Page 9 | NOW CLOSED M&S Simply Fuller Longer range - tester review thread

treedelivery · 07/06/2012 20:31

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

*I found it ok in the store and was able to pick up 3 meals as they were discounted as going out of date. The pork and mash grabbed my attention as it is a change from the usual pasta ready meal.

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

I tried pork, mash and greens, the pasta and mince and the chicken hotpot. I cooked them all in a microwave at work as we don't have a microwave at home. I felt the pork meat was a little rubbery and bland - perhaps would have been better in the oven. The top layer of the pasta dish burnt a bit, the pasta dried out.

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 portionslooked good but actually I was no more full than with a meal for half the price. I can't imagine why the pork meal didn't have more greens with it, surely they are filling and low calorie?

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 didn't enjoy the chicken hotpot. The potato was bland and the sauce plain odd. I think all the dishes had a few lentils in, presumably to help us feel fuller, but I don't feel there was enough to make a real difference. The gravy base sauce in the chicken hotpot and the lamb gravy was the same - a bit salty and a bit glutanous.
The bolognese with the pasta dish was too ground for me, the beef was lost.

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

I think they are just too much - sorry!

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

Probably not, unless they were willing and able to spend those amunts on a ready meal.

Sorry! I wasn't all that impressed and certainly couldn't afford them.

Concordia · 07/06/2012 21:12

hi mumsnet just to say please keep the thread running, i didn't get the vouchers till just before bank holiday and then went away. have bought the meals tonight so will have them over the next few days and feedback then.

sleepdodger · 07/06/2012 22:40

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?
* very well shopped, not much selection, but was late on saturday afternoon, thekeralan curry looked nice, bought 2 for dh and me!*

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
heated in microwave, little point in buying unless quick!! quick & easy as any ready meal, dont buy often, but seemed ok to prepare

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
* portion size fine, though think the COU range actually more generous looking and looked as though other things mght be needed with it, but not in end!*

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?
* tasted more creamy than anticipated for 'diet' dish, and not synthetic which was plesant suprise*

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
* think if buying for 2 people v expensive and single larger meal or dinner for £10 represents overall better value*

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? *tbh the healthy angle was ok but cou more interesting for less calories!! (could have desert too for same!!

Polgara2 · 07/06/2012 22:57

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?

Yes I found the SFL range easily enough and I had thought the range was ok, but after reading on here it would appear that there were many missing! My main gripe is that there were not enough 'non-spicy' options for me (spicy food makes me ill), so I only bought one meal - Beef Bourgignon. Also I was very limited by the dates available, most of them were up the next day or one day after that, which was disappointing as I wasn't able to eat them then. Will have to try and get back to look for another one, but M&S not actually in my town.

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?

Yes heated in microwave, no problems with that. Don't buy that many ready meals but it compares favourably with the ones I have bought in terms of preparation etc.

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

Was surprised at the portion size actually, I expected more. I had it for lunch which was ok but I would have needed more for tea (and DH would have looked at me in puzzlement if I had just served him that!) Didn't feel as full as I was expecting tbh.

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?

Thought it tasted delicious but it did set my digestive system off a bit, hence why I was hoping for more 'blander' dishes (and it seems they are available judging from previous comments but just not when I went to shop unfortunately!)

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

Erm, I think that they are the price I would expect from M&S but if I was to buy a ready meal I would pick a cheaper one. If I am buying a ready meal it is to have when time constraints etc prevent me from cooking for someone and I wouldn't pay £4 every time for that. Having said that the quality was extremely good as expected.

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 dish but I was decidedly underwhelmed by the 'simply fuller' bit tbh!

Kristina2 · 07/06/2012 23:13

Q1. i visited a big M&S store so there was a very good range, about 25 i think. However, as i cant eat wheat i was struggling to find anything suitable. lots of dishes whch shoudl have been wheat free were not, i can only assume because there was wheat flour used to thicken sauces, or soy sauce used as flavouring or non wheat free bread used in meat balls. given that other M&S meals use gluten & and wheat free crumb, this was very disappointing.many other companies use corn, rice or potatoe flour as a thickener instead of wheat and wheat free soy sauce is easily availiable.

Q2. i ended up buying the salmon with potatoes which i heated in the microwave. i dont usually buy convenince meals and it was certainly easy and quick

Q3. It was quite a large portioni and i coulndt eat all the potates, i did feel full aftrewards.

Q4. the salmon was a bit touhg but tasty and there was plenty sauce. it wasnt too salty - often a problem with ready meals

Q5. I dont usually buy convenience food so Im not sure about the value, it seems very expensive if you are used to cooking normally.

Q6. If you were on a diet i can see that it woudl be useful to have a lower calorie meal that you coudl heat up if what the rest of the family were having wasnt suitable. or perhaps if you wanted to eat a hot meal at lunchtime at work.

helsbels03 · 08/06/2012 07:09

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
Once I had found them there were a lot to choose from. Would have been easier if they were not mixed with the 'count on us range'. Chose Chicken and Vegetable Hot Pot and Smoky Mexican open Chicken Fajita as they looked nice on the packet.

