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

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 Newbury Retail Park Simply Food Store. I found the SFL quickly in the ready meal section. I had wanted to try the keralan curry but that was sold out by the time I went in (about 2pm). I didn?t fancy many of the other choices so went for the salmon & soy ginger.

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

I heated them up in the microwave. They took about 5 minutes to heat up & were very simple to prepare.

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

I did feel full afterwards & it sustained me all evening. My DH said he felt full too (more so than a regular ready meal) but he still had room for chocolate ice cream!

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 liked the taste of the salmon & the vegetables but I was not keen on the black stuff (rice?) which tasted a bit sour to me. My DH liked the taste of it all. I did feel this meal was healthy & good for weight loss as it packed a good amount of food in a meal for a relatively low amount of calories.

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

They are reasonably good value for money in that you do not need any extra side dishes to feel the meal is complete. Having said that I would be more inclined to purchase them on a regular basis if they were around £3.50.

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

I would recommend them for people who want a nutritionally balanced meal that is quick & easy to prepare. They were an ideal choice for me last night when I needed to eat after getting the children to bed at 7 but I still needed to be out the door by 7.30.

Thanks for enabling me to take part in this survey.

Er I've been away and come back to a m&s voucher with no message literally just a voucher, is that it? As I complained about a totally messed up Internet delivery before I left I wondered if it was that!!
Thanks

That is how mine came sleepdodger.

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?

Great on the coeliac front. Rubbish on the vegetarian front not one single option. I knew where the dishes were but the choice was limited. Maybe 10/12 available.

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 for both - wouldn't really buy one that requires 20 mins in the oven. Only eat ready meals when short of time hence no interest in oven cooking.

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 was fine - plenty rice not so much chicken. More traditional pork meal that DH had was a wee bit on the mean side.

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?

Reasonably healthy but I do prefer some fresh veg/salad on the side which would be nice to have included.

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

Mid-range but you are not going to buy for a family of 5 I wouldn't think.

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?

Not sure - M&S do nicer ready meals to be fair. And if I was looking for quick and healthy probably wouldnt be my first choice. Not because not nice just not my preference.

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 very good range of dishes at the local store and to be honest I had diffculty choosing as I fancied all of them! I ended up going for the Keralan Chicken Curry and the Beef Stroganoff.

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

The curry was cooked in the oven by me and the stroganoff microwaved separately by dh. Both were the recommnded choices for these dishes. Neiether was afactor inmy choice - my choice had more to do with the eye (and belly!) appeal. I occasionally buy convenience meals and these were comparable in ease to others I've bought.

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 portion size was fine, maybe a little on the small side but I have a very healthy appetite (I'm rather worryingly infamous for it). I did feel full for a few hours afterwards which surprised me. Dh was less impressed and has just confessed he had a slice of 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?

The flavour of mine was very good and the spiciness just right - ready made curries can often be too mild. The samosa crust didn't really work though - you are supposed to lift it up and stir the curry but mine wasn't crispy enough for that so I had to eat it all first. DH again was less impressed - he found his a bit bland.

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

Not really - £4 a portion is quite a lot for a ready meal and they are not different enough to make it worthwhile. I can see dh might be persuaded to pick one up for himself (if he can find one he likes) on the way home if he has to work late, as eating more healthily is very important to him since he developed heart problems.

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 might consider recommending it as an option for those who are trying to lose weight/eat more healthily, but have deep pockets.

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?

Today I found there were bits dotted about the store, amongst the salads, in the ready meals and in the sandwich section. I did actually find a vegetarian one in the sandwich section but it was expensive (£3) and it didn't contain a fork so I went for a sandwich instead.

I chose the Thai Red Chicken Curry for my dh, who does eat meat, and Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken.

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 heated it in the microwave. Our microwave doesn't have a 850 setting, it goes from 600 to 1000 so he was unsure how long to cook it for. He cooked it for 3 mins on the 1000 setting to be on the safe side. I chose that particular meal for him as I knew he would have to eat late and therefore would want it fast. I normally cook from scratch so it was remarkably quicker than usual.

