Page 8 | NOW CLOSED M&S Simply Fuller Longer range - tester review thread

Grohlsgirl · 05/06/2012 09:34

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

Lots to choose from, at least 10 dishes, the most expensive where the ones in line of sight! We chose the spicy beef with cajun wedges, and the chicken tikka masala.

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 beef dish recommended oven cook which I did - I don't think the wedges would have been as nice if they had been microwaved. Similarly, the tikka masala recommended microwave cooking which we did, and again I suspect the rice would have become dry if it had been oven cooked. So overall we were happy with the results when following the cooking guidelines on the packet. We do not often buy convenience meals (apart from the fortnight after childbirth!) but these meals seemed straightforward to prepare/cook.

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

I felt there could have been more in my meal (the beef option). While there was a good balance of wedges and meat/veg there just wasn't quite enough and 2 hours later I was tucking into a bowl of cereal! I didn't feel hungry immediately after the meal though, and I didn't feel that my portion looked particularly small.

My OH had the tikka masala and his expert opinion was that it was "ok, could have eaten more if it was there".

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

The beef and wedges were absolutely delicious, tasted very fresh and I would definitely consider buying it again. OH was also impressed with the curry. Both seemed healthy option due to the amount of very fresh and natural ingredients in them (lots of lentils in the curry).

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

I think both meals offered good value, as both plates were well and truly cleared! If convenience meals were needed one evening then I would probably consider these meals first as the flavour and ingredients were far superior to many other ready meals.

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

I would recommend the two meals we had based on flavour and healthy option, so much nicer than the stodgy flavourless ready meals I have had in the past.

MrsHelsBels74 · 05/06/2012 09:38

Forgot to mention that there didn't seem to be any vegetarian options available.

m0nkeynuts · 05/06/2012 12:28

I've only just managed to get to M&S today so I will return here tomorrow to report back!

Chocchip88 · 05/06/2012 13:27

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

The dishes were easier to find and there was a selection of about 8-10. This gave plenty of choice, I love thai curries so these were the ones that immediately jumped out at me. We ended up buying a Thai red chicken curry and the beef adn chianti ragu pasta.

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

We heated them up in the microwave, we were in the middle of having our kitchen renovated so didn't have another option, however whenever buying a convenience meal I would always heat it in the microwave as it's much quicker. They both cooked quickly and easily.

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 good for me, I'm not sure if I felt full afterwards but I didn't have the urge to snack for the rest of the evening so it must have filled me up! DH however did say he was hungry an hour or so later, he had a slice of toast.

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 them, I liked that the Thai curry had a good veg selection with it, it all looked fresh and you could tell with your eyes as well as taste what everything was, unlike other ready meals I've had. I would say it was healthier than a lot of other ready meal options as the veg seemed a lot fresher,

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

I thought they were expensive to be honest. I have bought the range before and would again, but only when they're on offer. £3.99 each seemed a lot for a ready meal.

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

Yes I would recommend them for taste, for freshness and convenience. The only thing letting them down was the price. I will look out for offers in the future!

Goldrill · 05/06/2012 14:01

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

Carlisle store on a Sunday afternoon ? surprised to find quite a few choices, but difficult to locate initially and then too mixed in with the ?count on us? stuff. Interesting range of meals ? very few grabbed me. I think that if I want a ready-meal curry I will usually get it from the curry range, for example, so tend not to try individual items like that in other ranges. It also all looked a bit more wholesome and healthy than I would usually go for in a ready meal ? I would tend to cook that type of thing from scratch but get things involving lots of cream/cheese as ready meals.
We got the steak and mushroom pie, the paella (reduced) and the meatballs with lentils.

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. Cooked fine ? no different to other ready meals. I would expect to be able to just bung in microwave (or possibly oven) and would not want many more steps than that.

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?

DP had the paella and said it was far too small ? but didn?t go and get anything else later so am assuming it actually did fill him up. We split the other two dishes between us with lots of veg on the second night and it was enough for both of us ? I don?t think we felt full initially, but we didn?t get hungry for the rest of the evening.

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?

Reasonable. Certainly not outstanding. DP thought paella a bit bland: I found the other two dishes to be nice enough, but would not choose them again. Not sure if they are healthy alternatives a I didn?t check the labels carefully enough to say.

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

Reasonable again ? not what I would choose to eat again, but if you like the meals and they seem to do what they say they will (fuller for longer) then I think that?s pretty good for £4ish. Have had far worse for a similar 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?

No. For me to recommend a ready meal it would need to be something quite spectacular!

m0nkeynuts · 05/06/2012 18:57

Ready to report back!

