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

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

This thread is for the Mumsnet M&S panellists who've been trying out the Simply Fuller Longer range with their families. M&S would like to know what you thought of the dish(es) you tried. We've included a few feedback questions below to get you started, but please feel free to add any other comments you have too.

Everyone who adds their feedback to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 M&S giftcard.

Please note that your comments may appear (anonymously) on the M&S pages on Mumsnet and possibly elsewhere.

Please remember to state which dish(es) you tried in your response.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Is this MN's longest eva product test thread?



Frankly, MN it is clogging up the top of my TIO, you need to draw a line underit now, d'ya hear?



not naffed off with the probabilities at all, oh no

[ThatsYouThatIs]

Q1. There was a good selection to choose from and the ones that had fish/meat, veg and potatoes separate from each other stood out as looking fresh and appetizing.

Q2. I bought 4 meals as they were 2 for £6. The first day, DH and I had the 2 that were microwaveable as we were late getting back from work and it was nice to just shove something in the microwave and be able to eat within 15 mins of getting home. I didn't buy them with this in mind but it may do in future. the second day we had more time and put both meals in the oven even though one was microwaveable. They were all easy to prepare.

Q3. Chicken & veg casserole with dumplings - This was a good sized portion and I felt fairly full afterwards.

Lochmuir salmon fillet - It looked fairly small when i put it on a plate but it was a decent sized piece of salmon and I was fuller afterwards than I expected. Not as filling as the casserole though and if I had it again I would probably do some extra veg to go with it.

Mexican chunky beef & spicy potato wedges - DH felt it was a small portion and was still hungry afterwards. He does like large portions though! He felt it was more of a lunch time portion.

Steak & mushroom pie with luxury mash - DH felt this was more filling than the beef and wedges but again he wasn't full after. If he had this again he would have it with a few portions of veg on the side.

Q4. Chicken & veg casserole - this was really nice and had nice big chunks of chicken which I was impressed with. The ratio of veg and chicken to dumplings made me think it was healthy.

Lochmuir salmon - the salmon was lovely and I liked the fact that the potatoes and veg were all nicely cooked. The potatoes weren't too hard and the veg wasn't too soft as can sometimes happen. This definitely seemed like a healthy ready meal compared to most I've seen.

Chunky beef & wedges - DH liked the taste but was a bit disappointed that it was so mild. Although it says mild taste, he was expecting more of a kick to it given it said spicy wedges.

Steak & mushroom pie - DH thought this tasted very nice and was a very healthy alternative to other pie based ready meals.

Q5. At 2 for £6 both DH and I felt they were fairly good value for money. they're not cheap but you are getting good quality for the price. I wouldn't buy these all the time as that would be very expensive but would buy them for DH and I instead of other ready meals or takeaways or if I knew I was eating alone one night.

Q6. I would recommend them to people who I thought could afford them. These are the sort of meals my mum likes as she lives on her own and I have told her about how nice I found them. My childless colleagues would also be interested in these I think but those with children would probably find them quite expensive unless just for the adults.

[rosie17]

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?

6 choices. I like chicken and prawns. Although the beef hotpot looked nice too. I am so sick of pasta I would never choose that one (this comes from years of feeding small children they usually like pasta.

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?
Oven. I don't usually buy convenence foods. Not esp quick to cook plus I had to put it back in the oven since the potatoe was quiet raw.

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 feel full after but it was lunch time this would not be enough for me as a 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? I tried the chicken hot pot. I enjoyed it - lovely flavour. Felt heathy esp due to nice lentals.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? Yes good value esp since it was on a 2 for £6 deal

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?
Would certainly recommend this range to friends not family. My family most like home cooking and bigger portions. I would buy this dish again esp since I discovered it can be frozen so handy for emergencies

[keepmoving]

Sorry just responding. My voucher seem to take ages to come through and then I went off on holiday...