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 found the portion size fine. He is a long distance runner so does have quite a big appetite but was happy with the size of meal. He felt full after the meal.

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 found the meal quite tasty, not too spicy but lots of flavour. He did enjoy it. He would have liked it to be a bit spicier. He did think it seemed a healthier alternative to the rare ready meals he has had in the past. He felt it was quite luxurious and didn't feel like a spartan low fat option. He felt the vegetables were relatively edible although the red pepper was a bit mushy.

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

The meals were a lot more expensive than our usual meals as we normally don't eat meat and 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?

Dh would recommend it as it was fast yet tasty and satisfying. He and his colleagues work long hours so need to eat quickly in the evening. He didn't feel he had been unhealthy and felt it was a relatively nutritious meal for a ready meal.

I will report again after the Middle Eastern meal has been eaten. This is taking a while as only one of us can eat the meals as there were not vegetarian hot meals to try.

Q1 I had to ask where the range was located in the store after walking around the food hall once, it was not immediately obvious, although it was on an end aisle. I found the choice limited, however I counted 15 dishes. The names of the choices sounded good, but when I looked inside the pack I was disappointed with the contents inside the dish, because of the size of the portion. I eventually choose a curry dish, a Mexican dish and salad. If I had not had to buy from that range, I would not have bought from the choices and chosen from other products in the store.

Q2 cooked both main dishes in the oven. Same cooking time.
Dont often eat convenience food, but was impressed with the ease and quality of the cooked dishes.

Q3 I found during selection of dishes the portion size to be less than I would have looked for in a complete meal.
The dishes when put on a dinner plate looked very small.
We both snacked later on in the evening, so wouldn't really think that sfl range lived up to the claim.

Q4 taste and quality of the dishes was excellent. Delicious chicken pieces and beef in the Mexican dish. The salad I got for lunch was delicious too. Very tasty and usual tastes. Very different to other ready meals. Meat was very good quality. Tasted like what I expect m&s food to taste like. Lovely.

Q5. The dishes are very expensive. Compared to the value of your meal for two promotions against the sfl range. It took a long time to decide what would be the best value, as for two people would be £8 or so. A very expensive food bill if regularly purchased, and would prefer to buy alternative products in store.

Q6 I don't think I would go out my way to recommend the range. If it came up in conversation we enjoyed the meal, but the cost would put me off raving about it to everyone. I can't see that I would buy from the range, and prefer the offer of the meal for two instead.

I still haven't received any vouchers Helen.

Q1. Loads of choice in my local M&S Food. Some were quite wintery but there was enough summery choices available to make the decision difficult. I opted for Salmon with broccoli, beans & rice + Thai red curry. I was surprised only to find main/evening meals as I don't necessarily want to be "fuller longer" a few hours before bed. I was expecting to find some options targeted at breakfast/lunch-times, maybe smaller portions of the same dishes, sandwiches and salads.

Q2. Really easy to prepare in the microwave. I don't buy many convenience foods, mostly when DH is away, but these dishes were really quick and felt like they were suited to microwave cooking. Don't know whether I should admit this but if eating by myself, I would probably eat straight from the bowl to save on washing up!

Q3. We both though the portion size was more than adequate (although by DH doesn't have a huge appetite). Didn't feel over-full afterwards as the ingredients were fresh & light but didn't feel hungry either.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?
We really enjoyed the dishes as some of the ingredients were quite unusual, not ones I'd purchase for use in home cooking. The salmon dressing was a little acidic by the end of the meal though.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? I would purchase if eating alone / as a treat but not because of the "fuller longer" statement.

Q6. I would recommend because the meals were interesting and tasted good. They also appear to be quite healthy. They would be good if someone was on a diet but I think they should be targeted more to lunch-time. If this was the case, I might consider taking to work which is where I feel most hungry and snack more.

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
I found the salads in the range first as they were near the front of the store. I chose two of these before realising there were other dishes - I had to ask where these were.
I liked the salalds immediately but then most of the range seemed good - some were a bit too heavy for me as it was a very hot day! The fajitas looked good.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
I chose the salads (one with chicken and couscous and one with edame beans. I also chose the fajita dish. For this, I used the microwave and it was fine. Dont usually eat much convenience meals.

