Page 10 | NOW CLOSED M&S Simply Fuller Longer range - tester review thread

bunjies · 11/06/2012 12:54

Marking my place as I finally received my voucher on Friday! Will be eating the items today so will report back later.

Wendela · 11/06/2012 15:07

Q1.
Popped in to the Maidenhead store, with three kids in tow, so made quick decision to try the Keralan curry for DH and the Mexican chicken fajita for me.
Seemed to be about 10 different dishes to try from with a fair no. of each in stock, most (although can't remember them now) sounded very appealing.

Q2.
Heated both dishes in oven - did not look at prep times when purchasing, as was pushed for time. Prep was easy enough - pull off lid, place in heated oven for 30 mins, plate and serve... simple really. Microwave would have been quicker I guess, but 'oven only' dishes would not put me off.

Q3.
Portion sizes were perfect, not too much, not too little. We both felt we had had a sufficient amount to eat, full enough but not stuffed.

Q4.
Both meals were delicious! I guess that health-wise they compare favourably to other ready meals.

Q5.
There was a 2 for £6 offer on, so I guess price-wise they were ok. I personally would not pay more - we are a family of 5 on one teachers salary!

Q6.
I would recommend them to my time poor, cash rich friends, as the flavour was great, and they did fill us up. As for the rest of us though, home cooking will probably be more economical.

TheHankerer · 11/06/2012 15:25

Q1. There were about eight dishes to choose from in my local Teddington store. The one that caught my eye initially was the Keralan Chicken Curry.

Q2. I don't normally buy ready meals but when I do it's because there isn't enough time to cook a meal from scratch so I would prefer to choose a meal that I can microwave and have quickly. I microwaved the Katsu Curry and the Cod Mornay very easily but the Keralan Chicken Curry was oven cook only so the samosa crust would crisp up which it unfortunately failed to do, even when I left it in the oven for longer.

Q3. I thought the portion sizes didn't look that large but was surprised by how filling they were, much more so than the average ready meal. All the meals kept me full until 3-4 hours later. The Keralan Curry was particularly filling, although it was my least favourite in taste.

Q4.
The Keralan Chicken Curry was not very nice at all, it was bland and the samosa crust was soggy, there were far too many potatoes in it and not enough of anything else.

The Chicken in a Fragrant Katsu Curry Sauce was delicious, I really enjoyed it. I liked the more unusual ingredients such as water chestnuts and soya beans and the jasmine rice was lovely and sticky.

I also enjoyed the Cod Mornay with mashed potato, peas, green beans and cheddar sauce. I was really impressed that it was only 315 calories but had lots of different ingredients and kept me full up. I added some Worcestershire sauce which made it slightly more interesting.

Q5. One of the dishes I bought was discounted to £1.90 as it was near to its sell by date and the other two dishes were £3.99. I think the price would put me off buying them regularly unless I found another discounted one. For a meal for one person I think they are a little too much.

Q6. If it came up in conversation I'd recommend the range in general but tell people not to bother with the Keralan Chicken Curry.

porolli · 11/06/2012 18:01

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

I visited the Sale store in Cheshire. There were about 10 different dishes. What I noticed straight away was that there did not appear to be any vegetarian dishes, which was very difficult as I am a vegetarian! Apart from that, I noticed that there seemed to be more chicken than anything else and some curries.
So from a personal perspective, not any to choose from but I chose 2 that I thought DH would like - Cod Mornay and Chicken in Red Wine.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

I heated them up in the microwave. They were very similar in terms of other convenience foods we have had. It may be our microwave, but I felt they needed slightly longer than stated to heat properly.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

I did not eat them. DH felt the portion size too small for him but did not actually then go on to eat anything else.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

DH enjoyed both dishes but preferred the Cod one as he said that was refreshing to get 'an edible fish dish'. He was impressed with the size and texture of the pieces of fish in the dish. THe chicken in red wine he felt there was not enough sauce and it was all a bit too salty.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I do not feel they were particularly good value for money as there are other very nice convenience type foods, both within M & S and in other supermarkets which are cheaper. Would buy them on offer more eg one half price or 3 for a cheaper amount.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I do not think I would, mainly as there were not vegetarian options and also because they are all hearty eaters and I feel they would need to be supplemented. May mention it more to women than men I think.

