Now I know it's early...

[GingerbreadBaubles]

But did you or anyone you know order their Christmas dinner from M&S last year? I have friends who said they ordered the lot picked it up on Christmas Eve and it was brilliant.

I'm tempted to give it a go, anyone else?

Never too early for me

Never done it but I gather it's brilliant.

We've done it the last 2 years - first year we had newborn DS2 so really didn't fancy any faff over Christmas dinner. We thought it was great. The food was nice and the collection procedure pretty painless - you choose a half hour time slot,and when I got there the queue was arranged in order of whose bag was nearest the checkout so no waiting for them to find yours.

We'll be doing it again this year, and I'll be getting the whole dinner plus stuff for Boxing Day, since I really don't want to spend the whole time in the kitchen.

We've done it twice now. It's quite expensive but really easy to cook and very tasty. I think we'll probably do it again this year as I'm quite lazy and prefer to spend less time cooking.

Dh and I don't always get every Christmas off, I hate having to bugger around in the kitchen when we could be drinking bubbly spending time together.

Is it all pre prepped you just shove in the oven? I do like their Turkey crowns. Get me planning Christmas in May!

Now I know it;s early ..... never too early .

I would buy NYE dinner ready done but not Christmas Dinner.
For me (sad sap that I am [grun] ) part of the whole Chrristmas experience is the cooking.

I don't drink anyway so no sipping champers for me. TV is dire on The Big day.
I like to have the soaps- Corrie/eastenders/emmers (they have such awful Christmases , makes even dropping the veg in the sink seem like a hiccup) while I cook.

Last year, my Mum and SIL were chattering at the table while I cooked . Everyone was banned from the kitchen while the cooking was going on. (Kitchen/Dining room so I could join in)

I have heard though that the M&S order is really nice.
I've bought the red cabbage and bread sauce . They were delicious.

I'm excited and it's only May!

Pace yourself Ginger

D'you what we need to while away the days?
A:- "What did you buy last year/ year before/every flipping year but I never learn that I don't actually use and nobody eats " thread.

I've done it for the past 4 years and can highly recommend. The rest of the year I cook pretty much from scratch but love Christmas and do not want to spend the day cooking.
Also if we're hosting Boxing Day will buy the puds, game pie and a dressed salmon - makes for a stress free Christmas.

We did. It was pretty good, very tasty, although not as nice as the proper, homemade version imho.

Its never to early for us. we live in here!

I bought my meat from M&S last year and it was lovely.

I would much prefer an M&S dinner to going out to a resturant (that is one of my Seventh Circle of Hell Scenarios TBH)

DH and I are vegetarian, DS will eat very plain chicken, DD eats everything .
But I love to ponder the online Christmas Food and the catalogue, even if I don't want to eat it

The Christmas food catalogue is one of my favourite things to read. Play guess the price/ make up a fantasy menu. I've always wanted to order a beef Wellington as I can't face cooking one.

Is it just me or is there some sort of mystery when it comes to releasing Christmas slots? I always have a sense of panic when it comes to booking M&S turkey slot..it's just me isn't it.

I always pre order my turkey and collect on Christmas eve. and I have a look around the shop for a few last minute extras

I've done it the last 2 years, I order it, pay for it and my DM picks it up Christmas Eve for me as she's retired and I'm normally at work.

I HATE supermarket shop the week before Christmas so it works really well for us as the dinner is sorted and there's less waste. It seems expensive but works out not much more than if I had bought the bits and pieces separately. There's 6 or 8 of us for dinner.

One year I ordered a turkey from local butcher and had to queue outside for about 3hrs in below freezing temperature and swore never again.

M&S dinner all the way for us

I get a boneless whole turkey, and extra bacon for the top. Gravy and sausages wrapped in bacon.

I don't like their bread sauce or stuffing. Also not keen on the roasties or prepared veg. Their cranberry sauce also didn't go down well.

I prepared all my beg in advance and froze. The one thing I did get was a packet of potato seasoning, that was fantastic!

If they bring it back this year the five gold rings cake was rank and most of it went in the bin. And I say this a someone who likes all variations of chocolate.

We ordered it last year - the set menu one for £60 and the sauces, everything cooked perfectly using their instructions and tasted delicious so I would highly recommend it. A little tip is to pick it up on the 23rd Dec as there were no queues, I've heard it's very busy on 24th.

YES!! I did and it was amazing, the bloody lot!

Going out this year or I would DEFINETELY do it again. Well worth the money.

I had the four stuffed bird thing once and it was delicous i much prefer m and s to waitrose, really impressed with their puddings as well.

I did it and it was OK, its probably good if you are really rubbish at cooking, but i much prefer the taste of homemade stuff.