M&S Christmas food- is it worth it?

[yorkshireyummymummy]

Just checked my M&S gift card - I stick something on it most months and was pleasantly suprised to discover I currently have £200 on it. There's three of us in our house- me , DH and DDage 10 plus the all important dog. I usually cook everything from scratch every day and so Christmas is no different. But I'm wondering if it's worth buying pre done M&S foods from their Xmas brochure and ordering service? We don't need shit loads since it's just us so I wondered,- is it worth the money to get the time off? Or will I resent spending when I can do it just as well myself? Has anybody ever done the M&S Christmas dinner? Or Xmas eve? Or should I just buy lots of chocolates and champagne?? Or even just use my saving card to buy big comfy pants and truly become middle aged?

Definitely go for the M&S quality. I went through a few years of trying alternatives to economise, but one year in particular, Christmas was ruined when I used a few items from Lidl/Aldi - never again.

Deffo worth it, and worth it for children's parties too! But I am the master of convenience!

I even made the kids at my DSs birthday fill there own bags this year.

Agree the potatos aren't always that great, I currently have some of the m&s ones in the oven along with my premade venison in red wine sauce..

I am going to try adding goose fat this year and making sure my tin is tremendously hot before I stick them in the oven.

We usually have crown, but hosted this year and got a full turkey. It was beautifully presented, oh and we got a seafood starter on a sort of cake stand thing. Amazing!

The dauphinois potatoes are lovely from M&S; I've not tried their roasties.

@Timeforabiscuit We can laugh about it now, but at 1pm Christmas Eve it wasn't so funny, M&S has never let us down before. Their customer service was excellent tho I must say, the lovely lady on the phone sent me a £10 gift card in the post and we got to keep the "platter" 😅

Going against the grain.... food is quite bland and in small portions, absolutely nothing special. DH often ends up tweaking them and making additional food so it sort of takes away any ease.

We love their desserts and buffet menu you Boxing Day though!

We had vouchers from sky one year and I decided to put them towards Christmas, I think £125 covered the turkey (for 14) a beef topside and a prosecco panacotta pudding.

Couldn't fault the turkey or the pudding but I think the beef was around £40 of the cost, it was tiny and full of fat, we just about managed to cut enough off it for the one family member who doesn't like poultry and the dog had the rest.

I rang up to complain and was told to take my receipt into the shop and they would refund, then I had a horrible conversation with the store manage who could give two hoots about what they had said on the phone and refused to honour the refund.

M&S kind of ruined Christmas dinner and I haven't shopped there since due to their awful customer service.

I rarely use convenience food but if I'm cooking Xmas dinner it's alway M&S as I want to chill and open pressies rather than stay in the kitchen

I hope that they're going to do the package menu again this year. They scrapped it last year, and there was such an outcry. We did Christmas at home at the last minute, and it was mostly Sainsburys Taste the Difference bought on Christmas Eve, and while it was very nice, it wasn't quite as nice as the M&S food we'd had two years running before that.

I'm really looking forward to the catalogue coming out.

Catalogue is around 9th Oct with orders opening about 15th according to the woman I asked today!

Can someone explain this giftcard thing to me, I'm feeling a little dense today. So it's a normal giftcard that you'd buy to give to someone, but you keep it and add money to it whenever you're in M&S?

I always do an M&S Christmas dinner, but never buy the potatoes. Much nicer to do your own.

Bigsandyballs every year I get an M&S gift card, keep it in my purse and when I go in I bung £5/10/20 on it. Just got it balance checked last week and I have £200!! So I asked if it was worth getting the food from M&S.......hence the thread.
Crazy - I'm very proud of you and glad you liked the tip.
I have taken my £200 one out of my purse and have started another- I'm going for £300 next year!!

Is the Xmas food out for this year yet on the website? Not the platters but the actual Xmas dinner stuff?

Not yet, user. Early next month, from what a few of us have been told.

Books in 5th October, sparks online preview from the 3rd and early bird offer starts on the 12th.

I echo what most others have said, I like cooking but Xmas is the one time I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. BUT yes, do your own roasties, you cannot beat them.

I start buying when the food appears and put it all in the freezer. Buy potatoes a few days before.

Job done and enjoy spending time with your family!

M&S food is out now

I’m quite disappointed by this years food choice. The book is so thin and not much choice.

There's a mini 24hr M&S round the block from us and I had to grab a turkey crown and extra bits one Xmas for last minute guests.
It was ok but definitely not as nice as home cooked (no ones ever topped DH's roasties anyway!)

We have done M&S for some of the food though DH prefers the Morrisons meat - all M &S stuff lovely and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it if like you I had the money waiting on a card😄

If cost is an issue I did find.last year ALDI did a very good 'finest" type of Xmas food which was on par but depends if you live near an ALDI also I tend to find they do two thirds of what you want then you end up spending time at other shops if you have the money and can get it all in one package it's not a bad idea

whitney what a great idea for the potatoes!

Could somebody please remind me as it's 2 years nearly since I last did an M&S order. Can I buy an turkey (for example) now to reserve my collection slot, and add other items at a later date?

Thanks

I think you can amend by emailing them, Miley. It’s been 3 years since I last ordered, but I’m sure you can amend up to a certain date.

I’ve had my email letting me collect my free wine or chocolates today, so that’s tomorrow’s job (I went to Boots today; also on a Christmas mission!).

In fact, see attachment!

Fab. Thank you 🙂