To think M & S are taking the absolute p... with Dine in

[petitfromage]

Popped into M & S to buy the usual Dine in £12 for two. Lovely food and a great option that we use regularly.

It's now £15 for what is basically EXACTLY the same thing in slightly different packaging with Tom Kerridge's name on it. That's a 25% price increase. Are you kidding me M & S?? I don't seem to remember inflation suddenly jumping up overnight...

A few years ago it was £10 for 3 courses including a bottle of wine. Then they took the wine away. Then they increased it to £12 but no wine added back in. I felt £12 was a lot but the food quality was good... I just feel this is a complete p-take putting the food in different packaging with a celeb chef name on and thinking we will pay 25% more for the privilege. Well I didn't and I won't.

I presume a chunk of this has been paid to Tom Kerridge for his branding. I'm sorry but I'm not bank rolling your lifestyle.

Am I just being a stingy northerner or have M & S completely effed up one of the best things they did and will find that there is a barrier to how much we will spend on a ready meal we have to cook ourselves and they have just hit it??

You aren't getting a main, a side and a dessert or starter for 2 people at zizzis or wagamamas for that price though.

A decent quality meal and starter or dessert for £7.50 is not obscene.

I've priced it up. You're welcome to do the same work. And no, I'm not getting a side because its a full meal.

A decent quality ready meal and starter or dessert for £7.50 is not obscene.
^feels obscene when i could buy the same at tesco or sainsbury for less.

I have my opinion you have yours. Why are you determined to keep replying to argue with me. Do you own M & S?

I wouldn't do either, I'd save for a meal out. And yeah, I see Vienetta as a treat because I grew up poor and our birthday KFC bucket with a Vienetta was a treat. So sorry for sneering at a £15 ready meal.

I love a Vienetta

The meals look quite basic and easy anyway. Why pay £15 for a pizza with some corn on the cob, which you have to cook anyway?

I went in on Monday and sae them putting out his overpriced dishes. I also picked up the Christmas brochure which features his recipes.

I just thought to myself that they must have paid him a fortune, and not they are trying to claw their money back / get their moneys worth.

I don't particularly like TK and don't want this collaboration rammed down my neck at every turn. I just want to be able to buy decent food at reasonable prices. I'm happy to pay more if the quality is superb, but it really isn't with the dine in range.

I bought my usual Chicken Karaage and nothing else. I'm also not bothering with their Christmas food this year.

@GreatMistakes , we weren't exactly rich. Vienetta was new when I was young so it was a treat. Anything from M&S was a treat. Takeaways were rare and we never ate out.
I haven't changed much. When I go to buy a treat in M&S, I do a 'How much?!'
If I order a takeaway I want it to be amazing.

I love M&S.

I bought a meal deal from Sainsbury's today- a main, side, dessert and wine for £12-haven't eaten yet but the wine is ok😂

They must've just done a recent overhaul then because they've also shrunk the steak pie I buy for teen DS. Same price, smaller pie.

I will still buy it because the quality is good and I like to have something in the fridge I don't have to make myself, but I'd rather they just put the price up so we'd still have the same amount of food.

I was going to say that, too :-) £12.50 in my local Tesco with a bottle of wine and the food is good, too.

You don't have to buy it!

We stopped when they took the wine away. It doesn’t feel like a good offer anymore and we also don’t eat meat and like to eat more plant based now so it’s not for us. Not sure who it’s aimed at now I’m thinking about it.

Just seen the new menu and it’s still a starter or a dessert, for £15 that’s totally ridiculous!

Definitely won’t be trying it ☹️

update - have my first Co op meal deal in the fridge which we will be trying tomorrow! £10 for two meals for one, side and bottle of wine seems great value. I quite like that you can two different mains as well

I read an article about this ages ago.
The fish and chips were nothing special and not worth the huge price .

Asda does a decent one too

Food is still shooting up in price. Every time I go to the supermarket I notice how much stuff costs. It feels like it's almost doubled in proce compared to a few years ago - pre-Brexit.

We’ve just had the beef pasta deal from the coop , really nice especially the flat garlic bread - the wine will be gifted to mum but that alone was £7.50 so £10 is a great deal

Lol, this made me laugh. All the best en route to retirement!

Oh and I’m totally sick of Tom Kerridge so while I will continue to shop at M&S wish they would stop paying him

The prices are crazy ! I would buy M&S food as a treat every now and again, now I actively avoid going into the local food shop.
I’ve ordered some M&S food for Christmas, but I’ve cut right back on my normal order, just the basics this year.
It’s so expensive, how they justify the prices? How can the average person afford those prices?
I wonder how long this cost of living crisis will last? All so depressing ☹️

Completely agree, I thought at £12 for the quality it was good but a sudden jump to £15 has lost my custom and will probably stop me going in there for anything else. Sainsbury’s do a good Two dine for £12 including wine, it’s a bit repetitive but decent quality.

All the supermarkets are being incredibly greedy = there is no need for the amount of inflation around food there is currently.

I stopped buying the M&S meal deal a while ago, the food is pretty boring though I do take a look now and again to see if there is anything interesting. Now there is no wine I definitely won't go back.
We quite like the Tesco one, but I haven't bought any of the meal deals recently, none of them seem like good value.
Ocado do a few deals from time to time, Charlie Bigham for example, which is much better than most.

I don’t know what people expect for a tenner including a bottle of vinegar wine but my hopes wouldn’t be high.