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
It actually took me 5-10 mins to track down the range! I found it in two places - one was dinner type meals (of which there were 4 or 5) and smaller lunch-type meals of which there were 3 or 4. I'd have preferred more choice, particularly if I was planning to eat this range as a long term weight control plan.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
We microwaved our meals, but it wasn't an influencing factor in the purchase. They were nice and quick to heat - on a par with convenience meals we've bought in the past.

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 portions were bigger than they looked, but I didn't feel totally full afterwards and could easily have eaten something else! DH felt the same - he said he still felt hungry 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?
We both thought the dishes were VERY tasty! Especially considering they are healthier types of meals - they were really delicious and didn't taste like typical "health food"!

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think compared to other convenience meals they were definitely better value for money, primarily because they were so tasty. They are still out of my budget though as a regular thing, so it would have to be an occasional treat in this house!

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 recommend them because of the taste... but not because they made me feel fuller for longer

theboutiquemummy · 05/06/2012 19:25

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

There was quite a big selection in the shop which was a nice change and some of the newer dishes were eye catching enough.

I like to look under the label and that helped me decide on Andalusian Chicken, Ham Hock and the stroganoff (reduced)

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 ham hock and stroganoff and ovened the chicken which was a bit faffy but ok.
I never buy ready meals but wanted to see if these would do as freezer stockers for when the baby comes and they look like proper meals rather then something resembling a pasta n cheese sauce.

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 had the Ham Hock and I had the Chicken, I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes, it didn't look much but it was more then enough. DH liked the fact he could see the ham on his plate and it wasn't mixed in or lost.

The stroganoff was another story it didn't seem to have the same amount of beef on it as the ham did.

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?

Well done on the taste and texture of the dishes full of flavour and the tomato in my chicken with the crispy potatoes was really lovely.

DH thought his was a MAN meal lol !

We didn't like the stroganoff at all

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

Yes the chicken and ham did they were good sized portions and we felt like we were having a proper meal.

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

Yes to the chicken and ham but no to the beef it wasnt very nice

leo16 · 06/06/2012 08:36

Tried:- Chicken & Ham Pastry Pie and Crayfish with Noodles

Q1. There did not seem to be much variety, about 4 choices in the chilled main meals section and 2 in the salad section. They were also all over the place with the same dish appearing on different shelves, probably to make it look like they had more choice. Nothing really grabbed my attention immediately and I spent a while chosing.

Q2. The noodles didn't require heating up, which would be good for work. I cooked the chicken pie in the oven. The preparation method didn't influence my choice. I don't tend to buy convenience meals but was a bit surprised the pie took 35 minutes in the oven. It couldn't be microwaved which surprised me a bit as I had thought convenience meals generally meant microwavable. This doesn't seem much quicker than if I was to make it myself.

Q3. The portion sizes seemed adequate. In future I probably would add a vegetable side to the chicken pie. I felt reasonable full afterwards, my DH who had the noodles didn't. He thought the portion size was fine, but that it wasn't very filling.

Q4. DH didn't really enjoy the noodles, he thought the crayfish didn't taste very fresh and there were not a lot of them. I found the chicken pie ok, but quite bland. The pasta was also a bit strange as was crispy on top but really soggy underneath. I would consider them healthier alternatives as calorie/fat seems to be lower and there also seem to be no E numbers, random ingredients which I consider important in terms of health.

Q5. I think they are quite expensive for what they are. As they are single portions if I were to give them to my family I would definetly be cheaper making them myself. Even if I was just to buy one myself I would think they are quite expensive.

Q6. I think I would if the person was keen to try them and I would reommend them but perhaps mention it would be cheaper doing it themselves and, if the time the chicken pie takes to cook is similar to the others, it wouldn't take much longer.

gilliancd · 06/06/2012 09:33

I had my keralan chicken curry last night and while it was tasty it did seem to be lacking some substance! I usually only buy ready made meals to take to work at a weekend but realised when I had brought the meal it was oven cook only. In general if I'm going to put something in the oven for half an hour I will prepare it myself.

LittleSarah · 06/06/2012 09:57

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?

A1. For a fairly small store (Galashiels in the Scottish borders) I thought the selection was good. There seemed to be about six to eight dishes on offer with more international choices as well as more homely things such as pastas and fish with potatoes. I was immediately drawn to the curries as those are the types of dishes I sometimes buy in ready meal format, I chose chicken tikka masala and green thai 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?

