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??

I hear you but I think the Gastropub range is much higher quality than the old style dine in and i think that’s the point. They so several other better value dine ins for £12, the two pizza and two sides one and also there’s usually a roast type deal as well. I don’t work for them but absolutely love M&S and do without other things to treat myself once a week. Wish they’d bring the wine and meal deal back though!

Always liked the Tesco one better myself, the main probably isn’t quite as good quality or the size of the portion compared to M&S but it was always a better bottle of wine, the sides were a lot better and at £10 I didn’t mind buying an extra side to bulk it out. M&S give you a portion of garden peas and consider that a side and for £15 I’m not going to start buying more

The one with steak is usually good value. 400g of sirloin, which is usually delish from there, plus 2 sides, for £12. It's one of the few that I can enjoy with gluten and dairy intolerance.

freezing and re-freezing zaps goodness from food!

Meal deals aren’t frozen. 🤷‍♀️

Have you seen the expose of RSPCA assured farms- in particularly one used on M&S adverts. Horrific cruelty. That alone if enough to stop buying their products, let alone the price.

Wheres the not cruel portion of the meat industry? All seems pretty horrific really.

In order to avoid this you’d need to stop buying supermarket meat completely. I can absolutely assure you that this is not just M&S - it’s an entire industry problem.

Pay the price for responsibly sourced, local meat or go veggie is my mantra. I chose the latter.

they seem to have two dine in deals going though - there was one for £12 where the mains were casserole type dishes - slow cooked beef chilli type stuff, a side and a starter. I didn't notice whether there was a desert instead of a starter.

I don't eat meat or dairy - I am just trying to spread the word that RSPCA assured is not worth the label it's printed on- that applies to all supermarkets.

Absolutely.

Great. Then of course you’re well aware that this isn’t just an M&S thing, which your post pointed towards.

Bit off topic but M&S deliveries, ie the lorry drivers taking stuff into stores are highly regulated regards temperatures etc and M&S will refuse anything out of range. My ex was a truckie and he used to stress massively when on m&S runs because of the times/temperature issues.
I do think they aim for quality at reasonable prices, but every market has a range of value.

Being an avid ingredient reader due to intolerances, I've seen significant changes in ingredients used to bulk-up products, specifically extra wheat etc.
Prices up, volumes down and extra padding - we're being fleeced every shop - its called "gouging" !!

Agree totally, was very shocking awful, wish I could go vegan but just can't
..

We have a little (Southern)Coop store near us. They must make tiny margins on some of their meal deals.
4 bottles of lager and 2 pizzas for £7 makes for a good weekend junk-food supper. Invariably the store runs out of the beers so the manager honours the 'Deal' with another brand.

M&S have definitely lost me with this one. Popped in yesterday to pick up a bra I ordered in the sale (they closed our city centre bigger clothing/homeware etc store a few years ago), so went to look for a meal deal. Couldn’t see a single main that looked appealing to me. We often get the gastro pub steak pie in the meal deal as a treat but I could only see the Tom Kerridge meat pies and they looked half the size! There were several people ‘looking’, they all turned away without choosing anything.
i also thought I’d get a whole chicken to cook for a Sunday roast dinner - nope, couldn’t find one despite looking in a few aisles, so I gave up and left empty handed (but clutching my picked up parcel).
We alternate between Waitrose and Ocado for our ‘big’ grocery deliveries so will keep an eye on what they have on there.

I prefer the Waitrose meal deals, though the veggie options or lack of them are a disappointment.

I buy from M&S/Ocado and Waitrose for their fresh and quality vegetables. No where in my area does as well.

I bought the lasagna in the meal deal, it's now pulled beef or something, not the traditional mince. Very rich too, so won't be buying again.

That sounds interesting. Italians don't use mince in their Bolognese sauce, do they?

I once made a lasagne with pulled brisket, it was delicious but I wouldn't do it now it's just me at home so I might try the M&S one.

Morrison’s currently have a dine in deal for £10 (9 I think if you have a loyalty card), no wine, but you get a main, two sides, and a dessert, which I think is pretty good value..

Sorry, meant M&S tradition so to speak.
Couldn't put my finger on what was different till second helpings as was starving.

No, good to know, definitely going to give it a go. Like the pp I really cba fannying on being all authentic for just one part of a multi layer dish so I do use mince myself but if someone else is prepared to do it for me then happy days.