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

[flyingchick1]

Q1. I visited the store at speke retail park, took me about 5 mins to locate the range it was located at the end of an aisle. Lots of dishes to choose from. My attention was grabbed by the thai green curry, keralan curry, the ham hock and pok loin also. Eventually choose keralan curry for me and pork loin with apple and cider sauce for DH

Q2. I heated mine in oven, DH in microwave very easy to do. Dont regularly buy convenience meals so nothing to compare with. But preparation method probably wouldnt influence me

Q3. Very impressed with my portion sauce for the curry and it only contained 340 calories. Felt full for rest of evening. DH agreed about adequate portion size but it didnt fill him up and he ended up eating half a baguette after it!

Q4. very impressed with curry, looked appetising and was really tasty. DH thought pork loin and sauce were very tasty but was not impressed by the wilted looking cabbage

Q5. Personally I think £8 for 2 convenience meals is expensive and I wouldnt buy these on a regular basis, maybe as a one off

Q6. I would recommed them for their taste and was also impressed with the low calorie count of them however they are a tad expensive I feel

[MumbleMumm]

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 SFL range was placed hidden in a corner next to the Count on Us range. I was a bit annoyed as someone had left a step ladder in front of them, so they were difficult to get to, made even harder while trying to carry an 11 month old. However, when I finally did manage to move the step ladder, I was quite pleased with the selection. There were plenty of choices - the Keralan curry grabbed my attention very quickly as it looked to be something really quite different with the samosa topping. I also grabbed the salmon and broccoli meal, as it looked nice. Though I think I'd try one of the stew or curry dishes if I were to choose again.

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 oven. I didn't look at how the dishes had to be prepared prior to purchase. They were both quick and easy to prepare in the oven and didn't spoil in the way some microwave convenience meals do when cooked this way. They looked perfectly appetising when prepared this way.

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?
My husband thought the portion size was good on the Keralan curry, and he felt sufficiently full afterwards - which is impressive, as we usually eat rather big meals. I was slightly disappointed in the size of the salmon meal. If I was making it myself it would have been a third bigger again. That said, I didn't feel massively hungry when I had finished, ut I had been snacking that afternoon.

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 enjoyed the flavour - my dh was really very impressed with the curry, and made sure I tried a bit to show me just how good it was! The salmon sauce was very tasty, and the vegetables were nicely prepared, and tasted fresh.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think that £4 is an OK price to pay. It isn't cheap, but it isn't too expensive. Though £8 for 2 is quite a lot when it would be easy to make the salmon meal bigger for cheaper.

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 the Keralan curry, not so much the salmon. The curry was really quite tasty, and different. The salmon was pretty standard to be honest, so not sure if I would recommend it so much.

[coni336]

Q1.
I visited the Bath branch and found the range fairly quickly in the ready meals section. I thought there was enough to chose from and me and dp both fancied a pasta based dish. I chose the chicken penne arrabbiata and dp the beef meatballs and spaghetti.

Q2.
I heated them in the microwave as it said 'for best results'. I hardly ever use the microwave and was a bit weary that it may overcook or dry up the dishes as this has happened before with other ready meals. I was happy with the results, not dry or overcooked at all and SO quick. That was probably the best aspect for me as after a long day with 3 dc, once they are in bed I just want a quick dinner with not much fuss and mess so perfect for me!
I never buy convenience meals as the ones I had bought in the past were horrible! I would try one of these again. I thought these meals would be good when dh is away with work and I can't be bothered to cook for myself (better than eating a whole pack of biscuits for dinner)

Q3.
Good portion sizes. At first my dp thought it looked really small but surprisingly he was full up and didn't snack afterwards! I did not finish my meal as I wasn't that keen on it, I was full after 3/4 of it anyway.

Q4.
My dp really enjoyed his choice he actually said 'I could live on these!' he said it was slightly too sweet but really enjoyed it anyway. I thought my dish had too much sauce and the flavour was overpowering, it was quite salty. I liked the pasta, cherry tomatoes and chicken bits but left a lot of the sauce. The other negative in mine is that I chewed on a bit of chicken gristle and that always puts me off!
I felt the dishes were healthy and calorie count low.