magso · 11/06/2012 18:57

Q1 When I first looked there were about 5 dishes to choose from mixed in with others from the count on us range. I bought the beef stew with red wine and a chicken dish with potato angel hair. My second attempt ( in the same store) was more sucssessful and I found a much wider selection possibly a dozen or so, placed on an end isle that I had missed first time around. The microwavable fish dishes and those with tasty sauces caught my eye - but there were spicier dishes to choose from also.
Q2 I rarely buy convenience food for the family but sometimes do for myself when eating alone and short of time (or energy)to make from scratch. Both DH and I have access to a microwave at work, so I preferred to buy microwavable meals. I heated the chicken and angel hair in the oven and sadly overcooked it so cannot really comment on that one! The rest I used the microwave.
Q3 Portion size - fine for me and more filling than my usual quick bite. My husband needed bread to fill him up properly.
Q4 The beef stew with red wine had an odd flavour that I did not like, but the cod mornay was lovely (if a little thin on fish) and the pork loin with apple was enjoyed by DH. For me they are a better option than not eating properly if time is tight-I am trying to eat to balance my often flagging energy ( due to illness) and yes these meals worked well.
Q5 well I thought the dishes ( £3.99 - £ 4.50) were quite expensive compared to making at home, comparable to eating in the staff canteen, but not as dear as eating in a cafe. When 2 for £6 they are good value
Q6 If it came up in conversation yes I would recommend, especially the cod mornay which I really enjoyed!

bunjies · 11/06/2012 19:27

Q1. There was a choice of about 10 dishes in my local store (Hitchin) but not sure how many there should have been. Keralan Curry grabbed my attention straight away but others didn't seem that exciting. In the end I picked the curry for my lunch and the beef in red wine for dh's dinner and the roast pork loin for mine.

Q2. Heated the pork and beef meals in the microwave but the curry in the oven as it had a pastry top that needed to be crisped up. Preparation method did not influence purchase. We hardly ever buy convenience meals except for pizza occasionally and ready made filled pasta so not comparable. They were very easy to prepare but I wouldn't say I was impressed!

Q3. The portion sizes of all of them were good but I did steam some green beans to have with our dinners as I wanted more veg. I felt full,but not stuffed, after both my meals. Dh felt the same after his.

Q4. I really liked the curry and felt the spicing was just right. The texture of the meat and veg was nice and the crispy pastry top went well with it. I wasn't keen on the pork dish as I felt the texture of the meat was a bit rubbery. The sauce did not really taste appley and just had a vague sweet/sourness to it. Sauce was a bit gloopy as well like it had been thickened with too much cornflour. There weren't enough lentils for them to make much difference. Better to not have had them, especially as they were undercooked. Cabbage it came with was bland and not seasoned enough. DH felt the texture of the beef was good but didn't like the veg - he reckoned they were not cooked enough. He also thought the gravy was gloopy. I would add that I disagree with the so called "balanced carbs" aspect of these meals. I noticed a few of the meals used mashed potato (including my pork meal). To my mind mashed potato should not be used as a good carb as mashing spuds increases the GL significantly. I would prefer to see better carbs like brown rice or quinoa being used. I would also have given a smaller portion of the carbs and increased the veg.

Q5. The meals were on a special offer of 2 for £6 so they were ok for the money. Otherwise they cost around £4 each which is a lot if you were buying for the family. Perhaps ok for eating alone.

Q6. The only meal I would recommend is the Keralan curry because it was tasty and different from the usual tikka masala type curries you normally see in a supermarket. I would not recommend the beef or pork meals as they didn't taste that great and weren't very well made.