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 Wimbledon store and easily found the range. Good selection. The only thing I didn't like was the fact it was difficult to identify the different dishes. As the dishes are angled the name on the side was easy to read and I ended up having to "pull out" (a bit like a drawer) the top pack off each pile to see what it was. I bought 2 x Thai Green Chicken Curry, 1 hot pot and a Singapore Prawn dish. Bought as part of the 2 for £6 offer.


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?

All heated in the microwave. Don't usually buy pre-made food (other than soups for lunch) but was 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?

Portion sizes are good imo. In fact I had to double check the nutrious value on a couple because i couldn't believe I could get a proper meal for about 400 calories. DH (had a thai green curry) said he could have done with a bit more rice (but he's just greedy!)

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?

Taste good, seemed to have fresh ingredients - vegetables were crunchy; potatoes on hot pot tasted of potatoes etc. Wish you would reduce the salt content though. This is one of the reasons i don't like convenience foods - I always feel thirsty afterwards. I don't cook with much salt so it is really noticeable to me.

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

Yes especially on the current offer. I was really pleased to get a full meal for my lunch for the same price as a carton of soup.

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 again would warn they are a little salty. However brilliant in terms of range (fish, red meat chicken, seafood options), like the idea of being nutrionally balanced, value and pack size. I did not feel the need to raid the fridge as soon as I got home after work either!

[ThisOnce]

Sorry - also late - new baby!

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 chose the Chicken and Three Mushroom Tagliatelle and chose the Beef Stroganoff for my husband. I bought them from the Camberley store. There was a large choice (approximately 20 to choose from) and they were displayed all together next to the ?Count on Us? range. These were the two that I preferred the sound of but I did notice that the meals looked a lot fresher and healthier than I normally expect ready meals to. However I wouldn?t have noticed this unless I lifted them off the shelf to see.

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 and found this comparable with other ready meals I?ve purchased in the past. However ? I do prefer to be able to microwave ready meals and often don?t check that this is the case before purchasing them. I?d be frustrated to get one home and find out that I couldn?t microwave it. However ? I like the option of being able to oven cook too, although microwave is preferable. This is because I buy them mainly for the convenience factor.

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 are fine, however I think part of the reason I would buy these types of meals, other than convenience, is for portion control. I know that my DH would put more than this on his plate but he actually found the portion size filling and was surprised that it was enough. I don?t think on his own he would purchase these though and I think that?s because he would think of them as being a ?diet? meal and something that women buy. I think partly this is because they?re next to the ?Count on Us? range but not sure that?s something that should change (I?d expect to find them there!).

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?
Yes ? as above, they do seem to be healthier than other ready meal options and I found them more appealing than the ?Count on Us? range for this reason. I did find it filling, but I?m not sure that any more so than any other food with that portion size. However, for the calorie content I thought the portion size was good. They were both fine from a taste aspect, not as nice as a non ?diet? range but I expected that.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think they?re reasonable value given that they?re complete meals including vegetables etc. But ? this is often not a consideration when I?m buying ready meals as I?m more concerned with the convenience.

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 think I would, mainly because of the aspect of choice and that they include fresh vegetables.

[Carrotcakeisace]

Sorry for the delay- lack of broadband whilst contracts changed and the world stopped for extended bank holidays has stopped me feeding back

. 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?
Initially looked like there was a good choice of dishes but closer inspection showed a lot of the dishes to be quite similar. The packaging was attractive and they looked more special than the average supermarket ready meal

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 had one microwave and 2 oven dishes but this was more accident than design, I had assumed they would all be suitable for the microwave and was surprised to find they weren't

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 size looked a bit small to start but they were quite filling, although I was hungry after the duck noodles

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 had the chicken and angle hair pie which was very tasty, although the pastry burnt in places in the oven and the Mexican chicken was tasty too but again the tortilla burnt. This needs to be looked at because I followed the instructions on the packaging.

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

I don't usually buy ready meals but thought these were pricey compared to what I would be prepared to pay, especially if you were feeding 2 people

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?