Q5.
I thought they were reasonable and I would rather pay £3.99 and get good quality food (apart from the gristle) than buy the £1 ready meals I have seen and would not dare to try!

Q6.
My dp said he would recommend his dish. I wouldn't recommend mine and wish I had chosen something else but I would try again with something different next time and I would recommend the range especially to my busy mummy friends.

[mackemmam]

Q1 There was plenty to choose from and they looked nice in the packet.
Q2 Heated both in the microwave and was suprised at how little time they needed to heat up.
Q3 Portion size - quite small and both of us had a snack later.
Q4 Flavour - neither of us really enjoyed the meals. I had the ham hock and it all tasted artificial particularily the mash. DH had the thai curry and didn't finish it. Shocked at the high salt content in mine. Neither of us eat ready meals so difficult to judge the flavour, compared to home cooking not good.
Q5 Poor value for money at 38 for two.
Q6 No sorry wouldn't recommend the range

[BigBadBear]

Reporting back on DH's dish - he had the beef and chianti ragu with rigatoni. He said it was enough and he felt full, but it didn't taste of much and he was disappointed. So two out of two not feeling taste expectations but leaving us feeling full.

[buggyjo]

I bought mine from the windsor store,not a lot of choice,wAs a case of what I would eat rather than wanted!I bought the thai green chicken curry it was tasty but I had a big lump of gristle which put me off,was filling but I wouldn't buy again.next day had the chicken&mushroom taglitelle,that was nice looked good,had cooked both meals in the micro wicH was fine.again I felt. Full after.I do think they are exspensive but as a one of o.k,would I buy again?yes.

[buggyjo]

I bought mine from the windsor store,not a lot of choice,wAs a case of what I would eat rather than wanted!I bought the thai green chicken curry it was tasty but I had a big lump of gristle which put me off,was filling but I wouldn't buy again.next day had the chicken&mushroom taglitelle,that was nice looked good,had cooked both meals in the micro wicH was fine.again I felt. Full after.I do think they are exspensive but as a one of o.k,would I buy again?yes.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Back again...

Last night I had the second of the two dishes I bought for me. I had already had the chunky chilli and dh had the keralan curry with samosa crust.

After the success of the first two dishes I was disappointed with the pasta and meatballs.
There was only a little pasta and some of it dried up to a crisp during the cooking (I oven baked the dish and as you have to perforate the foil there is no way of stirring to ensure all pasta is covered by sauce)
Thicker pasta may not dry out and crisp up so much.

The sauce was nice, with a bit of a kick to it.

The meatballs were gorgeous and there were quite a few of them.

But all in the dish left me peckish again a few hours later.

I think the portion size was too small, the pasta too thin.

[F4ttyBumBum]

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 struggled to find it to be honest and wouldn't have known about this range if it were not for the product test. Eventually I saw a sign for Count on Us so figured it would be close by. It was, right next to it and OPPOSITE THE PUDDINGS!! Plenty of choice maybe 10-14 dishes. Good range of bland and exotic dishes. It was a hot day so the "lighter" dishes grabbed my attention, I didn't fancy a stew. I chose:

Middle Eastern spice chicken
Keralan chicken curry


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 them, I eat a fair amount of convenience food and they were as quick and easy to prepare. I was pleased to note that I could peel the lid off because it is a bug bear of mine when I have to use a knife to peel the plastic off.


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?

Mixed opinions on the portion size. Would say that it is as generous as any other convenience food but didn't think I would be sufficiently full and ate a salad with it. Saying that, I did feel full enough afterwards and was not eating hours later so maybe there is something in it. But on the plate without any accompaniment it doesn't look quite enough hence the salad garnish.


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 tasted good and I couldn't think of any other flavourings they would benefit from. I usually add a bit of "heat" to my dishes anyway to give them a kick which I didn't do with these but might do in the future. They tasted like diet foods though, not the fatty standard ones with lashings of cream. But you have to make the sacrifice somewhere and for 300 odd calories per dish, I thought it was good enough.


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

I thought at £4 (£3.99) a dish they were on the dear side. But if I was going on a weight loss blitz and going to use these as a weight loss aid (which I might) I would buy them if they were 3 for £10 for instance, I think that then they would represent good value because you could budget £50 a week thereabouts.