Ambersivola · 11/06/2012 20:09

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

We dropped into the Staines Upon Thames store after a long drive to visit a relative who lives alone on a pension. The SFL range was shelved between the Chinese meals and Count on us with ten varieties to chose from.I chose the Creamy Chicken Ham and Chunky Veg Angel Hair Pie. DH chose the Keralan Chicken Curry in aromatic coconut sauce Topped with samosa crust. For our relative we chose the Lochmuir Scottish Salmon with soy and ginger. We got two for £6 and the other was £3.99. Nothing really grabbed my attention - but thought the dish with Angel Hair looked interesting!

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

We popped everything into the oven - we found the preparation as convenient as any other M&S ready meal.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

I found the Chicken dish with the Angel Hair adequate for me and felt full up afterwards - but I am really not a big eater. DH liked the unusual taste of the Chicken Curry and enjoyed the samosa crust but also had Naan Bread which we bought as an extra with our own money. The Salmon dish was adequate for the pensioner and but she was not sure about the ginger dressing with salmon!! The salmon portion looked a bit small to me.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

We found the meals quite tasty and did enjoy them. The composition of all the meals seemed to be nutritionally balanced but as I remarked earlier my DH addad more carbohydrate in the form of a Naan bread. I usually choose lower carb stuff as I am diabetic. The pensioner had no health issues or diet restrictions to consider.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

Buying two meals for £6 was better value than the one meal at £3.99. Three meals without the multi-buy would have cost as much as buying four dishes with the multi-buy deal. So we would probably chose to buy multi-buy meals in preferece to the dearer ones.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend the dish with the Angel Hair to friends and family. DH would like to try the other curry dishes to see which he likes best before making any recommendations.

ettabea · 11/06/2012 20:31

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
When I went to my local M&S (Cribbs Causeway), what I noticed was the huge array of ready meals and it did take me a while to locate this particular range. When I did, however, I thought the packaging was simple but attractive and the pictures of the meals on offer looked delicious! There was a very good selection to choose from and definitely something for everyone. We chose Aromatic herb & yogurt dressed chicken and the chicken & veg hotpot.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
We did them both in the oven as they needed the same amount of cooking time at the same temperature. 25 mins was about what I would expect and is quick and easy for a convenience meal. Very easy just to remove the cardboard sleeve and film and stick them in the oven!

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
Could have done with a slightly bigger portion size myself. My OH does a lot of sport and needs masses of energy (and food!) to keep him going so it definitely wasn't enough for him. I did some extra vegetables as a top-up. We both felt full afterwards and didn't reach for any pudding!

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?
Really tasty, lots of different textures and flavour. Yes, I do consider them to be healthy compared to others I've tried,, even though they are "convenience" meals.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
We bought them on the 2 for £6 offer which was fair value for money. They are definitely good quality and fresh-tasting and you get what you pay for really.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes! especially for someone who is looking to lose weight by eating healthy, quality and tasty food. Overall, we were very impressed and would definitely consider buying these again.

melissab · 11/06/2012 21:51

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
There was reasonable availability, but as I visited near the end of the day there didn't seem to be everything in the range available. I had looked online so knew which ones I was looking for, before I went,

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
I oven cooked them. I wanted to serve 2 at the same time, so for times like this I don't really like m/w meals, as it means one is going cold whilst the other cooks. They were fine to cook.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
The portion size was actually OK. I thought that I would be left hungry, as there didn't seem to be as much as I'd like (but then I guess they are diet foods!) - but actually I was full, as was DH, so we were both happy with the 'size in our tummies', if not size on plate.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?
We both tried the pork - it was really rather nice. No nasty chewy bits, so would be very happy to eat it again.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
Ummm hard to say. For eating every day, as per the diet plan online ... for a family of 4, no not really. But for 'easy meals' to supplement a well balanced diet, they are OK.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes I would - fuller in flavour than the Sainsburys BGTY meals, so would recommend :)

Thanks for letting me try them !

