Waitrose Entertaining

[lucysalisbury]

Hello all. Newbie here, been reading this lovely forum a lot and decided to take the plung with a question!

I wonder if anyone has used Waitrose Entertaining before? I want to use them for a boxing day party, but they are saying the shelf life on the fish and shellfish I've ordered is a day, and the latest they can deliver is the 24th.

Normally I would just use my own judgement on whether to eat something, look and smell etc, but I don't want to spend £100 on something then its wasted. What do you think? Will we get away with an extra day? Stuff like dressed crabs and lobster halves. Thanks in avance for any tips!

They are great, but if you have a 2 day delay do you have to have seafood?
Seafood, from whereever you get it from will be the same age, so it'll no 'less safe' from there than off the shelves imo

Hi Lucy

I can't answer your specific question but I am also planning a big meal on boxing day. When I called them, they told me exactly the same as they told you (shelf life one day, last day for delivery 24th). Also when I asked if some of the food could be frozen, they said not.

After a lot of toing and froing, I decided to buy the stuff anyhow and freeze it. I bought it online and when I checked out, the screen indicated the shelf life of the products and everything was to be eaten by a date long after boxing day (most of it 29 but some of it january!)

I would be careful with shellfish though, especially the platters to be eaten raw.They need to be supra fresh otherwise you might get food poisonning

I think it is more fun to prepare your won but that's just me.

I'm sure their stuff is great thoguh.

Welcome btw.

Thanks all for the answers! And thank you lifeistooshort, I didn't think of freezing myself, I'll do that unless I get longer on the shelflives as you did. Thanks for the tip!

Moondog, I always would normally make myself, but after feeding 13 for christmas a girl's allowed to relax surely? :)

Ah yes, indeed.
Anytihng thT MAKES IT All more enjoyable heartily endorsed!

Waitrose Entertain are very good, went to a funeral where they had been used them two weeks ago.
However, shellfish just isn't worth it! It's not like other meats and stuff where an extra day or two won't really make a difference. There is actually a very high chance of horrid DV and a smaller but still significant risk of more serious problems. I speak as a microbiologist!!!

I wouldn't risk it. Their beef stroganoff is absolutely divine and I managed to pass it off as my own recently until the DD's blabbed.

we get curry from there
v nice nad super cheap too

this is making me hungry, I'll have to invent a party!