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 thought the portion size was great and felt full 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?
I really enjoyed all the dishes and they were pretty healthy (if a bit carb heavy) but I would feel happier eating these than most others I have seen around.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
For M and S I thought they were reasonable,

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 probably recommend, healthy and filling and good quality.

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 range of about 14 different SFL dishes available but it took me a while to find them in store. Although i am not a vegetarian i often opt for veggie options but out of the 14 dishes there were none and i couldnt find any instore. The dishes that immediately stood out to me were the curry dishes and the paella

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 chose the paella with chicken and king prawns and the keralan chicken curry with spiced samosa crust and i forgot to look at the cooking instructions instore- (i was to busy trying to decide which ones to have) but found out that the chicken curry needed to be cooked in the oven which wasnt a problem as it only took 30 mins to cook and the paella 20 minutes so i just put the timer on and added it after 10 minutes. If i ever have a ready meal i usually put it in the microwave for speediness but i found the SFL very simple 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?

We ended up sharing the 2 meals between us as i couldnt decide on which one to eat, the Paella was very filling but the curry although very tasty wasn't as filling as i hoped. My husband felt the same and was glad that he had the rice from 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?

I loved the paella, it was very tasty and had lots of prawns, chicken and chorizo in it. The keralan curry was super tasty, tasting like a takeaway meal but without being horrible oiliness of my local indian so i felt very healthy eating it, I definetly felt they were healthier options to other ready meals. My husband also loved the paella and its flavour but the curry wasn't spicy or tasty enough for him but i think some of this is the fact that he is from sri lanka and just likes spicy curries that he cooks himself!

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
They are more expensive than other ready meals but i feel they are good value for something special every now and again when you are rushed for time but want to eat something that is a little bit healthier but i think it would be a bit expensive to buy them on a regular basis
.
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?

If it came up in conversation I would mention to people that i had tried them but i wouldn't go out of my way to tell people as i don't think most of my friends would be able to afford to buy them

Yes, I also assumed that it was a clothing range initially! Anyway, I know exactly what it is now.
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 my meals in an M&S food store and easily found the range which was next to the count on me but clearly different packaging - easy to see what was on offer and there were plenty to choose from. I went for dishes that I wouldn't normally cook so got the salmon/rice one and the prawn paella.

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 didn't check the cooking instructions before I bought them, though assumed they'd be microwavable, which they were. East to prepare. I don't normally get convenience meals so can't compare but yes very 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 thought the meal didn't look very big but found it surprisingly filling - maybe because of the beans. DH had the paella and didn't find it enough for him.

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 was fine. Wasn't madly keen on the sauce with the salmon, didn't have the fresh flavours I associate with asian cooking. They did seem healthy though.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I wouldn't normally buy ready meals anyway, but £8 for two people's not very special dinner seems a lot. If i was spending £4 each on a meal I'd be expecting it to be a slap up roast with pudding too...

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
I'd say they were nice and healthy if you wanted ready meals and didn't mind paying that much.
thanks for the freebies M&S!

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 about six to choose from (this was a small service station M&S at Scotch Corner rather than a big store). It was a reasonably good selection with a mix of fish and meat. I thought about the meatballs and salmon but eventually decided on the Cod Mornay and the Thai Chicken.

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. This was definitely quick and easy. We do sometimes get dine in for £10 which often has potatoes that need to go in the oven which does take longer.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
Well, I had a look at the portions in the shop and added garlic baguette, a bottle of wine and a pudding (!). I realised afterwards that by sharing the garlic bread we had almost doubled the calories in the meals. The portions really weren?t big enough for us but I am BF a five month old and DH is famously ?never knowingly underfed?!

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 thought that they were both really tasty. The thai chicken looked attractive and the flavours were nicely balanced. I thought there was quite a lot of rice compared to chicken. The cod didn?t look filling but there was more than we thought in the dish. DH said it was proper comfort food.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think they are good value for the freshness and convenience though at prices around £4 each I think they?d be an occasional 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?
Yes I think I would recommend them although possibly not to other breastfeeding mums!