thekingfisher · 11/06/2012 22:19

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately? I went to look at about 2.30pm and there didnt seem to be a huge selection - many of the curry-esque dishes were left which didn't appeal nor did the more stodgy selections. I selected Chicken and ham pie, beef stroganoff and mushroom tagillatelli.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not? The dishes were straightforward to heat up - I was not surprised or disappointed with the time it too to cook.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size? Portion sizes for me were big which is good, for DH they were perfectly adequate. If I had eaten a whole one it would have been much more food than I would usually have eaten.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not? Unfortunately I felt that the chicken and ham pie and the stroganoff were both woefully under flavoured and very bland. They didn't taste like diet foods which I guess is a plus but it wouldn't persuade me to get them.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? they were reasonably competitive - and they had a 2 for £6 offer on when I went in so reasonably priced.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not? because I think for me they represent more food than I would normally eat therefore almost persuading me to eat more than was necessary....and they just tasted very ordinary - I wouldn't go out of my way to buy them I'm afraid

mummyofcutetwo · 12/06/2012 00:14

Q1. I found the SFL dishes fairly easily in the Silverlink M&S. There were spaces for about ten dishes, but several of them were sold out. I noticed there didn't seem to be any vegetarian dishes and that the majority of dishes were spicy and/or chicken.

Q2. I chose the Thai red chicken curry for DH and the Asian style hot & sour chicken noodles for me. I didn't look to see how to cook them while in the shop as I was shopping with my two little ones and so was trying to be quick. I also bought the pork loin, which my DH will have for lunch. All these meals can be microwaved, which is convenient. Pretty much the same as other ready meals.

Q3. Neither my DH nor I felt full at the end of the meal. My husband asked if it was meant to be eaten with half a loaf of bread in order to make you fuller for longer! The portion size seemed a little on the small side.

Q4. We both really enjoyed the taste of our meals. They didn't taste like "healthy" meals, in that they were just very yummy - the taste hadn't been compromised to make the dish healthier.

Q5. At two dishes for £6 I think they're on a par with other ready meals. We'd definitely buy from this range again (as a "luxury" ready meal) if they were on offer; we just couldn't afford to buy them at full price.

Q6. Yes, I'd recommend them to friends and family, but would mention that they might need something extra to fill up on.

SweetieLyns · 12/06/2012 14:52

Q1. I visited the Holmbush store which has just had a bit of a revamp and found the dishes really easily and found the range in store to be quite good. The packaging makes the dishes all look amazing. I decided to go for the Chicken and Mushroom tagliatelle for both me DH and I. I also picked up the Chicken and Pesto Flatbread as it too looked great for a lunch on the go.

Q2. I heated my pasta dish up in the microwave. I don't eat many convenience foods as cook most things from scratch and I don't use the microwave much so was pleasantly surprised with the results. I chose the microwave as was in a bit or a rush so was perfect. I was very impressed with the speed and ease of preparing the dishes and would definitely buy from the range again. The flatbread did not need to be heated up.

Q3. I thought the portion size of the pasta dish was fab and although full, it did not make me feel like I had overeaten. I thought the amount of chicken in the dish was good, which was a surprise. My DH enjoyed the dish but being a typical man the portion size could have been a bit bigger as he wasn't full after. I think had I served some garlic bread with it for him, it would have been prefect. The flatbread I had for lunch and as someone who buys sandwiches from supermarkets very rarely but is always disappointed, this one was fabulous. I felt full after and did not want to snack later in the day.

Q4. The pasta was great, I loved the flavour as did my DH, maybe could be a bit stronger flavour as I like strong flavoured foods. The flatbread was amazing, I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a quick and easy lunch that is health and full of flavour. Definitely didn't taste like a "better for you" or diet range.

Q5. I thought they were very good value for money as I feel they are a better standard of convenience meal than you can buy from the other supermarkets.

Q6. Definitely, already recommended the flatbread to friends!