The dishes were ok but not worth the extra cost so I wouldnt recommend them

[meep]

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 limited selection but I did go in on a very busy late Saturday afternoon. The packaging makes it look "healthy"!

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?

microwave. I don't usually buy convenience food - but these were great for a quick after work dinner.

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 didn't feel full immediately, but that is just greed! I did feel full half an hour later. My DH had the same as me - but he had a bowl of cereal afterwards so I don't think he was full.

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 had the cod mornay -it was lovely and fresh, but I felt not that tasty. A wee bit bland -lovely textures though.

I enjoyed the Lochmuir salmon fillet better - it "felt" healthier.

The dishes I picked were low in calories - some of the others in store were quite calorific which I wanted to avoid.

I felt they were healthy alternatives as the portion size was controlled and they felt very fresh - but I did add extra veg

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

I could make the same thing for a lot less. The meals were on a deal of 2 for £6 - quite pricey - so not something I would buy very often

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 tend to recommend recipes rather than ready meals - but if asked about ready meals I would say that they were nice. A friend has recommended the fuller for longer lunch range - which also looked very tasty.

[Puffinsaresmall]

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?

Found them hard to find and there weren't many to choose from, perhaps because its quite a small store? I bought chicken in red wine sauce and the luxury mash because the others available were spicy and I don't like spicy food. Didn't see anything vegetarian.

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?

Microwave - they were quick and easy to do. Disappointed that some of the range couldn't be frozen, would have been good to keep in freezer for when you have no time.

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?

They were ok but seemed a little small once on the plate. Was hankering for cake about 3 hours 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?

Yes, enjoyed the meal itself very much, tasted better than most ready meals.

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

Yes - in terms of a quick meal after work, they provide convenience and good food at a fair price. Probably wouldn't buy regularly though as much cheaper to cook from scratch.

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 - due to ease of making and good taste.

[labradoodlemum]

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?
It was easy to find and there was lots of availability. To be honest they all looked pretty good but the red curry grabbed my attentiona s its one of my husband's favourites

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 the Thia Red Curry an paella. Micrwave heated - chose them for this reason as they were being cooked at work .Very easy to cook, same as most convenience foods.

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?
DH ate them and liked them. Thought portions ok but they were for lunch not dinner.Said the red curry filled him up not the paella.

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?
Paella not very exciting compared to others (Sainsburys/Tescos/Mark), Sauce a bit thin. Red curry tasty and lots of rice. Seemed healthy

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
Yes - especially as they were on a 2 for £6 deal

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 as they dont look like diet foods - therfore good for men!

[egginton1]

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 were 6/7 dishes to choose from, enough of a choice I think and I found one that was on special offer so was able to buy three meals for £10. I was more attracted to the thai chicken curry, the hotpot and the pork loin.

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 microwaved the thai curry and put the hotpot and the pork in the oven. For ease, I would prefer that all dishes are microwaveable. It was also a bit annoying that one of them wasn't suitable for freezing.

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 were good, I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity and quality of the meat and the delicious gravy in the hotpot and in the pork dish. My partner was also pleased with the size of the thai curry.

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?

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

Yes, good value for money for a quick and easy meal. I liked them a lot.

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?

[NoMoreMarbles]

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 to try 2 stores to find the SFL range...not a massive choice TBH. i went straight for the cod one and the spagetti one.

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?

microwaved them. we dont tend to buy any microwave meals so not much to compare to but they were very nice.

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 ok...could have done with a bit more but it was about what i would prepare for lunch anyway. DH enjoyed the cod but moaned it was a bit small...

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 said the flavour was good and he would buy it again if he felt the need for a microwave meal. The meals didnt seem quite so laden with salt so i would say they are healthier option to go for.