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 mention that I have tried them and they were nice. I would only really recommend them if I went on a weight loss blitz and lost some weight by using them. I think that my own personal success with them would be the best endorsement I could give.

[Littleplasticpeople]

I tested the cod mornay and the chicken tikka masala.

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 a few to choose from but most of them pasta based which I wanted to avoid.

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?

Very easy to prepare as both were microwavble (this didn't influence my choice).

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 ate the cod and thought that the portion was small initially, but actually there were enough veggies to fill me up. Dh had the tikka and had extra bread with it a he felt the portion was rather 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?

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

No. Very expensive at £3.99 each, portions not big.

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?

No. Too expensive, not particularly filling, and not as tasty as other food at M&S. For example the curry in other ranges is really much nicer.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

[polly164]

Q1 I went to a large M&S in Pudsey at about 5.15pm on Friday 25 May. I didn't find it very easy to find the SFL range on the shelves. When I did find them the shelves looked rather bare and it was apparent that some of the dishes that had shelf edge labels were not in stock. I also noticed that quite a few were on there sell by date. Some of the dishes that initially got my attention upon further inspection didn't seem that appealing. However in general the choice was good and I think the selection of different types of food is also really good.

Q2 I heated both of my dishes in the microwave and was surprised how quick they were to cook. On of my dishes said best cooked in a conventional oven and the other said best results microwaved. Both tasted fine when cooked in the microwave. I don't really seem much point in buying convenience food and then having to wait for the oven to warm up. These dishes were quicker to cook than other ready made meals that are of a smaller size.

Q3 I was full with mine and enjoyed it, however my husband enjoyed his meal but didn't seem as full as usual. He had some french bread with his to fill him up. I was impressed that my dish had only 380 calories, yet was really tasty and filled me up.

Q4 I wouldn't choose ready made meals in preference to home cooked food, however these tasted fine so I would be happy to use them if needed. The quality of these are better than other ready meals on the market. The choice of meals is also good so there should be something to suit everyones taste.

Q5 I think £8 for two meals is rather expensive. I probably would buy these at that price. I can think of other types of quick meals that I could have if I was spending that amount of money. Ingredients used were good quality but still on the expensive side.

Q6 I would recommend these to people, I think they are especially good for busy professionals who want something quick and tasty after a long day at work. I also think they would be useful for people who are seriously wanting to loose weight. This range offers a wide variety of tasty dishes that are all calories counted. It would be a cheaper alternative to some of the diet meal companies.

[Ambrosius]

Just put mine in the oven , will report ack soon :)

[speckled00]

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 visited I only saw the lunch ranges, and there were three available. The Wholefood Salad, the Chicken and the King Prawn dishes. All three looked tasty and grabbed my attention.

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 all cold dishes as they were salad type meals so no prep needed. As I bought these for a lunch, they were perfect.

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 size sufficient and was surprised when I felt satisfied. I wasn't overly full but definitely not hungry anymore. DH enjoyed and felt the same.

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 King Prawn dish was very tasty but the sauce was really strong and overpowered the dish I thought as I'd put the whole tub on. I think maybe a slightly lighter sauce would be nicer. I enjoyed the chicken dish, and the wholefood salas was tasty.

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

I think they did represent good value for money, as the meat & prawn quality was good, however I did find them slightly pricey for a lunch meal considering the competition out there for £2.50 meal deals etc.

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 but again, would be wary of the price and think they'd be more of a treat than a daily dish.

[thehairybabysmum]

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?

A good range, though more stew type dishes which i didnt fancy as it was a hot day. Was the curry type ones that took my fancy.

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. I did put back the keralan curry as thought it would have to be baked due to the poppadom. Couldnt be bothered to look at instructions to determine if second option would bake in the same time, so just went for microwaveable.

I dont usually buy ready meals, but they did seem a good sized portion.

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 bought 3 dishes: Abdalucian chicken & chorizo, thai green curry and katsu curry (last 2 were reduced to £3 each hence i could afford all of them). First night we (DH & I) split the Andalucian dish and had with a salad, was ok size wise but neither of us was that hungry.

Tonight we have had the curries, seemed ok sized portion, we had half of each to try.

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?