Thank you M&S

Jo49 · 12/06/2012 21:00

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

The store I visited had a good varied range of dishes, everything from curries to hotpot. I was immediately drawn to the curries as they looked good and the had some nice greens in them too.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

I'm not usually a fan of convenience meals, but I opted for a Thai Green curry and a meatball and spaghetti dish. These heated really well in the microwave and DH was very keen on having his first ( he wanted the curry). Very easy to prepare and simple instructions on packaging. The veg stayed lovely and firm, (green beans and mangetout)

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

I was very surprised by how good the portion sizes were. I certainly felt full as did DH who was a little bit dubious about the portion size a first but was surprised at how full he was.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

Very tasty especially as they are healthy alternatives. Nothing left out here when it comes to taste you could really pick out all of the flavours and we both really enjoyed them. I would consider them to be healthy alternatives and they were far better than other ready meals I have tried.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

I think they were ok as maybe an occasional buy. I got 2 for £6, but for someone who is using them to lose weight it could end up costly. As a good, quick and filling meal I would definitely buy them again.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend them to all. In fact I already have.

DirtyMartini · 12/06/2012 22:43

So sorry to be so late with this!

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

The store I normally shop in is a medium-sized Simply Food branch and it generally has a decent selection of SFL - the exception is after 4:30 PM on a busy day. The dishes I tried first were the salmon & black rice (for me), and the chicken & mushroom tagliatelle (for DP).

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

Both of ours were microwave ones and I did choose them on that basis; they were very straightforward and easy, no faffing about with heat-wait-heat-again, etc.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

We both felt the portion sizes were fine: enough to be satisfying. I used to buy the Count On Us meals sometimes and I do think SFL is much more filling than those.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

We enjoyed both the dishes I've mentioned: I liked the salmon & black rice, but I'm not sure it would appeal to DP. The tagliatelle we both liked; the mushrooms were really good. (I have had that one myself since, and slightly felt I could have happily sacrificed some of the chicken for even more mushrooms, but probably that would throw all the carb-balancing out of alignment?) We have tried others that we've also enjoyed: the beef stroganoff, the Thai green & red curries, the salmon with new potatoes and the ham hock. All were good and we'd buy them again, in theory. I do think they're healthier than other ranges.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

They do seem worth it. They are expensive, but I'm OK with that because they're healthy, some thought has clearly gone into them, and the ingredients seem to be of a good quality. To me, that makes it justifiable.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I definitely would, although I'd probably feel I had to say "they're expensive, but ...".

MsGee · 13/06/2012 11:18

Sorry, another late one.

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

The store nearest to me is actually at a local services and I was surprised at the range they had (although the SFL range seemed to be in two sections which was confusing). To be honest nothing overly exciting jumped out ? it seemed the usual selection of ready meals although there was enough to choose from.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

I tried the beef stroganoff which was chosen mainly because it looked healthy and it was lower calorie. DH tried the thai chicken. I am afraid we eat a LOT of ready meals and DH is very picky. We only get microwave things ? we have limited time to heat food if its a ?ready meal night?. I was struck that both the meals were very quick to heat ? some others we get take much longer.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

We felt that the portion sizes were fine. I normally eat a low fat, low cal version of DH?s ready meals and he normally has a huge plate and me a teeny tiny one. We were pleased that although mine wasn?t fattening they felt more similar. DH did not say he felt particularly full but he didn?t eat anything else that evening though (rare for him). I wouldn?t say I felt full afterwards but there again I didn?t snack after either.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

DH really liked it but felt that there wasn?t enough sauce with the thai chicken. He liked the taste and flavour and thought it compared well to other thai ready meals (told you we eat a lot of ready meals!)

I really liked mine ? I thought the veg tasted fresh and crunchy ? not like they usually are in ready meals. I was also really pleased by the low cal factor ? I am doing weight watchers and was amazed that the ?points value? was less than some other brand foods which are promoted with weight watchers points on (tesco!). The portion seemed MUCH bigger and much more filling than other lo cal foods.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
Yes but... I think that they are worth it and compare well to other convenience foods ... however, some lo cal convenience foods are very cheap (and taste worse etc. ? but tesco do some of their WW style foods for £1 each ...)
So it would be ok but I think more for a treat than every day... That said, its about what we spend on ready meals for DH (non calorie isshoos).

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes but agree with poster above ? I would feel the need to justify the expense...