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

I was pleasantly suprised by the price as i do think some of M&S food can be a touch pricey. i got 4 meals at £12 on the 2 for £6 deal and i would 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 and i have my sister is on a low sodium and calorie controlled diet and has tried the cod too

[marmitericecakes]

Q1. Easy to find and a lot of choice. I've been reading the thread for the best reviews so I went for the steak and mushroom pie for my husband and a healthier more summery option for me of salmon, rice and beans. Both looked good.

Q2. I put my dish in the microwave and the pie in the oven. I can't remember the last time I ate a 'convenience' meal but I would use them as an option at lunchtime at work instead of a sandwich.

Q3. Portion size was fine for both of us. I'm breastfeeding and I eat a LOT but I was satisfied with my meal as was my husband who obviously had a more filling meal anyway.

Q4. The kind of dish I chose is something I would make fresh for myself for dinner, but it's a great option for lunch (where I'm no way organised enough to make something like that. I'd much rather have a meal like that than a sandwich and crisps anyway. My husband liked the pie - he considered it a treat as I don't cook pies very often and they contain a lot of fat.

Q5. As I said, I don't eat convenience meals but they are a good option for lunch instead of a trip to Pret a Manger or something. I know you can buy cheaper convenience meals elsewhere but I found the quality to be superior to other supermarket options. I'd pay £4 - £6 for lunch on a work day so this works within my budget.


Q6. Yes I'd mention it - particularly the healthier looking options as I associate convenience food with more fattening choices.

[FitByForty]

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?

Visited the York city centre store, middle of a Tuesday afternoon. SFL range was situated next to the Count on Us Range and had approx 6, well stocked shelves available. Lots of choice but all seemed to in a fairly similar theme - curry, pasta or rice based dishes. Didn't see any salads in the same area, perhaps they were somewhere else in the store

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?

Opted for the Thai Green Curry for myself and the Thai Red Curry for DP. Heated both in the microwave. Don't buy a lot of 'convenience' foods but found these quick and easy to prepare. They still looked appetising when cooked and seemed to have cooked evenly

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 visually looked small (but we do have huge dinner plates) but they were suprisingly satisfying. Both myself and DP felt full immediately after eating. However, I would say that this feeling didn't last - we were both hungry (not ravenous but definitely hungry) about 1.5 hours after

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?

Both meals were very tasty and we enjoyed them. There didn't seem to be a lot of meat but what was there was chunky and moist. Being of a similar type, both meals tasted fairly 'samey' with not much to distinguish between them. Overall, I would say they were ok. Neither myself nor DP were bowled over by them but they were perfectly edible and very convenient. I am currently trying to lose a bit of weight and the fact that they were low calorie, quick, and satisfying made it a good choice for a meal

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

At £4 each, these meals are on the more expensive side of ready meals. But they did taste fresh and they were convenient so I guess that's what you are paying for. I wouldn't buy them on a regular basis but would be tempted to buy them again for a quick meal on my own

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 think I probably would - they were perfectly adequate, tasty and reasonably filling. I liked it as a quick solution for me but probably not as an evening meal solution for both of us

[BumgrapesofWrath]

Sorry it's taken so long, holiday, toddlers etc!

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 did struggle to find the range when I first went arrived in-store ? but a friendly member of staff pointed me in the right direction. I had walked past it several times, so it didn?t stand out to me. There was plenty of availability ? a whole section dedicated to Simply Fuller Longer. I thought the choice was pretty good, as there were about 5 or 6 dishes I?d happily have picked out of about 10 dishes. The dishes that I liked the look of were ham hock, beef stroganoff, and the thai curries. In the end I opted for a Chicken Katsu Curry for myself and a Chicken Thai Green Curry for DH. The only thing I would say, though not being vegetarian myself, there didn?t seem to be a lot of vegetarian options.

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 was going to heat the dishes up in the oven (as that is what I?d ordinarily do if buying a ready meal), but the instructions stated best results from microwave, so I opted to do that. As I don?t generally eat microwave meals I must say I was very impressed by how soon they were ready ? it?s almost tempting to have microwave food more often as it was so easy. The only downside of that is the time you have to wait for the food to cool after it has been removed from the microwave.