Dishes seemed to have a good amount of veg included which was nice. Andalucian chicken was tasty, enjoyed it. Thai green curry was also tasty and had a good 'authentic' flavour. The katsu chicken curry was most disappointing taste wise; it looked good and had lots of nice texture (e.g. chickpeas) but just a bit bland and not any real flavour.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I thought £3.99 seemed a bit steep...if i was spending £8 on tea for me & DH in M&S there are lots of other things that i would buy instead such as the ready to raost gammon pack + potatoes and salad...that would feed 4 of us also, not 2. I shop in M&S a lot and there are plenty of bits you can buy to make a nice meal for that money.

This may just be a reflection that i dont really buy whole ready meals...i might buy some prepped veg or potatoes as a timesaver instead.

If i was eating alone then i maybe would buy one dish as a lazy treat.

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?

Maybe....though i wouldnt rave about them i dont think.

I think you have better products for the money (Just Eat). Would maybe be better to combine with the count on us range?

[Ambrosius]

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?
Not a huge range but ok, most said 'for best results microwave' which limited my options as we don't have one. I chose the keralan curry and the beef rigatoni

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?
Heated in the oven, I rarely buy convenience meals but the preparation was as expected - simple and quick.

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 looked a little small but we both found them satisfying.

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 curry, it was easily the best ready meal curry I've had. Nicely spiced, the cauliflower had nice texture and the chicken was very tender but the samosa topping was a bit soggy and didn't really add much.
DP had the rigatoni he said it wasn't as rich as he had hoped and would have preferred a little more texture to the meat, it was also a bit salty.
I wouldn't consider them to be a healthy alternative particularly.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I thought the meals were expensive initially, but I was impressed with the quality. I would say they should be a little cheaper to represent value for money.


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. The meals tasted good and seemed nutritionally balanced.

Thanks for the free dinner MN and M&S!

[Ingles2]

So popped into M&S today and bought the jerk style chicken wrap, the thai green curry and beef and red wine casserole for dh... Dh hasn't had his yet so will report back again later.

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 Ashford store today, which isn't very big. there was a very small range of SFL meals, only 4 on the same shelves as the count on us range.
the choice was thai curry, beef casserole, chicken hot pot and spag and meatballs. Tbh I only fancied the curry from those...
Dh likes trad meals, so will probably be really pleased with his beef casserole. which does look nice, but those hearty traditional meals don't seem to fit into a "diet" range really and I don't fancy them when I'm watching my weight.

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 curry,..... it was quick and easy. I don't usually buy convenience food so was impressed with ease.
Obviously wrap I just opened the pack! :)

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 wrap was lovely and very filling... perfect amount I think.
The curry was a good portion, could have had more veg with it though. I felt full after both.

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 wise, the wrap was absolutely delicious! I will definitely buy it again. It was fresh and light but filling.... so nice to have a sarnie not dripping in mayo.
The curry smelled v good, and tasted good as well.. I think it could have benefited from a green veg as well... maybe sugar snaps
They did feel like a healthy choice and going on these 2 meals alone, I will definitely be buying this range again.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? I think it is bordering on expensive but I will still buy as the meals seem to have good quality ingredients and the ease of calorie counted / nutritionally balance meals that are delicious make it worth the cost.

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. I have already.
Now, I think it's really important that we all test those scrummy looking roulades in the freezer cabinet please :)

[kerrylou6]

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 seemed to be many dishes in the store i visited but no vegetarian options were available which was disappointing but luckily i eat fish so got the salmon with soy and ginger and the roasted beef 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?

We used the oven to heat the meals and i was very impressed with the ease and speed of cooking unfortunately some of DH's pasta burnt as there was not enough sauce in the dish.

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 plentiful for me and i couldn't finish my meal although DH has a large appetite and had to eat garlic bread with his!!!

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 really enjoyed the flavour of our meals and i commented it tasted too good to be a ready meal i felt the balance of different parts of the meal was perfect and DH said his dish had just the right amount of spice.

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

Rather pricy for a ready meal as salmon was not very big but best ready meal i've ever had.