A2. I used the oven, I don't own a microwave so that is definitely a factor. I don't buy many of these meals although those I do are usually from M&S and these seemed to be of a similar quality, not so rich though and perhaps not so much portion wise. The dishes were very 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?

A3. I thought the portions were quite generous. In my experience portion size when dieting tends to be quite mean so I was pleased with the amount on offer. My husband also thought the portion size was good and we were both full, although my husband has a larger appetite than me and was full as long. I was satisfied.

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?

A4. We both thought the dishes were very tasty and they do seem to be healthier alternatives. What I find difficult with ranges like these is fitting them into existing diets, especially things like WW which I have used in the past.

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

A5. Good value. They are better quality and better tasting than other cheaper ranges, however I wouldn't buy many and use them as regular diet food. I would cook from scratch and perhaps have one of these every now and then. If not on a diet I would probably buy the full fat version!

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?

A6. If they were looking for healthier ready meals I would recommend this range.

pinkorkid · 06/06/2012 13:17

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 choice of about 8 different dishes, so enough for me to choose from. I liked the look of the ham hock and the keralen chicken curry with samosa crust - although wondered if it would go soggy in microwave. In the end picked the cod mornay and the beef stroganoff - in the mood for comfort food.

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 both. Prefer convenience food to be microwavable as I only buy it for days when in a rush or perhaps for more preparation intense dishes. So I wouldn't buy convenience pasta dishes as normally almost as quick to prepare from scratch yourself. I did find that the dishes didn't heat evenly after 4 mins in the microwave - still some lukewarm areas. Perhaps add an instruction to stir half way through or extend the cooking time.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size? Portion sizes were reasonable - dh felt full enough after the beef stroganoff - think the long grain rice was quite filling. I still felt slightly hungry after the cod mornay. There was plenty of fish but would have preferred more mashed potato.

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 felt that the meals were enjoyable but that the flavouring was perhaps a little bland - so more paprika and brandy in the stroganoff and stronger cheddar in the cod mornay cheese sauce, maybe a little nutneg in the mashed potato would improve it.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? Not really. For £4 per dish I would want the meal to be more interesting so more of a special treat or more substantial so that I could feed two people per dish.

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 unless they were unable to cook from scratch for themselves and were trying to count the calories.

MooseyMoo · 06/06/2012 17:36

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
There was a good range, I counted 15 different dishes.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
Keralan chicken curry for me and Beef and chianti ragu sauce pasta. We don't usually buy convenience meals as they are normally dishes we make ourselves. DH used microwave and mine was oven cook. Didn't realise this so had mine later than DH.

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 the curry which was very nice and was nicely full. I found the portion size good. DH had pasta dish and didn't think much of it and thought portion was small. He needed a snack later on (he doesn't often snack 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?
I really enjoyed the curry as it was different ie not a korma. DH is hard to please (he is a very good cook), and wasn't that impressed with his dish. I don't think there was enough flavour for him.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
At £3.99 I think it's quite pricey. I would buy again but only if on special. I normally only buy the floured haddock and the Chinese and Indian dishes when on special.

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 recommend the curry as a bit different.

kellykateneedsaholiday · 06/06/2012 18:24

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
There was a good choice, about 10 dishes. I chose green tahi curry and tikka masala.

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 one in microwave and one in oven. The time was fine.

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 sie was fine for me but dh likes bigger portions

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 was good for a ready meal.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
At £3.99 its quite dear but i dont really buy ready meals.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Yes, I would recommend the dishes as they tasted nice and its good if you cant be bothered cooking sometimes.

cather · 06/06/2012 20:22

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 M&S at Deepdale Retail Park, Preston and was very disappointed with the SFL range. the shelf looked very bare and whilst the shelf labels indicated that they had quite a good range there was a lot of empty spaces on the shelves. I went in around 10.30 on a Saturday morning and would have expected the shelf to be quite full. There was a choice of about 4 dishes and of those there was only one left of 2 of the dishes.

The Keralan chicken curry grabbed my attention immediately and I bought this dish

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

I tried the Keralan Chicken Curry with spiced samosa crust and Chicken Tikka Masala and I cooked them both in the oven. I don't normally buy convenience meals and was surprised at how tasty they were and they were really easy to cook. The Chicken Tikka could be cooked in the microwave and only took 4 minutes so would be perfect for a quick tea.

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 thought the portion sizes were fine. We didn't feel hungry at all after eating them.