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 found the portion sizes big enough. On first impressions I was worried as I would usually eat a lot more than the portion given, however I found myself full before the end of the meal. DH was also satisfied from a hunger point of view at the end of the meal.

However, a couple of hours later I started to feel very hungry, and a little bit after that DH started to feel hungry too. I don?t usually get hungry quite so early on in an evening. Usually for tea we will eat a home cooked nutritious meal, and this ready meal is not as satisfying. It may be because we are used to larger portions, and we do eat a lot of protein.

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?

Both of us enjoyed the flavour of the dishes. I enjoyed mine so much that I had lots of chicken left over as I was busy gobbling down the rice, beans etc. and I always eat the meat first usually! I thought the Thai Curry dish tasted nice, and on par with other Thai curry ready meals. The Katsu curry I thought tasted very special indeed! I think they are a good healthy option from a calorie and fat point of view, though still think the salt content is a bit high for me.

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

I bought the dishes on 2 for £6 which I think is good value for money. At the full price of £3.99 per dish I?m not so sure it?s good value, and probably would only buy occasionally as we do try to budget with food.

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 definitely would recommend the dishes as I think they would be good for people who struggle with portion size. I also think the dishes were tasty (especially the Katsu curry) so would recommend from a taste point of view.

[MumToTiny]

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?

• it took me ages to find the range in store, but I eventually tracked it down! I think there were about 8-10 different meals in the (fairly small) store I went to. There weren't many that really grabbed my attention, so I bought the same for DH and I to try (the curry with the crispy top), and a beef and red wine casserole for DH to take to work (which was reduced because it was short-dated).
  

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor 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 curries in the oven, the only way they could be prepared. They were a bit fiddly to serve, as you were supposed to remove the top, stir and dish out the curry from underneath, then replace the crispy top. The top stuck around the edge of the foil container, so I had to prise it off, and it wasn't really very crispy. DH microwaved his casserole in work.
  

We don't buy convenience foods very often, but the curry we tried was more fuss to heat and serve than other ready meals we've had before.

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 quite full after the curry, DH was distinctly disappointed by the casserole. He's not a big eater, and had it at lunchtime when he's used to having a small meal, but even so he felt the portion was far too small.
  

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 the curry, although the brown colour of the cauli was a bit off-putting. DH didn't like the casserole - he said it was really bland.
The curry is quite a healthy option, as it contains lots of veg and is much lower in fat and calories than a normal curry.

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

• £7.98 for tea for 2 is a bit steep, I'd rather pay a bit more and have a nice takeaway! DH has bought several waitrose ready meals, which are a similar price, and he says that waitrose beat M&S hands down!
  

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 wouldn't recommend them, as our families tend not to buy ready meals, and our friends would be unlikely to pay so much for ready meals. I wouldn't buy them again, but we enjoyed trying something different, so thanks, M&S!

[Jamesmom12]

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 Tamworth branch of Marks and Spencer in the early evening. I have purchased from the Simply Fuller Longer range before so knew where to locate it, and I think there were around 15 dishes to choose from. I found it quite hard to decide, they all sounded nice, but I gravitated towards the chicken ones and those that were a bit more unusual.

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 eventually chose the Keralan chicken curry and the mexican open fajita. Both were advised to be heated in the oven. This didn't really affect my choice of dish, I'm a stay at home mom so I'm not usually rushing in late and I can afford to wait half an hour for dinner. Would probably aim for the microwave ones when I'm back at work though! Being the world's worst cook I buy a lot of ready meals and these were no more or less complicated to prepare than others really.

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 perfectly happy with the portion size and was actually very full afterwards...more so than with an average ready meal I think. Selfishly, I ate both meals myself on different nights, but my husband tried them and said they tasted really nice.