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 recommend this range but for a special quick meal not an after school regular quick meal

[thepoowhispererswife]

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 bought our food from the Lewisham branch of M&S. The range was hard to find in store so I wandered round quite a few times before I spotted it. Mainly hard to spot because the range on offer was so small. I was actually really disappointed with what there was to choose from, especially having read other people's feedback mentioning Middle Eastern/Keralan/Mexican stuff which was nowhere in sight. There were only what I'd consider to be very 'wintery' meals on offer - all quite stodgy, cosy food, which wasn't really appropriate for a hot summer day. Had I been just browsing looking for something for dinner I wouldn't have given those a second glance. I ended up buying beef meatballs for both myself and my OH as that's what he most fancied when I rang him and I didn't spot anything else that I wanted. I know that there are some salads in the SFL range which I might have gone for but I couldn't find any.

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 heated them in the microwave. I have to confess I didn't check in store before purchase but I was pleased we could microwave them and I found them very easy to prepare. We don't really eat convenience meals - about the only 'ready' meal we buy are Innocent veg pots as we feel that if we have to have something quick they are the healthiest option. The SFL range were as easy to prepare as the veg pots which I guess are our benchmark.

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 OK. The main thing that I felt was lacking was some sort of vegetable content - the sauce did have a few peppers in it but versus our normal dinner (which would contain a significant amount of veg or salad) it was lacking. We both thought we felt reasonably full after eating but we were both in the kitchen a couple of hours later eating snacks which isn't usual for us. These meals might work well for people who struggle to stop snacking in the afternoon after they have eaten an unsubstantial lunch but I'm not sure they would tick the box for dinner, particularly for blokes.

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 taste of the meal we tried was OK, but I wouldn't have judged it to be 'tasty' per se. The sauce was meant to be spicy - in fact it was spicy to the exclusion of any other real flavour. We both thought that the sauce needed a richer, tomato flavour and that there needed to be more of it. The meatballs were decent, and didn't feel as though they were harbouring a load of hidden fat. From a calorie perspective the meals seemed reasonably 'healthy' but I'm afraid I'm not a regular ready meal eater so I could't say how they compare to others. In all honesty, I definitely feel that these meals were a compromise health-wise on the average meal that I prepare for us on a daily basis.

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

I generally think a lot of ready meals are a rip off. However, in comparison to the Innocent pots that we eat every now and again, they seem reasonable. This is probably a reflection of the fact that the Innocent pots are expensive for what they are rather than because the SFL ones are a bargain 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?

No, simply because what we had was totally unremarkable. I was disappointed with the range that was available - had we been able to try a few of the slightly more interesting sounding meals it might have been a different story. And fundamentally, we weren't "fuller for longer" so the meals didn't live up to their name.

[whythatduckpeckmemummy]

I had the roast pork loin with apple and cider sauce and DH had Mexican chunky beef and spicy potato wedges.

Q1. Lots of dishes were available in the store I visited (>10) which surprised me as this particular store has a small-ish food hall. Plenty to choose from for me, less so for DH who is quite fussy. The dishes we chose were the ones that stood out to us.

Q2. Heated both meals in the microwave although DH's Mexican beef was described as "best cooked in a conventional oven". We rarely eat convenience food but when we do it must be quick and easy to prepare as we buy them when short on time on a particular evening. The SFL dishes were very easy and quick to cook, straight in the microwave with no stirring etc.

Q3. Portion size was fine for me, I felt full pretty much all evening, just had a yoghurt later on. DH looked sad when he saw the portion size and promptly produced three rounds of bread to eat with the dish. He didn't eat anything else for the rest of the evening but said he would have still been hungry if he hadn't had the bread. I would say he has a large appetite though and mine is average.

Q4. We both liked our dishes, the meat in both was very tender and tasty. The flavour in both meals was better than we had experienced in many other convenience foods. DH's food looked nicer on the plate though, mine looked a bit messy but tasted good. I would never really consider convenience food to be healthy however these meals seemed better than most.

Q5. Hmmm... Not sure. At over £4 each they certainly aren't cheap but the ingredients in the two dishes we tried did seem to be good quality and you do get what you pay for. Compared to other ready meals I'd say they are good value if you are more concerned about flavour than price.

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?