Gooseysgirl · 13/06/2012 15:05

Q1.
I purchased two meals from the M&S foodhall in Stratford Westfield. I would have liked a greater selection of dishes to choose from, there were too many curry type dishes.

Q2.

I usually buy convenience meals for microwaving - if I'm going to use the oven I'll cook something myself from scratch. We tend to use microwave convenience meals as an emergency back-up or on a day when we know we won't have time to cook. I was happy with how the meals turned out when microwaved.

Q3.
I had the Chicken penne arrabiata and DH had Thai red chicken curry. My chicken dish portion size was fine and I felt full afterwards. DH (6ft strapping lad) did not feel full after his and had a couple of slices of toast afterwards to top up!

Q4.
My chicken dish was lovely, a good helping of chicken in the dish and I enjoyed it very much, would have it again - it was low in calories and saturated fat which are the two things I look for in a healty option convenience meal. DH said his Thai curry was very nice - he would have liked more veg.

Q5.
Dishes such as these are widely available in other supermarkets at a more affordable price, but the quality is better in the Simply Fuller meals. These dishes are something I would buy again but not frequently.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would certainly recommend the range to family and friends, I have eaten other dishes from the range previously and always enjoyed them. However I believe the cost would disuade most from purchasing on a regular basis.

sunnymum44 · 13/06/2012 22:08

Q1. Not a lot of choice actually, maybe as was later in the day & was a garage M&S. The ones to grab my attention were 2 x paellas as needed dinner and 2 reduced Asian salmon salads, purely because they were reduced to £2.50 each! Sucker for a bargain.....
Q2. Microwave & I would always expect a ready meal to be microwaveable, in fact would be annoyed if it had to go in the oven as the point of ready for me is ready in 3 minutes!
Q3. Portions didn't look big but were surprisingly satisfying, particularly the salads which I found very filling. DH felt the paella was a bit pointless.
Q4. Paella was a bit boring and tomatoey. As calories important to me, reckon I could have found a more tasty meal for the same calories actually. Asian salad very tasty though, lovely strong flavours.
Q5. My bargains were good value for money but I don't think I'd pay £4 for the paella, just not enough to it for that money. Happy to pay £4 for a dish if it's full of the superfood type things and things I wouldn't cook at home.
Q6. Not sure I would, no, sorry. But the week before I tried an amazing feta & sort of bean/pulse superfood salad, sorry don't know the name but that one was delicious and it was SFL & I would recommend.

Greedypiggy · 14/06/2012 08:55

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

There was quite a bit of choice for chicken, meat and fish dishes, I think around 8-10. The thai curries looked nice.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

I heated the dishes in the microwave. It would affect my choice if a dish is not microwaveable. I dont regularly buy convenience meals, so being quicker to heat is always important, rather than to wait ages.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

The portion sizes were quite generous. I definitely felt full afterwards, so did DH. I dont think I felt fuller for longer as compared to our normal dinner.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

We tried Thai green curry and middle eastern spiced chicken .They were quite nice. good balance of flavours, and did not taste like the typical convenience meals, as I can usually taste preservatives in the latter. So they looked like a good alternative to home cooked meals, if you are in a hurry.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

I thought they were a bit on the expensive side, even for M&S. Ready meals should be easily affordable.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend the middle eastern spiced chicken. It had good flavours and it was a different recipe for me, usually not found in convenience meals.

mrsaligee · 14/06/2012 10:31

Update - starving!

After a day of eating SFL dishes, I woke up the next morning at 3.30 am feeling starving! Not good!

FairyPenguin · 14/06/2012 20:48

Q1. Yes, the range was easy to find in-store. DH was with me and the Keralan chicken curry caught his eye straightaway. We bought that for him, and Seafood Linguine and Paella for me (for 2 separate meals!).

A lot of the dishes had quite a short shelf-life (1 or 2 days), whereas I would have preferred at least 3 days if possible as we often shop at the weekends, for the whole week. I did freeze one of the meals, but it wasn't a "cook from frozen" so I had to remember to defrost the night before I wanted to eat it.