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 both meals, and it was nice to have something different from the standard ready meal choices. The only thing that annoyed me was that both really stuck to the foil tray they were cooked in, which meant they looked a total mess on the plate and half of it was left behind. I don't know if anything could be done about that? I love the bistro range and the Gastropub range at Marks and Spencer and in all honesty I think I would still more frequently buy from them that Simply Fuller Longer, but on those weeks that I'm trying to be good I would pick them over the Count on Us range, just because they are more filling.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think the prices are what I would expect to pay in Marks and Spencer...you could certainly eat for less, but for the convenience and taste you get, I don't think they are particularly over priced. Like I say, I am a terrible cook and a busy mom, so I would happily pay those prices on nights when I really can't be bothered.

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've already discussed them with my mom and advised her to try the curry as she frequently has ready meals as my dad works away a lot. She was also impressed and said she will buy from the range again.

[Linzilou1508]

Hi all, first time poster - hope I do this right!! :)

So off i trotted to M&S with my £10 voucher, I wasn't too excited as I expected the usual selection of "diet" meals ie lasagne, chilli etc. I came across the SFL range in the Edinburgh, Gyle store easily and was struck by the choice of the range. Also, the meals were on offer - 2 for £6, so i decided to stick £2 to the voucher and try four meals :)

My OH is a fussy so and so and wouldn't have eaten any of the meals, so i tested them myself. I often need a meal for work so i chose two that were microwaveable and two that could be oven cooked at home.

The meals i chose were:

Smokey Mexican chicken open fajita (cals 395,fat 12.4g, sat fat 4.1g, salt 1.6g)

Kerelan chicken curry with spiced samosa crust (cals 320, sugar 12g, fat 10g, sat fat 5.3g salt 1.88g)

Scottish Lochmuir salmon with soy and ginger ((cals 430, sugar 9g,fat 18g, sat fat 5g, salt 2.25g)

Beef Bourguignon with mashed potato and savoy cabbage (binned the sleeve so don't have the content - sorry!)

The dishes prepared in the microwave (salmon and bourguignon) were easy to cook, no removing things and adding them at different times, or letting stand for a while then recommencing cooking - I just bunged them in and waited for the beep. Easy peasy!

The dishes prepared in the oven (fajita and curry) were cooked in their packaging and transferred from oven to plate without any fuss.

I was impressed by how easy they were to cook - the packaging also gives guidelines for if you were to cook two meals, very handy as i'll definitely be eating from the range again.

I was also happy with the quality of the meat in each of the dishes. Many of the ready meals i've used in the past have used fatty cuts or promise "succulent chicken" that you have to wade through a colourless, tastless sauce to find. However, the meat was tasty and cooked extremely well. It was well seasoned and the dishes i tried seemed to contain an adequate amount.

I think the dishes represented good value for money. As my mum always says "you get what you pay for" and I'd be happy to pay an extra £1 or so on top of what i'd normally pay for a convenience meal. I hadn't really considered M&S for a lunchtime meal but i definitely will now - as a nurse i'm lucky to get a lunch break half the time so was glad that the SFL range satisfied my appetite until i got home.

If these dishes came up in conversation i would not hesitate to recommend them. I loved all of the meals i tried and will happily be going back to M&S to try some more of the SFL range.

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

I need to dig the packaging out of the recycling bin, oops, will be back a bit later to answer the questions, please don't close the thread yet!!

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

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?

In our store, there were plenty of dishes to choose from, although a fair number featured chicken. The more exotic ones grabbed my attention - paella, green and red curry etc.

In the end I chose an aromatice herb and yogurt dressed chicken as it sounded delicious and for DH I got a roast pork loin with apple and cider sauce.

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 microwaved ours as it suggested doing that for best results. We would have bought them even if they had recommended oven cooking as 20-25 minutes wouldn't have been a problem but it was quite attractive only to have to wait for 4 minutes to eat.

In comparison to other convenience meals we have tried, the ones we chose were certainly high up there in terms of ease of preparation - really nothing to do other than stick in the microwave and eat.

