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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Marks and Spencer' s french baguettes

52 replies

Greyhair59 · 26/07/2021 17:35

AIBU to think they have changed the recipe for the worse? Used to think they were the best uk supermarket ones but now crumb not crusty and inside flabby. Opinions?

OP posts:
lovemelongtime · 26/07/2021 18:02

Totally agree!

TooBigForMyBoots · 26/07/2021 18:05

Me too.

RingPiece · 26/07/2021 18:18

Me too. Did a big m and s shop at the weekend and I've been so disappointed with almost everything I've eaten so far. Bought a baguette to slather with unsalted butter and it just doesn't taste as good. Just been lazy and had a ready meal, macaroni cheese, and instead of it tasting lovely, creamy, cheesy and indulgent, it just tastes watery. Same with the cheese coleslaw.
Recipes have definitely changed and this is the last time I do a weekly shop there.

Lincslady53 · 26/07/2021 18:31

They are trying to up their food sales to compete with other online grocers. Perhaps they are trying to be more competitive on price, but are having to reduce the quality. Not the right move in my opinion. By all means, introduce lower price items, but they are known for high quality goods, to me it is foolish to lose that quality edge they have.

EvilPea · 26/07/2021 18:33

I’ve noticed this as a very occasional m and s food shopper, used to be a real treat to get an m and s dinner
It’s not now.
I think they are slightly cheaper than they used to be, the quality has gone with it and combine that with the likes of aldi and lidl really upping their game.

bruffin · 26/07/2021 18:36

M&S have ruined Ocado

MissingEveryoneSoMuch · 26/07/2021 18:36

Bought their tuna pate this week as it’s normally a treat on toast but they’ve changed the recipe and it has dill in it now and tastes awful. Why change things that we like?!!

SmidgenofaPigeon · 26/07/2021 18:38

Loads of their stuff has gone downhill. I read somewhere that they’re trying to be seen as an everyday shop rather than a treat shop.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 26/07/2021 18:39

Not that they’ll listen to anything the consumer thinks though, they never have.

QueefofSheena · 26/07/2021 18:41

They deleted the smokehouse chicken sandwich too, gits

PattyPan · 26/07/2021 18:59

I haven’t had the M&S one but I love the Menissez one. It’s bake at home so it’s guaranteed to actually be crispy! I get it from Sainsburys but I feel like I might have had it from Ocado before.

RingPiece · 26/07/2021 19:06

Its so annoying. I used to love m and s, and now I really don't. I don't want to buy anything there any more in case it tastes like shit. Even their own brand jaffa cakes, which were far superior to actual Jaffa Cakes, just taste oily now. I thought I was imagining it. Also, it's impossible to find soft drinks containing sugar in their smaller shops. There's plenty of artificially sweetened drinks instead.
It's rather insulting not to allow the customer the choice. They've made a huge mistake sacrificing quality and will lose loads of customers.

Unfashionable · 26/07/2021 19:13

We had M&S ‘best ever’ burgers at the weekend. We have had them before and enjoyed them, but these were poor ; tasteless and very greasy. I might give them another chance, hopefully we just got a dodgy batch.

I agree with others, though. M&S food has to compete on quality, not price. If I want cheap food I can go to Lidl.

Sn0tnose · 26/07/2021 19:46

Definitely agree. They taste sweeter to me, which is not what you want in a baguette.

Moonflower12 · 26/07/2021 20:24

Morrison's baguettes are really lovely.

carlywurly · 26/07/2021 20:58

I have noticed this too. Most disappointing. I was apparently the 2nd most frequent buyer of baguettes in their Truro store last year so they'd better watch out for their sales figures.

Stuckhere2021 · 26/07/2021 21:03

The problem with M&S is that they don’t seem to appreciate their target market - middle age/older comfortable/well off people. They are trying to be all things to all people - like being an every day shop. I was in last week trying to get new 3/4 length jeans as they were my favourites and the fit was perfect. They had none at all but loads of frayed type skinny jeans/holes in material etc. Styles my daughter would wear but as a 20 something, would never be seen dead in M&S. My every day wardrobe used to be almost completely M&S but I could hardly see anything I wanted when I was last in.

EvilPea · 27/07/2021 11:28

@Stuckhere2021

The problem with M&S is that they don’t seem to appreciate their target market - middle age/older comfortable/well off people. They are trying to be all things to all people - like being an every day shop. I was in last week trying to get new 3/4 length jeans as they were my favourites and the fit was perfect. They had none at all but loads of frayed type skinny jeans/holes in material etc. Styles my daughter would wear but as a 20 something, would never be seen dead in M&S. My every day wardrobe used to be almost completely M&S but I could hardly see anything I wanted when I was last in.
This is spot on

They are at risk of fucking up their food like they have their clothes and that’s the one section that makes them money!

They are a treat naice food shop, and OAP single ready meal shop. they have that spot in the market carved out and in danger of losing it If I can go and get better for less in aldi. The wealthy will just stick to waitrose as they are doing with Ocado.

Quarantino · 27/07/2021 11:30

M&s are dead to me after stopping making the boule aux graines loaf. Best bread I'd ever had.

PattyPan · 27/07/2021 12:00

@Stuckhere2021

The problem with M&S is that they don’t seem to appreciate their target market - middle age/older comfortable/well off people. They are trying to be all things to all people - like being an every day shop. I was in last week trying to get new 3/4 length jeans as they were my favourites and the fit was perfect. They had none at all but loads of frayed type skinny jeans/holes in material etc. Styles my daughter would wear but as a 20 something, would never be seen dead in M&S. My every day wardrobe used to be almost completely M&S but I could hardly see anything I wanted when I was last in.
I’m a 20 something who always got my jeans from M&S- they do different lengths and I have long legs. But they’ve changed the skinny jeans I always used to get and now they’re crap and I couldn’t bend my knees properly. Back to the drawing board for a reliable place to get jeans 😭
EishetChayil · 27/07/2021 12:06

@SmidgenofaPigeon

Loads of their stuff has gone downhill. I read somewhere that they’re trying to be seen as an everyday shop rather than a treat shop.

They should stick to their niche and not listen to whichever trendy marketer has suggested this. Same with their clothes. Not everything needs revamping and changing. Marksies is for sensible underwear and decent work clothes. Everyone expects that, so cater to that clientele, FFS.

Thomasina79 · 27/07/2021 12:09

Cant seem to get hold of their ham, cheese and pickle sandwiches either. How could they do that to me!! The best sandwich ever.

FirstStarToTheRight · 27/07/2021 12:11

They put rapeseed oil in the antipasti now instead of olive oil, tastes horrible, and they’re still charging the same price! I don’t bother going in there for treats anymore.

Laiste · 27/07/2021 12:23

Are they cutting down on salt/fat/sugar in their recipes? That might explain some of the taste changes.

We've noticed the tinned soup is suddenly tasteless and have had to add salt to it which we have never done before. This probably takes the salt up to higher than it would have been if they hadn't reduced it, as we're a bit heavy handed Hmm

billyt · 27/07/2021 16:54

Bought an M & S baguette yesterday. Wasn't that impressed.

Maybe they are hoping we'll ditch the 85p ones and just buy the £1.85p instead!