Q2. DH heated the curry in the oven, but I microwaved my two. Both very easy to do. No complaints at all. Have previously bought ready meals where you have to stir halfway through in the microwave, or put different bits in the oven at different times, but these were all very straightforward.

Q3. DH thought the curry was too small for a dinner, but fine for a lunch. He said that as it was only 320 calories, he would have preferred it a bit bigger as he would never eat a curry for lunch. The paella was a good portion size and I did feel full afterwards (although I had this for lunch!). The linguine was a good size and I did feel full.

Q4. We definitely felt that these are good healthy options for ready meals. We used to buy ready meals and stopped for many years until we had children and lost the time and energy to cook every night. However, most of the time, we don't buy actual ready meals as they are so unhealthy or unappealing. These ones were nearly all appealing, and looked healthy.

Paella - this was very nice, but the chorizo had no kick in it at all, which was unexpected. The chicken and prawns were good quality. My toddler had some of this and he loved it. Would probably buy again, but for my two children as nice and bland for them.

Keralan curry - DH said this was very well seasoned. Nice and spicy, much better than some bland curries he's tried in the past. He found it quite dry though, and would have preferred more sauce. Would buy again.

Linguine - again, very well seasoned and had a nice chilli kick to it. Really liked the scallops - not often you see those in ready meals. Would buy again.

Q5. They were on a 2 for £6 offer, so only bought one at full price. I think they were good value on the offer, and I would buy again at full price, but not on a regular basis.

Q6. Yes, I would recommend to other people.

Thanks for letting us try these out, and we will definitely be buying again (especially as there were other dishes that I liked the look of!).

Katamariy · 14/06/2012 22:02

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

As my DCs were ill at home the week I tried the meals, I was forced to use the small M&S at the local garage rather than a larger store. I found the range quickly, but, there were only six dishes to choose from. Out of these two dishes appealed to me, the middle eastern spiced chicken and a pork dish.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

I bought the chicken dish twice, and used both oven and microwave. I don't usually buy ready meals, so did find it nice to not have to do anything more than pierce a lid.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

I found the portion sizes good for lunch, but, would want a little more for dinner. I did feel full afterwards, and usually I do get quite ratty between school run and dinner, but, I felt ok. DH thought the portion size was small, though his usual portion size is like Desperate Dan at an all you can eat buffet, just before closing.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

I thought the flavour was quite good, there were lots of different flavours in the meal. The disappointment was that when I oven cooked the meal the rice was hard, and when I microwaved it the sauce went a bit thick.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

They seem quite expensive for one meal. I would probably buy one if I had limited time.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I would recommend them to people. I would think that they would be beneficial for older people and new mothers with DHs that cannot cook, ( like mine).

PiedWagtail · 15/06/2012 12:23

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

I had time to meander round thwe Milton Keynes store and had time to brosw the store. Like Thai curries so chose them.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

Bought both the red and green Thai curry and heated them up in the microwave. I assumed they could be microwaved. We rarely buy convenience meals but these were easy.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

I found my Thai red curry about right. DH found his was fine but still snacked later.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

I really enjoyed mine and liked all the veg. DH thought his sauce could be creamier, but we both enjoyed the meals. The chicken was good quality.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

We only buy ready meals as a special deal, so thought that these meal were quite expensive but you get what you pay for, and I thought they were good quality in comparison to other ready meals.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes - maybe to richer friends/those without kids! And would buy again if they were on special offer :) They area bit too expensive for everyday in my opinion.

bobthebuddha · 15/06/2012 20:36

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?

There was a decent selection (I was in one of the slightly smaller high-street stores) but nothing apart from the Keralan Curry grabbed my attention. Also got the meatballs and spaghetti for DH.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?

They were heated in the oven as we don't have a microwave. I don't normally but convenience foods, but compared with the few we do buy these meals (especially the meatballs) did not look especially appetising once they emerged. The spaghetti was pretty congealed and stuck to the dish, although I'm aware out oven is not the best and the dishes did state they were best microwaved.
Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?

