a faff to cook at home for one or two. The others aren’t bad but the money and flavour versus effort saved aren’t as worth it to me.

I enjoy them all but we buy them when we are on holiday so that I don’t have to cook properly and the only plastic waste is the film. The wooden trays make fantastic kindling!

I think my favourite is the meatballs and I love the chocolate pudding.

They aren’t cheaper but they are cheaper than eating out.

Last line should be “they aren’t CHEAP but they are cheaper than eating out”

Also DH and I find the portion sized just about perfect for us.

Yes, they’re expensive compared to other ready meals in the supermarket. But find another ready meal that’s fresh, not frozen, and cooked from fresh ingredients. Without additives, UPFs and the like. For the OP, and for others, they’re a good solution sometimes.

Are there other fresh additive free ready meals available in a high street retailer?

COOK meals are nicer and better value.

The good thing about Charlie Bigham for us is their blandness! DH has an aversion to spicy foods, even hates pepper in anything, and is happy to eat the fish pie, salmon en croute and chicken pie. He always has a good portion of broccoli or salad too and it's plenty. We seldom eat the same foods because of my dietary requirements, so individual ready meals are a great help every so often.

Ah didn't get the "end of life care" my mum with cancer buys Cook

Fish pie was on offer for £7.50 At Sainsbury's (with nectar) so I had to get it! Happy days!