M&S food to order

[storminabuttercup]

This year we're away for Xmas in a holiday cottage, there's an M&S nearish so I'd planned on ordering the food from there, looking for advice on what to order, I've seen bits before but never paid much attention, can you order veg etc? Yorkshire puddings? Any 'don't bother' type things? I want it as easy as possible, but can obviously do roasties etc if the pre made ones are rubbish. Yorkshires I NEVER buy but can't be bothered making in a holiday home with no scales etc
Thanks in advance

There is always a massive queue out the door to collect and a long wait. I would get a supermarket delivery pass and order from the things they guarentee they will deliver.

I used this in Cowes a couple of years ago. No queue at 8am on Christmas Eve. Perhaps all the grottie yachties were all still in bed. I simply asked a member of staff for my order and took it out to the car. Then popped back in to get some odds and ends.

I got a complete sides pack with roasties, carrot & swede mash, honey roast parsnips, sprouts with chestnuts & bacon, cauliflower cheese. There might have been more. Added pigs in blankets and a giant Colin Caterpillar and Christmas away from home was sorted. We had taken our own meat from a butcher at home.

We continue to do it every year as dd adores the chocolate pine cones.
Last year I treated us to a tasty gammon joint. When we got there they didn't have it, we were simply told the store 4 miles away had some if I wanted to drive there and buy it off the shelf - I didnt.

I get the earliest slot on 23rd. I never have to queue. There is a box of prepared vegetables but we stopped buying it. You can pick up the bits you want to add from the shelves before you pay for your order in store.

The lamb in rosemary and desserts are things we talk about all year around.

This was a thread from last year that might help?

I book an early order. Get my ordered stuff, Chuck it in the car and then back in for extras. This is due to how our store does food to order. 2 different parts of the store. Thankfully the car park is next door so not far to walk.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/4970303-ms-food-what-was-good-and-what-wasnt?page=7&reply=131756393

Thanks all, really helpful, I can also go in store to pick up extras and there's a plethora of supermarkets nearby too, I've been saving on an M&S card all year so would really like to get as much as I can there

Off to read the other link

After years of queuing for sometimes an hour or more to pick up my order, I now just chance my arm and buy everything off the shelf. My local M&S always has loads of stock.

A word of warning about the dates on things. I’ve been in the queue with people who have ordered a load of seafood, planning to have it on Boxing Day, but the dates in their items has been use by 25/12. I’ve never seen that on the typical Christmas Day joints and veg though.

I have never queued, I go as early as poss on the 23rd or 24th and pick up other bits while I'm there.

I have got everything from them, except the Yorkshires we get Aunt Bessie's!

I also like their gravy, their red cabbage, and the puddings are the best bit.

We have all our food from M&S every Christmas, have done for years. We book a time slot for pick up on Christmas Eve and have never had to queue.

For those who do this, are you pretty much guaranteed to get what you order?

Ive never had an issue with Christmas food at marks and Spencer.

I’ve never had an issue with anything I’ve ordered from M&S, and the dates have always been very long. The selection last year wasn’t as great as it had been previously and I don’t think I’ll bother ordering online this year. Our local store always has ooodles of stock; I buy bits and bobs when it appears, freeze as necessary and I’m not too bothered if I get a turkey or a crown.

I wish they did a bigger gammon joint tho, the ones on sale seem to be quite mimsy.

Thank you, I was hoping to collect on Xmas eve as not sure on size of fridge but was worried we'd end up with no turkey 😀

Yes. I’ve never had an issue.

When I put orders in with supermarkets for delivery they were never successful. In fact, I’ve had some absolute stinkers. One year, Asda substituted 80% of my Christmas dinner food mostly with insane things. Think turkey substituted with turkey dinosaurs…

I've never had an item missing and we've had them for years and years

Can anyone remember what sort of date it goes live for orders?

I’ve collected my Christmas orders a number of times, times it hasn’t been worth it, as I could have got the items quicker going round the shelves. Also the dates on some items have been a lot shorter than what is on the shelf.

I'm not overly worried about dates as will be collecting Xmas eve and only plan on ordering for Xmas day

Think I read ordering opens middle of September

I think it's the 29th September this year. Possibly the 26th

Just checked, it's the 26th

Brill thank you!