Probably. I thought that they were better than many convenience foods I have tried, just not something I would eat regularly. As a family with young children we tend to eat home cooked meals most days. I would buy something from this range again and recommend them to others in the right circumstances.

[Ingles2]

Extra responses from Dh for his beef casserole. He would like to point out he's not on a diet and not interested in diet food. He also says he wouldn't buy convenience diet ever.

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?
Dh cooked his in the oven, alongside the oven chips he dug out of the freezer on seeing the size of the portion!

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 says the amount of stew was fine, but is not enough as a stand alone meal and needs extra veg / carbs.

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 says he was disappointed with the taste and flavour,. It had very little meat, it tasted processed (which dh thinks of oven cooking plastic containers)
and the carrots hadn't been cooked in the stew, so didn't add any flavour which wasn't surprising as they were tasteless.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? No..

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?
On the basis of that meal, no.

[MrsPnut]

I bought my dishes yesterday and will be trying them tonight and tomorrow, however my DP can't participate because there were no vegetarian options.

[sophmiester]

There was lots of availability in the Harrogate store when I went on Sunday prob 15+ choices, although as I wanted these for lunches at work towards the end of the week there was limited choice as most would only last 1-2 days. As I have tried most of the SFL range before I decided to go for 2 of the New dishes (Andalucía style chicken with a tomato, sherry & chorizo sauce and lemon & herb chicken) Both me and DH have previously(last year pre pregnancy) lost over 2 stone in 6 months following the SFL eating plan. This has been the only diet we have managed to stick to for a long period. My favourite dishes are chicken and mushroom tag, seafood linguine and Thai red curry. DH favourite dishes ham hock, pork with cider sauce and chilli. Neither of us are keen on the hotpot type dishes.

I heated these in the microwave as there is no oven at work and besides this is quicker and they taste fine cooked this way. I found the SFL ready meals a lot fresher than normal convenience meals and thought these had more meat than usual. The veg is usually nice and fresh and crisp. These were quick and easy to prepare.
I felt satisfied afterwards but not stuffed, fuller than if I had had a sandwich and packet of crisps and definitely a healthier option. DH finds portions fine unless he is doing a lot of cycling then he needs more.
Andalucía style chicken with a tomato, sherry & chorizo sauce- small portion could have done with some green veg. Nice tender meat and lots of flavour
lemon & herb chicken- good balanced meal but could have done with a bit more zing as it is meant to be lemon chicken.
I think these are good value on the 2 for £6 deal although a bit expensive at full price.
Too much to feed a family on, but good for a quick healthy meal for 1.

I would recommend the SFL range as a way to lose weight without cutting out a foods just managing portion size as this is all easily done with the individual portions.

[mrswee]

I tried Aromiatic herb and yogurt chicken and Scottish Salmon with soy and ginger. From Edinburgh Princes street foodhall

Q1. The range was good but a bit confussing to try and find in all the differnt departments. The salads jumped out at me but since i was planning to eat a main meal I chose from the dishes that had to be cooked. Both the above dishes grabbed my attention immeditly because they had a very good looking range of ingredients in them.

Q2. I cooked both dishes in the mircowave. I followed the instructions fully. They were both quick and easy to prepare, however I was not happy with the way the salmon dish turned out from the microwave. The salmon was over cooked but the brocolli was undercooked! The rest was cooked fine. The Aromiatic herb and yogurt chicken was fine from the microwave. I don't usually buy microwave meals.

Q3. I did feel full afterwards and for around 2 hours. We both, DH and I, thought the portion size was perfect and generous compared to other meals.

Q4. Both had reasonably good flavour. I was un happy with the over cooked slamon and undercooked brocolli but the dish tasted very nice. The Aromiatic herb and yogurt chicken was a very over powering on the mint and should hvae been called mint yogurt rather than Aromiatic as I hadn;t even expected it to taste of mint as it wasn't mentioned at all. I would consider trying other dishes in the range as a healthy alternitive but probably wouldn't buy either of these two again.

Q5. I do think they were reasonable value for money as had lots of healthy ingerdients and good portions sizes.

Q6. I would not recommend these tow particular dishes due to the over powering taste of the mint and the over cooked/under cooked element to the salmon dish, however I would recommend trying the range, as in gerneral they are healthy, well prepared and good portions.