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

I found them quite easily but there were a lot of gaps on the shelf, so not a wide variety to choose from. The streak and mushroom pie grabbed my eye immediately and the meatballs dish 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?

I cooked the steak in the oven and the meatballs in mike. I don't often buy convience meals and it was actually fine. I think it would tempt me to buy PingMeals in the future.

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 had to eat both as DH was away. Over 2 nights, obvis.
I didn't add any extras to the meal - I normally have quite a lot of veg/salad on the side, but certainly felt full enough without any vegetables.

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 both lovely - I really enjoyed them, tyvm. I'd see them as a healthy option, yes, and look out for them again.

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

Both diishes were £4 each - thought that was a bit pricey tbh.

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

I'd recommend them on basis of taste, but am a bit meh about the fuller longer assertions.

Thank you for this opportunity.

I tried the chicken tikka masala and DP had the Soy Marinated Chicken Breast With Rice Noodles In A Mushroom & Miso Dressing

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 ask where the SFL range was as it was not immediately apparent. Once found there were quite a few dishes to choose from, many of which I would have liked to 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? I rarely buy convenience foods, however I was in a rush this evening and heated the meals in the microwave. They were quick and easy to prepare.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size? I found my meal to be sufficient as I wasn't very hungry this evening, DP said he could have done with some more food. I was full for quite a while though I had a cereal bar about 2hrs 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? We both enjoyed the dishes we tried (and each others) The calorie content was quite high, by my standards, on many of the dishes as was the fat and salt content on some

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? We both tried very different meals and thought they were quite good value for money, though as I don't buy convenience so can't really compare to others.

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

Another disappointed vegetarian here as I tried Leeds city station store and the Keithley store.....not a single veggi option. When is the closing date for this? I may get to another bigger store but not til next week.

1. Only 8 dishes. Not really a lot of choice. I noticed the fish ones immediately! I don't like other meat.
2. I chose seafood linguine & cod mornay. I chose them specifically for microwave cooking. They were similar to prepare like other ready meals.
3. Portion size of linguine was rather large! I felt really full for ages, no evening snacking for me! DH felt the same about mornay dish. He was full too.
4. I loved mine and will buy again. I would have loved some more green veg in the dish. I do think it was fairly healthy...11 weightwatchers points! DH fairly ambivalent.
5. They were good value, compared to other ready meals.
6. Yes I would. Definitely good for dieters. I would put WW points on the packaging though!

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?

Loads of SFL dishes available although did find that Count on Us and SFL being next to one another on shelves was a bit confusing. In the end I chose two dishes from the food to go section and one from the main ready meal section.

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?

Had penne pasta and tomato dish which I put in the oven for the recommended time, as easy to prepare as any other M&S pasta meal. Other dishes where ready to eat once dressing was added.

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 dh and I had Harissa chicken and couscous salad - was delish - both felt full afterwards and was just right portion size for lunch. I also tried Asian King Prawn and Rice Salad - not keen on the whole pea pods, wasn't as tasty as the chicken dish and def didn't feel as 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?

Enjoyed pasta dish and chicken dish - not so much prawn salad. Remove the pea pods and maybe add some other pulses instead. Def thought the meals were healthy choices.

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

I often grab something quickly for lunch in M&S and thought Harissa chicken salad was good value compared to what I normally buy. Pasta dish was as good value as other pasta dishes although I tend to buy when they are on offer so not sure if I would chose this instead.

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?
Def buy the harissa chicken salad again - dh didn't hit the biscuits when he came in from work so he was fuller longer.

Marking my place for later

I tried the Roast Pork Loin with apple & cider sauce, Hoisin Duck & noodles, Chicken & tomato Risotto (some were reduced in price, hence being able to buy 3 dishes!)

Q1. There was quite a good stock, but I didn't notice many vegetarian options. Some of the items were reduced (I visited Tuesday lunchtime) due to the Use by date.
There was a good choice, and all looked very tasty. I chose the lighter looking options as it was a hot day.

Q2. I heated all the dishees in the microwave as I took them to work and there is no other heating option. I don't often buy ready prepared food, but they were very easy to prepare and came out extremely hot, with no hotspots or cold places.

