M & S Fishermans Pie issue

[GeorgeA12]

Bought a M & S Fishermans Pie tonight and was really looking forward to it. Got myself all set up, TV, drink and on the couch after a long week. To my utter astonishment there were only pieces of white fish in there. Checked the box and its true, they have only put cod in. So its basically cod, sauce and mash.

To my mind, Fisherman's Pie must contain at least smoked haddock, succulent prawns and chunks of cod all in a nice sauce. So, am i being unreasonable? Must a Fishermans Pie contain more than one type of fish or is this another case of food outlets trying to completely reduce the cost of ingredients and hope we dont notice? I feel conned!

The front cover of the packaging says it's cod in a mornay sauce topped with mash.

It took me 5 mins to find the pie on Ocado and it's clear the OP didn't read the label.

The OP has stated very clearly that she has bought this before and the ingredients have changed. This is like blaming a consumer for complaining if Mars Bars suddenly didn't have the caramel layer.

One of those M&S fish pies has to be in the oven for 60 minutes. The fish must be inedible at the end of that. Minimal cooking is best for fish.

I once bought a Sainsburys meal deal with fish pie for two, I was pleasantly surprised with it, it lasted me two meals and contained a variety of fish. It's a meal I do make myself but it was a pleasant change to not have to!

😂me too

You really can’t blame M and S because a) you don’t know the difference between fish pie and fishermen’s pie and b) you didn’t read the obvious headline description of the product or ingredients list.

Sheeesh.

Interesting how the Fisherman's Pie was a way of using up the scrappy bits leftover from filleting, trimming and selling by the dozen/whatever at the fishmonger's and combining them with a cheap topping (plus making it go a bit further with a couple of eggs) - but now using the odd bits and bobs marks out the 'better/gastropub' version.

It's like nobody can have a cheap meal without some fucker finding a way to make it out to be worth paying through the nose for.

I've never seen something called fisherman's pie either. Always fish pie (and it has various fish and prawns in). Anyway, my gripe is something calling itself a pie but there's no pastry present.

Looks like you'll have to splash out on the gastropub one next time.

i don't think you'd get salmon in there for £3 (or £3.20 in a London store).

Now I want to cook a fish pie!

Have you tried their Ocean Pie or Haddock Mornay? Both are very nice and no horrible cod - just haddock!

I don't know what people are wittering on about on this thread. The packaging clearly states what it is and what it consists of. Lack of basic comprehension skills is not the fault of M&S.

Stop making shit up! I've read back through every post. Not once is there a mention of a change of recipe. Not once has the OP said that it used to be different. Just many mentions that, in the OP's opinion, fisherman's pie should contain different types of fish.

Well, she more or less did. Very confusing, though - fish pie, fisherman's pie, Admiral's pie, Ocean pie. Is there a Commodore's Pie? Presumably a Rating's Pie contains flakes of some anonymous white fish.

When I make it I use chunks of cod or haddock, smoked haddock and salmon, plus prawns and I put them in raw because they cook so quickly. I make a parsley or possibly a cheese sauce and sometimes I put a layer of well-drained buttery nutmeggy spinach on the bottom of the dish. I like hard-boiled egg in it. Some capers mixed with the fish are good too. The mashed potatoes should be very cheesy and mustardy, and I mix in sliced leeks sauted in butter. More cheese on the top. Absolutely gorgeous.

Does "fishermans pie" have a formal definition ?

I would have thought it would be anything the fisherman catches.

So one day it could be 4 different types of fish and maybe some other shellfish and other times only one !

Charlie Bighams is the nicest and has white fish and salmon 🍣

Trawlerman’s pie is a good alternative if you can find it

More the luxury end of the marine life hot dishes

Oh you poor thing! How can you go on living after that?

Isn't this a bit like beef and oyster pie in the 19th century, beef was expensive, so it was bulked out with oysters which were cheap and plentiful, now I can't afford either, so in my case I get the pastry the op gets the mash and mornay sauce.

Or as pp suggests it a pie made for a fisherman, steak and kidney by preference, because if I see any more fish I'm going to throw it somebody.

I always think of Fish Pie as being the one with 2 or 3 different fish and some prawns. Fishermans Pie to me is just cod. Like a pp said, I've no idea where I got that assumption from.

I make a mean fisherman's chowder and I throw everything at it. Easier than making a fish pie

Thankyou! I've never bought it before and never said the ingredients have changed.

To others - yes I could have read the front and seen it contained just cod. That's not my point. I saw it was fisherman's pie on the side as it was stacked in the freezer and put it in my basket with no further thought as you do. The issue is should it contain more than one type of fish to be fisherman's pie? In all my life I've never had a fisherman's pie with just one type of fish in it. I would say it was M and S scrimping but trying to make it it sound better than it is!

So disappointed following the long cooking time!

So if I go back to M and S next week you are saying there is a chance it will have more than just cod in it 😂

Yesterday, I had to storno some nice biscuits at the checkout at my local M&S. I've noticed only there that their best before was 18th of December this year.
Yes, there was a slight discount, but nothing like a half of. I'd say if there is less than a week on something which normally should last months it should be marked appropriately.

Prawns in a pie??? I have youngs pies quite a lot. I’m sure one of them is a fisherman’s pie and I would die if there was a prawn in there! Off to google but I’m not sure I want to know.