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 Keralan Chicken Curry with spiced samosa crust was delicious and I would definitely buy this again. An added bonus was that it counted as one of your 5 a day.
The chicken in the chicken tikka was lovely and tender and it too was delicious.
We really enjoyed both dishes and whilst I don't normally buy convenience meals I would buy these as they taste so nice.
I noticed that neither dish mentioned that it could be frozen. I would like to be able to freeze them as our nearest M&S is a 20 minute drive away and I would more likely buy more of these dishes if I could put them in the freezer.

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

Yes, they were tasty, easy to cook and they filled us up.

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, we really enjoyed the dishes we tried and would certainly recommend them

An0therName · 06/06/2012 22:02

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

I went to the Bury St Edmunds store - I could have done with a few more to try Roasted Meatballs with Spagetti, the salmon with watercress and keralean curry 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 microwaved mind but DH's needed to go in the oven - I prefer to microwave

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

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 think they were quite nice - my DH did not like the samosa topping on his - I like them better than other diet ready meals

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
not really - I would only buy them if on offer
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

Willabywallaby · 07/06/2012 07:41

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?

Yes good choice, the spicier meals grabbed me more, and ones that could be frozen n case we didn't get round to eating them. In fact DH hasn't had his yet it went in the freezer.

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

I had the Singapore noodles I chose it because it was best microwaved, very easy to heat up and didn't go soggy.

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 spot on and no urge to snack later. Will update when DH eaten 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?

Very tasty, but then I always find M&S ready meals to be, they are my treat.

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

M&S are always more expensive than other ready meals, but I think they're worth it due to their better quality.

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 recommend.

NorkyButNice · 07/06/2012 10:30

Q1) plenty of choice in West Wickham store, about 20 dishes maybe. Was attracted to the spicy dishes and those I could microwave when in a rush. Chose the Middle Eastern spiced Chicken, the Hot and Sour noodles and the Red Thai curry.

Q2) heated all 3 in microwave. Yes it was a factor, I only really buy ready meals for when I'm in a hurry. They were quick to heat and simple. Don't regularly buy microwave meals but would consider buying the range again.

Q3) DH found the Middle Eastern chicken very filling, surprisingly so. He did snack in the evening, but he always does! I found the noodles and the Thai curry to be smaller portions but still plenty filling, I didn't need to snack until the next meal.

Q4) flavours were good, especially liked the Middle Eastern chicken and the Hot and Sour noodles.

Q5) Dishes were around 4 pounds each - would consider buying for quick meals but not a regular thing.

Q6) possibly, although I think the m&s microwave vegetarian range of meals are tastier to be honest!

OutInAllWeathers · 07/06/2012 11:01

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

I thought the range was really good, and pretty varied as well. We tried the chicken tikka masala and the chicken in red wine sauce. I found the range easily and it was seperated from other ranges so it was easily differentiated. Our M and S is quite a large one though so that probably makes a difference.

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 in the oven so they would be ready at roughly the same time. Sometimes we use the microwave for ready meals, sometimes the oven.

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

I felt satisfied after my meal, though DH needed some bread to go with his. Neither of us felt they were any more filling than other similar meals that we've tried.

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 that we had, and thought they did have a bit more flavour than some others we have tried. I'm not convinced they are particularly a healthy alternative though perhaps slightly better than some.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
For us personally they don't represent good value no. For us both to have one it cost £8 which is not particularly good value for a quick meal, and the portion size was not great for DH who does a manual job. I wouldn't see them as a regular option for us unless the price was lowered or to have some alternatives for bigger appetities perhaps.

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?

In terms of flavour and a good range I would reccommend however for our family and friends I would imagine the price would be off putting.

Thanks for the opportunity!

MNHQ

TheOtherHelenMumsnet · 07/06/2012 17:42

Thanks for all your feedback so far - M&S have found it really useful so do keep it coming! They've asked me to post this response to the comments about vegetarian options:

"Our Simply Fuller Longer range has been specially developed to be high in protein, as research has shown that protein can fill you up more than other nutrients (such as fat or carbohydrate), which can help you to control your hunger and resist the temptation to snack between meals. Lean cuts of meat, fish and poultry are all high quality sources of protein which is why these ingredients, amongst other sources of protein such as grains, nuts and legumes, are included in many of the Simply Fuller Longer dishes.
Since the launch of this range, our food teams have been working hard to provide vegetarian alternatives within the range however we have been unable to develop such alternatives which meet the strict Simply Fuller Longer nutrition criteria. This is something we will continue to work on.
We do however provide a range of other prepared meals, sandwiches and salads which are suitable for vegetarians and can be included as part of a weight loss or weight maintenance diet. Look out for the sunflower Eat Well logo, which highlights products across our ranges which are healthier options. For more information on vegetarian M&S options please follow the link below to the vegetarian section of our website, which also includes a list of products suitable for vegetarian diets health.marksandspencer.com/.
If you have any further queries, please get in touch with our nutrition team directly at [email protected]."