Q3. Excellent portion sizes. I felt full afterwards.

Q4. A 3 dishes were very tasty and enjoyable. The risotto and noodles looked very inviting when heated and smelt delicious. The pork looked less tempting (was very brown) but was the tastiest of the lot. They all seemed to be healthy, with plenty of veg, trimmed meat and good portion size.

Q5. The dishes were reasonable value, as an occassional, convenient meal. I wouldn't consider them to be something I'd spend on more than once a week max.

Q6. I'd recommend all 3 dishes to friends/family as they were tasty, convenient and healthy.

I thought the packaging was very good, the labelling clear eg how many of your 5-a-day the meal contained.

Thank you!

Q1.
It was quite easy to find the range, it was in the middle of the store. There was a big choice. The cod mornay grabbed my attention immediately as it looked like tasty comfort food. I chose cod mornay for me and chicken harissa salad for my husband.

Q2.
I did not look at the prep method before buying. I cooked the cod in the microwave as it said this would achieve best results. I never normally buy microwave food, so was amazed that I could get a tasty meal in 4 minutes! Yes, I was impressed as it was so quick and easy.

Q3.
We ate our choices for lunch and were both full afterwards. I tend to have a larger portion size than my husband and we both thought it was a good amount for lunch. We both had a packet of crisps afterwards, but I think that was mainly habit, rather than hunger!

Q4.
My husband really enjoyed his harissa chicken and couscous. I also enjoyed the cod, but thought the cheese sauce tasted a bit watery (or not cheesy enough), but this was probably because it was a low cal meal.

Q5.
I think £4 for lunch every day would be quite expensive, but as an occasional treat, when you want something quick, easy and tasty, it seems fine.

Q6.
If I'm honest, I probably wouldn't recommend them as I'd be embarrassed to admit to buying ready meals! If someone was specifically asking about ready meals to help with dieting, I would definitely say I'd been part of this trial and had found the SFL range very good.

I am unlikely to buy from this range on a regular basis as we have four children and we tend to eat the same food together. I wouldn't like the idea of everyone sitting down to their separate meals as it is important to us to all share communal food. It would also be v expensive.

One final point: once I had chosen the cod for me, I checked the back of the packet and it said not suitable for shell fish allergy sufferers. I do have a shell fish allergy, but decided I'd risk it as I really wanted the cod! I imagine I will be fine and the packaging has to say that to cover themselves (I hope!).

I visited the store in Cheshire Oaks. I thought that the range representing good choice and was attractive on the shelf. I chose the paella and also the Mexican beef and wedges. I chose these because I regularly buy paella as a ready made dish and also like to cook it myself. We are also really into Mexican dishes in our house at the moment (no idea why?!?).

I cooked the paella in the microwave and the Mexican beef in the oven. I am glad I cooked the beef dish in the oven because the wedges crisped up. I can nay imagine them being 'soggy' in the microwave. They were both easy to cook and the instructions were clear and no fuss. I think they are on a par with other ready meals and I could not think of a way that this needed to be improved upon.

Both portions were large enough for me and I felt full after eating them. However, I don't think that my husband would have been full after eating the beef due to the fact that it contained very little beef, mostly tiny shreds. I was surprised that I did actually feel full for a long time afterwards. I know that this is the idea behind them, but I have to say that I was not convinced prior to eating them.

The Mexican beef actually tasted really nice. The spice level was great, it tasted full of quality ingredients. However, sadly I did not feel the same way about the paella. The rice was swimming in tomato sauce which left a distinct after taste - acidic, sweetener? The chicken was particularly tasteless. The quality of the chorizo was questionable. It was so poor that normally I would have returned it as I believe that it was substandard. I did not have the nerve to return it considering that I had been given the £10 to buy it with. As I have already mentioned I buy paella frequently and this is without doubt the worst one I have tasted to date.

TBH I probably would not buy either dish again, I just don't think either represented good value for money. For £4 I could have made something better myself. I would probably just buy from regular ranges for ready made convenience food, e.g. I like the regular m&s paella. Consequently, I think it is unlikely that I would recommend them to friends, 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 found the SFL meals fairly easily as the store that I visited was a fairly small city centre food store and only had two aisles of ready meals. I would say that the packaging doesnt stand out fantastically and perhaps in a bigger store I might have struggled to locate the range.