We ate the meals in the evening; I felt pretty full after the curry and wasn't remotely hungry later. DH on the other hand did not stay full for long and went hunting in the fridge within a couple of hours!

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?

The meals did taste better than they looked; I really enjoyed the Keralan Curry and it was pretty spicy. The 'samosa' topping tasted more like dry filo pastry though; given that samosas are usually fried it seemed very far removed from how this should taste. Would have been happier eating it with rice.

From appearances/dish name alone & without knowing the name of the range I wouldn't consider them to be 'healthy alternatives' to other meals; that's probably a point in their favour!

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?

At £3.99 each these don't present especially great value for me - £8 for two meals is more than I'd spend cooking from scratch as I usually do. If I was eating alone and didn't feel like cooking I'd probably be happy enough to spend that on occasion.

If I was buying a ready meal I probably wouldn't choose this range over any other but I have bought from the range before and would do so again if something seemed particularly appetising - or there was a special offer on!

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?

I'd be happy to recommend the Keralan Curry but definitely not the meatballs.

CheeryCherry · 15/06/2012 21:11

Q1 I tried 3 different M&S stores but could not find a single vegetarian SFL which is a shame as I looked online and the veggie options look good.I had to hunt for the range, it didn't stand out amongst the crowd.
Q2 I cooked them in the oven as I was doing jacket potatoes for us veggies.I worried that the veg would dry out in the oven, I don't usually buy ready meals but can see why people do, it was very easy.
Q3 My DH and DS (the only meat eaters) tried the Thai green chicken curry each. They both said they were content afterwards though as usual DS was grazing all evening.
Q4 They both enjoyed the meals would have them again though DS thought the veg had an 'odd' taste 'not like normal veg'. They felt the curries were flavoured well, spiced just right.
Q5 I think they are reasonably priced but for a family of 5 it would be too expensive to have one each.
Q6 They said they would recommend them, but as a family I can't see us buying them again.

Tobagostreet · 16/06/2012 11:24

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
I found it difficult to locate initially. It was a corner in the last chill cabinet (so furthest from the entrance). There were a couple of dishes not in stock, but I had a choice of about 10 to choose from. Immediately I was interested in the Salmon dishes (as DH loves Salmon) and the chilli beef, which looked good.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
Ok, so we bought 4 dishes, as they were on offer 2 for £6. I bought the Salmon with potatoes and veg, Chilli Beef, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Penne Arrabiatta. I didn?t look at preparation time/method before I purchased, as I was more interested in how the dishes looked. I made all according to the best recommended method (so 3 by Microwave and the Chilli Beef in the oven). I don?t normally buy ready meals and thought that they were all quick and easy to prepare.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
I though the portion sizes were Ok for me ? sufficient for an evening meal, I wasn?t left hungry. However, my DH felt that it wasn?t enough and he was hungry a couple of hours after. They?re probably more suited to a lunch dish for him or would need bulked up with a side dish.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?
I?m not convinced that they were any more healthy than other ready meals. I thought they were functional meals rather than enjoying them.
Chilli Beef ? lots of potatoes, lots of sauce, not a lot of beef. Flavour was lovely.
Chicken Arrabiatta ? chicken had an awful, processed texture ? ended up picking it out and not eating. Pasta texture was good, sauce was nice, but no-where near spicy enough (was it spicy at all!?)
Chicken Tikka Masala ? DH says it was bog standard. Initially didn?t think the chicken was tikka, but agreed it was. Poor processed consistency again in the meat.
Salmon dish ? potatoes were good as were veg. Sauce was flavoursome and there was enough. Salmon was delicious, but a very small portion.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? I suppose they did offer good value for money on a 2 for £6 offer. I wouldn?t pay more than that for them. I would only use then as a quick meal when I can?t be bothered cooking (replacement for having a McDonalds??)

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not? I?m not sure I?d recommend any ready meals in a conversation, but if I needed to, I would say that the quality was OK, probably better than Tesco, but not as good as home made.