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 didn't look huge but both DH and I were surprised to be quite satisfied with our portions and didn't end up snacking later. DH was very impressed as both of us are (unfortunately) big eaters.


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?

Both DH and I really enjoyed our choices. DH is normally not that impressed with the flavours of convenience foods but would definitely be happy to eat the prk dish again. I found the aromatice chick flavourful and would also choose it again. i was also impressed that there was plenty of chicken and it was soft and tasty. That is often not the case with convenience food.

I did subsequently buy a paella with chicken and king prawns and while, again, I found there were plenty of prawns and chicken pieces, i wasn't as keen on the overall flavour of the dish. I would definitely try others though and had a SFL flatbread with chicken and pesto today (forget the exact name) and also found it tasty and filling. As a range I am impressed.

As far as being "healthy alternatives" was concerned, neither of us felt they tasted like that, in other words like you were sacrificing flavour for health as is often the case. We enjoyed them.

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

They were good value the day I got them as they were two for £6. However, I think they would have been over £4 each normally which I would say is quite pricey. I would fdefinitely look out for them on a deal though.

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, both DH and I would recommend our choices to family and friends, mainly because they were so tasty and filled us up and, of course, were healthier than other convenience foods too. I would probably also mention how quick they were to prepare. The only concern would be price possibly.

I might caveat the paella slightly but I wouldn't put someone off in case it was just me who didn't like it.

Overall, I think it is a very good range and will look out for it when we need a quick and easy meal - would definitely choose it over a takeaway for health reasons.

[babyheaves]

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 wide selection of dishes in the chiller cabinet and a small selection in the lunchtime range. They were easy to find in store as well. The dishes that grabbed my attention were the chicken Katsu Curry as I've never seen that outside of a Japanese restaurant before and the Goan curry with the crispy top, which sadly I couldn't test as I didn't have access to oven during the trial.

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 all of the dishes up in the microwave and was influenced by the prep method as I didn't have access to an oven. I don't often buy convenience foods, but was pleasantly surprised that they were hot in the time specified as it was up to half the time of some other convenience dishes that I have bought before.

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 just right and filled me up so I didn't snack between meals. I was rather impressed by this as usually I would be hungry again a couple of hours later. The HCA's who did this test with me all enjoyed the dishes they tried and agreed that they worked to keep them satisfied which was important as they all were on 12 hour shifts.

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?

Between me, the nurses and the HCAs, we managed to try pretty much every dish in the range. We were all impressed that the beef in the Strognaoff was so tender and also with the amount of king prawns in the Paella dish as you would normally get one or two and in the M&S dish there were a lot more. We all found that they tasted as good as home made dishes and we didn't have a bland example out of all of the things we tried. Following the trial, we all went on to buy more dishes.

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

I think they are very good value for money as while there are cheaper options they don't have the flavour, generous amounts of ingredients and speed of prep as other ready meals. Also, as we found they do keep you full, we didn't snack as much after eating them.

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 definitely recommend all of the dishes, but particularly the Paella, Chicken Katsu Curry and Beeg stroganoff as they tasted great and did what they said they would do.

NB for MNHQ
I did this test while I was an in-patient on a secure psychiatric unit. You have no idea how hard it was to get them to believe that I genuinely was doing a product test for Mumsnet as it doesn't sound very likely when you tell someone who thinks you may be delusional.

It took two health care assistants (supervisory) an Occupational Therapist (pick up voucher and go shopping) a Mental Health nurse (to assess whether this was some kind of fantasy) and a consultant (grant leave to go and pick up voucher and buy stuff) to do this test.

I am not sure whether Marks and Spencer would like to know this but...

1. The meals are great if you are on medication that increases your appetite.
   
2. 7 out of 10 patients thought the meals smelled and looked better than the stuff served up by the hospital.
   
3. 8 out of 10 staff are willing to join in and product test foods for Mumsnet along side a patient.
   
