M&S food - is it expensive?

[sassypants101]

Is M&S food as expensive as I think it is? I went in the other night to grab something for dinner that night (I'm not very good at preplanning meals as I often work late). And I was surprised that I could get good food, for not too expensive.
Does anyone shop their regularly?
Are there good deals to be had?
Or am better to look elsewhere? Where?

TBH, I would like elsewhere

I mean, I would look elsewhere. Though good for the occasional grab & go. Or selective buying - but not for a staple weekly shop

My husband's aunt does, but that's more to do with a ongoing perceived view of quality that M&S had decades ago.

For me, they're no better than the better food ranges in other supermarkets and it's often more difficult to park nearby. Why not use Sainsbury's or Waitrose for a broadly similar experience?

We've got a marks near us with a good sized food hall. I often have a look round, I couldn't justify a big shop there, but they have some nice different bits that I get to go along with my Aldi and farm foods big shop.

I think it depends what you buy. For example their 97% pork sausages are always on 2 packs for £5. So 6 chunky or 12 skinny sausages per pack. That is comparable or cheaper than the equivalent Tesco Fineat or butcher style etc but they are superb quality and flavour.

Or their ground coffee is excellent and often on offer. Last week was buy one get one half price so two packs for £5.25. Even Tesco own brand ground coffee is £2.99 per pack so more expensive and nowhere near as nice.

So I think it’s a matter of shopping smartly. There at definitely some things that are not more expensive than Tesco etc but are much much better.

Thanks for your replies everyone! Sounds like it pays to shop around!

To me M&S is somewhere I would go for a ready meal. Not much else happening in there really.

They price match so their fresh produce at least is usually best price. It's also usually good quality (no matter where you are in the country). I regularly buy bits a bobs and it's not expensive but always if a decent standard.

If they still do the meal for two for £10, I have found that to be a good deal (though now often copied by other places)

They have great yellow sticker reductions at the end of the day if you can find out when your local store does that

It’s my closest shop. I find it cheaper as there’s no waste (but I don’t have children at home). If I buy a £3 ready meal I eat it all.

I find the cheese expensive but really good. Dh and I ate a Wyke farm (I think) cheese the other night with crackers - it was £3. We ate it all as it was lovely

It can be expensive, especially for fruit and veg, but it can also be quite good value, especially if you make use of offers and are only shopping for one or two people.

I have their credit card and regularly get sent a voucher for 300 points when I spend £30. This is equivalent to a 10% discount. I also have their Sparks card and get regular offers. I currently have a £5 off a £25 spend, so will use both of these in the same shop. The meat is good quality and some is well priced. Some shops are also excellent for yellow sticker reductions if you time it right.

The meal deals, whether Dine In, or the Indian ones are a good alternative to a takeaway and there is usually enough food for at least 3 people, sometimes 4, rather than 2.

I don't find the cheese expensive if you get the buy one, get one half price offers. Butter and milk is about the same as other supermarkets and they do pure softer butter in a tub, which is great in winter when normal stuff is too soft to spread.

I shop when they do the reductions. I love the quality but would not do a main shop there.

I found, when I lived somewhere where the choice of round the corner food shop was a small M&S food hall or a Sainsburys Local, that they were not dissimilar prices, and the M&S was much nicer and better stocked (and had a much better wine selection!).

They're more expensive in the middle but much cheaper at the top end than the big supermarkets. I find that they have a much better selection of higher welfare meat than Sainsbury's and their bog standard chicken is kept in better conditions than standard if you don't have the budget for free range.

Worth going in for a pack of Christmas Colin's!

I bought a pack today but unfortunately the use by date is before Christmas so I'll have to have two/three one now

I do quite a bit of shopping in Marks , lots of gluten free bits , cooked meat , salad stuff etc . I don’t think it’s particularly expensive .

What’s a Christmas Colin???

I like m&s food and if I had a lot of money I’d probably shop there on a weekly basis but it’s more a pay day treat going there.

Christmas Colins are out now!

Thank you

Laurie these two won't be seeing tomorrow let alone Christmas

Ontheboard i now want a colin (bad for the diet though)

Not if you shop wisely.

I go about once a month and buy ready meals for the freezer. The quality is much higher than anything I can get in Sainsburys and providing I check for offers the price is similar.

I then tour the shelves and check for offers on storecupboard bits - crisps, biscuits, coffee etc.

Finally offers on treats like Mince Pies etc.

The feel good factor when I arrive home always beats anything I get from my Sainsburys or Aldi trip.

What is the price match - I didn't know they did that?

So, avoid for fresh food and stock up on ready meals?

I love Colin!!!