The selection was excellent - similar to the Count on Us range which was located adjacent to this range. There were both a good number of dishes to choose from and a great variety of types of food - better than any other ready meal range I've seen. They felt like proper grown up meals!

There were a good three or four further meals that I really liked the look of.

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 chose the Ham Hock in a Tangy Mustard Sauce and the Chicken and Three Mushroom Tagliatelle. I would only choose meals which could be microwaved. These meals are, after all, meant to be quick to prepare. I do periodically buy meals from M and S's Count on Us range and the SFL meals seemed similar in terms of their ease and speed of preparation.

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?

At first both DH and I thought that the portion size was small (I think this is exacerbated by the fact the packs seem a little larger than normal to allow for an attractive displaying of the contents) but were both really suprised by how full we felt. I nearly stopped eating mine before the end (an event usually only instigated in me by acts of war, extreme and immediate natural disasters and death). Both of us agreed by the end that the portion size was very well chosen.

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 can't emphasise enough how much DH and I were impressed with the taste of the meals. They tasted like "proper" meals. The ingredients tasted of proper ingredients in a freshly cooked meal, rather than the subdued and oversalted ready meals we have had from other establishments. (This is an compliment that I would also apply to the many of the Count on Us meals we have had previously). If anything, these tasted even fresher than the Count On Us meals I've had.

We also loved the fact that the ingredients list actually included foods rather than food substitutes and chemicals and because of that alone I would rate them as being healthier than alternative ready meals.

Additionally, the Count On Us meals have weight watcher points marked on the back as a guide. I worked out the weight watchers points for the SFL meals we bought and the Ham meal came in really low for a ready meal, with the pasta being slightly higher but within the normal range.

Given all of these factors I was very pleased and would rate them as being a healthy and yummy choice!

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

Ah. Hmm.

I wish I could answer yes for this. They're just that bit more expensive that it makes me think twice. I've been happy to pay for the meals on the Count On Us range but at the time I purchased these the SFL seemed to just tip over the balance into expensive. I do think they have adequate value as you get a high quality product but at 50 pence cheaper I'd think they were excellent value.

Additionally, my perception is that I've seen other ranges on offer but not seen SFL on offer, but then I haven't considered this range before.

I would buy them as a treat - perhaps as an alternative to a takeaway. And that would represent a cost saving. But at £4 its not a habit I can take up, as much as I'd want to!

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 - but with a warning that it's not a cheap option

Q1. Lots to choose from, store well stocked. I went for the ones that said 'new' on them because they looked summery/seasonal - and were longer dated than others (quite important as things can get busy and I have to eat out or whatever).

Q2. I bought 3 dishes: the chicken with feta orzo, the Andalucian style chicken and the aromatic herb and yogurt chicken. I tried the 'best method' and the microwave ones were fab but the Andalucian chicken is a faff for a ready meal - you have to peel the film off half way through cooking meaning you can't forget it until a bell rings and there's your lunch. It was quick though at 20 mins.

Q3. Portion sizes fine. I felt fuller for longer! Very excitingly I went to the cinema after eating one and - for the first time in years - didn't take any snacks into the show. In fact, I queued up for popcorn out of habit and when I got to the front just thought 'actually, I don't really fancy any'. I ate DH's at lunch today because he's been away at mealtimes and I wanted to make sure this review got done (and it looked yummy...).

Q4. I really thought the dishes were great. My favourite was the one with feta, my least favourite was the Anadulcian as the potatoes didn't quite crisp. However, this is a brilliant range and modern favours and so on.

Q5. It's too expensive for me, but I don't think it is too expensive in itself. If there are offers on I will buy the freezable ones but otherwise I'm more in the £1.99 count on us macaroni bracket.

Q6. Really brilliant. I'd definitely recommend this - the range is so wide and so far from boring that I think it's the best diet food you can buy at the supermarkets and the other supermarkets, even Waitrose, have nothing that comes close.