OP posts:

serin · 07/06/2012 18:56

Cries? What happened to my post?? I spent ages typing it out? Just got back from half term away so apologies for late reply but where is it??

serin · 07/06/2012 19:10

Sighs and tries again;

Q1. Bought meals from our local small MandS range was difficult to locate and had to ask 2 assistants> there were 6 meals to choose from (just one of each! so DH and I couldn't have had matching meals even if there was anything vegetarian for him to have!).
I chose Keralan curry for DS (age11) and Lochmuir salmon and the beef in brandy thingy for myself.

Q2. The meals were very easy to prepare. DS heaed up his own curry in a conventional oven as we didn't think the samosa would crisp up in a microwave

serin · 07/06/2012 19:39

Q3 The meals were utterly delicious and filled me up for a good few hours.
DS thought his curry could have done with more chicken and less cauli but he is a boy!

Q4 I thought the meals were about the right size for lunchtime (we eat a larger meal in the evenings. I work in a hospital and the current mealtime options are WRVS for a 1950's style white bread and cheddar sandwich (£2.40! Now that is what I call expensive!) Hospital canteen for absolute pappy rubbish eg. tendon curry or marg flavoured pasta or something deepfried (£3+) or posh coffee concession where it is £3 for a muffin (kid you not!!). So by comparison these meals are quite well pricedn and I would buy them if they were more readily available. Sadly our nearest MandS is a fair drive away. Whislt I have got your attention MandS will you please open some simply food shops in hospitals? the staff and the patients need you more than they need blooming muffins

serin · 07/06/2012 19:46

Q5 (see question 4! I am not really good at this am I?)

Q6 Yes I would recommend these meals to my family (my Mum aged 78 would love them) and friends, but mostly to my workcolleagues who all agreed they would buy them as an alternative to the current NHS rubbish.

Thankyou very much for giving me the chance to try them, they have made me reappraise my eating habits, it is amazing how much you have fitted into the meals for so little calories.

TLoGreen · 07/06/2012 20:20

Chose the Asian style chicken with woked vegetables x 2. Huge selection in the store - something for every taste, I'd imagine. Microwaved; very quick to heat and serve up. I rarely eat ready meals as I have never considered them healthy but would reconsider on occasion due to speed - plus the fact that these meals were clearly healthier and more balanced than I had thought. Both of us impressed with portion size - larger than in other comparable ready meals and both of us especially impressed by amount of chicken. Meat/protein tends to be much smaller in past experience of other ready meals. Both felt surprisingly satiated by such a healthy meal. Good flavour overall although noodles on the liquidy side. I would consider this a very healthy option and would go for this range over others in M&S in future. I bought these on a 2 for £6 - that's very good value for money in my book for an easy meal. I would recommend this range and I would try it again - it has changed my view of ready meals for the better. Thank you for this opportunity to take part in your survey. WE very much appreciated and enjoyed the meal.

mckenzie · 07/06/2012 20:26

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 couldn't actually find the range and I had to ask. I knew it was there because i'd seen it before but It wasn't clearly shown at all, i.e. there was no sign saying "Simply Fuller' range on the aisle. This store only did main course dishes, mainly curry which i love so the thai curries caught my attention straight away but I was also drawn to the salmon and new potatoes dish.

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

I didn't check cooking methods before buying as i have the time etc to do pretty much anything but both the curries said microwave was best and so that's what we did. It was very simple, same as other microwave 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?

The portion size didn't look huge but it was certainly enough, even for DH although he did snack on some tortillas too but that's not unusual for him, if someone's left them out. Neither of us snacked later though so that's really good.

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 red curry was a little too strong flavour for me but DH thought the green curry was delicious. He had no complaints at all. Someitmes I think dishes that are trying to be 'healthier' or lower in fat/calories, try to cover up proper taste by just making it spicy but we didn't feel this was the case.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why? I'm afraid I'm not very good at knowing the price of dinners, meals etc - sorry. I don't normally buy individual dinners although it's always handy to have something for DH for when he is late home from work or I am eating very early with the DCs.

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, the salmon with new pots and veg i would recommend to everyone who eats alone - it was flavoursome, healthy and filling. You can ditch the sauce of you're careful when you dig up which i think is essential - some people just don't like sauces.