4. I was grateful that the dishes were so quick to cook in a dodgy patient microwave that only blasts food at full power for 30 seconds at a time.

[lisad123]

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 fair choice, not lots. I went straight to the salmon

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 had salmon and meatballs and spaghetti. Microwaved them both, easy, quick and simple. Same problem as always with film ripping rather than coming off 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 was concerned that portion size looked small especially for my husband. However the meatball dish was bigger. I felt just right after, not like I had over eaten and my husband had a yoghurt aft but felt full.


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?
They were very nice compared to normal microwave meals and tasted more home cooked. Very tasty and can't think of any improvements. Certainly healthy compared to curries which I normally buy. Could serve for dinner with no worries.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
ours had offer on of two for £6 which was great. Not sure I would pay full price though
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 because they tasted so nice and are a nice change to normal microwave meals which are normally very watery.

[mumsneedwine]

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?
It was very easy to find and a good choice. The green curry and paella ones were the most distinctive.

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 did both ! Tasted better out of thr oven. Knowing I could cook them in a microwave would influence my decision to buy. They were easy to prepare although the packaging was bit tough to remove on one.


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 felt portion size was good but my DH would have liked more and had bread with his. Kids liked them too.

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 Paella was lovely, but I wasn't as keen on the Green Cury as my DP, but we both liked the Chicken dish. Food had more taste than other ready meals and didn't have the processed look that some of them have. Didn't really see them as a healthy alternative but they did taste better.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
Yes, as they tasted good and weren't too expensive even though from M&S.

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?
Did come up in conversation at my book club and I did rec

[weblette]

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? Took a while to locate and there were about 12 main meals on offer. Liked the look of the fish dishes, esp Keralan.

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? Microwaved - we don't usually buy convenience food but these seemed easy enough to do.

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 were fine, about what I would have expected. Liked the 'healthy feel' and yes did feel nicely full afterwards. Dh isn't a big trougher so these were fine for him too, someone with a 'heartier' appetite might have wanted something else too.

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 afraid they reminded me why I don't eat convenience foods much :( The textures do suffer and the flavours just don;'t compare to fresh. They did seem 'healthier' than other ready meal options, just not for us.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? They were on a 2 for £6 offer which I guess compared well with what you would usually pay for M&S 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? They seemed healthier than other meals on the market so I probably would if I knew people who had ready meals.

[Sunflowergirl2011]

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? Lots of choice, and there was plenty that I would try.

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? Microwave - no easier or harder than any other microwave 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? Tried 2 different meals. The green curry was a great size and felt satisfied afterwards. The meatballs portion size seemed OK, but did not feel full afterwards.

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 green curry smelled great when cooking, and the taste did not disappoint. Would definitely have this one again. The meatballs I would not buy again. The meatballs had too much onion in and it overpowered the taste. The spaghetti was bland and a little watery. For a quick and easy ready meal, these were healthier than alternatives.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? Seemed expensive for a ready meal at around £4 each.

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 buy them again, and if it did come up in conversation, I'd would recommend the green curry. My recommendation would be based on taste rather than health.

[only4tonight]

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 range was easy enough to find and there was a nice choice. However the range of products suitable for Lunches or freezing could be expanded.

I chose the Cod Mornay and the beef casserole dishes.

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 microwaved the dishes. I did choose the products because they were microwavable as if I were oven cooking a meal, I would prefer to do it from scratch. For me a ready meal is something quick to grab in a busy day rather than a staple.

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?

Both of us found the meals filling but not overly so.

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 meal (I had cod) was "nice". It wasn't outstanding but it was ok. Both my husband and I would eat the meals again and I would chose a simply fuller range over most others in m and s for myself.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? Yes the meals were nicer than the average ready meal and were on offer when I bought them so were good value. I would only really get something like that as a back up for myself or my husband when one of us will be late and unable to eat witht he family as normal. They would be far far to expensive for a family meal.

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 say they were nice.