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 all in the oven together, took a little longer than said on the packets but that may be my oven . I Don't buy conveience meals but they 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? We tend to eat quite large portions, so initial reaction was that they were smaller than normal, dh not initially impressed. However we both did feel full afterwards and only ate normal yoghurt style snack later in 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
Both meals were very flavoursome- we both ate half of each! Don't usually eat 'healthy' foods such as this so the calorie count did not mean anything to me I'm afraid.
Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
Initally thought they were expensive due to portion size, but actually they did serve as a main meal so a little pricey but not too bad.
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, there seemed to be a wide choice if different types of dishes, they were ok value for money and did fill us up, unlike other someplace sized meals

Rosylee1976 · 08/06/2012 08:08

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 wasn't a great selection of dishes available - maybe because the store I visited does not have a massive grocery section. Some of it was sold out. I chose the chicken tikka, pork loin chop and the ham 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 heated all the dishes in the microwave as it is just quicker that way. In fact, I would not have chosen them if they had not been suitable for microwave heating. I have bought convenience meals before and these ones compared similar in terms of preparation 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?

I found the portion sizes to be sufficient. I was satisfied with the meal, but not full. What I mean was that I was no longer hungry, but not full, which is not a bad thing.

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 enjoyed the chicken tikka and the ham dish, but really disliked the pork chop. The sauce for the pork chop and the cabbage was not nice at all. I do think that they are healthier alternatives to other ready meals, but having mostly used Weight Watchers and Teso Lighter Choices, I felt that the M & S meals were smaller in size. There was less food than the other ranges I have tried before

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

No, they do not represent good value for money because they are too expensive. I could never justify paying £4 for one ready meal, not when I can get 5 for £4 at Tesco, for example. No matter how nice they taste or how low in calories they are, I just could not afford this 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?

I would be honest and say they tasted nice enough, but I wouold not recommend it because of the price. It just does not cater to the average person's budget, especially if you have a family

40thisisit · 08/06/2012 11:04

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?
Range hard to find, shopped in Poole which is small store. Very small choice, liked the look of the curry 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?
Heated them in the oven, DH won't use microwave. Were 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?
My portion was fine (SFL Middle Eastern spiced chicken with fragrant rice) but Dh wasn't impressed with his SFL Chicken katsu curry with edamame beans and jasmine rice) and was munchinh on snacks soon 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?
Yes both dishes v.tasty, we tried each others. Yes I would say were an improvement on other ready meal options.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
No, too expensive when compared with other supermarkets.

Q6. If it came up in conversation, do you think you'd recommend any of the dishes you tried to your friends/family? If so, why? If not, why not?
Would recommend in terms of flavour & appearance but not price or portion size.

Priya1 · 08/06/2012 13:07

Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
We got the Slow cooked pork and the mexican chunky beef. It was pretty easy to find the meals in store and they looked appetising

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 don't buy convenience foods normally. I used the oven as I though it would make the meal taste more homemade. It was easy to prepare.

Q3. How did you find the portion sizes of the dishes you tried? Did you feel full afterwards? And how about your DH/DP - was he/she sufficiently full afterwards? What were his/her thoughts on the portion size?
I didn't complete mine (could be my small appetite) DH has his and then the rest of mine! We both needed extra vegetables with our meals.

Q4. What did you and your DH/DP think of the dishes you tried in terms of taste and flavour - did you enjoy them or not? Is there anything that you think could be improved on this front? Would you consider the dishes you tried to be 'healthy alternatives' to other ready meal options or not?
The meals were tasty and looked good. As ready meals go I thought these were quite good versions.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I thought the meals were too expensive, considering the dine in for £10 deals that you can get in M&S too, also I could cook these meals for far less at home.

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

cleoismycat · 08/06/2012 17:14

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?

Many of the dishes were mixed in with other meals, along with the count on us range. There was quite a few and I chose smokey Mexican fajita for dh and I went for crayfish with noodle, Asian veg and edamame soya beans.

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 fajita I did in the microwave but finished in the oven for some colour. Very easy to prepare really. The noodles just went straight in a bowl. Very quick and easy for every now and then.

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 but dh wanted wedges or chips with his fajita!

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 tase was good in both, the dressing on the noodles was lovely. D would have had spicier but he added chilli so no calories!

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

They were good value for a healthy alternative to home cooked 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 definitely buy the noodle salad again and would consider trying some of the other meals when dh away on business.

Chocolatebrowniequeen · 08/06/2012 20:34

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?
The SFL range was next to the Count on Us range in the store I visited and as a result I did have to pay attention to ensure I bought from the right range. That said there was some nice options with linguine, stew and red wine dishes but I opted for a chicken thai green curry.

Q2. With the dish(es) you tried, did you heat them up in the microwave or oven? Did preparation method factor into your choice of purchase? If you regularly buy 'convenience' meals, how did the SFL dishes compare to others in terms of how quick and easy they are to prepare? If you don't usually buy 'convenience' meals, were you impressed with the speed/ease of preparing the dishes or not?
I haven't bought convenience meal very recently but I would say they were on a par with what I have cooked before. One thing that I always find very useful (to be truly convenience for me) would be able to heat from frozen. I heated my meals in the microwave as that was advised as best.

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 really liked my meal and felt full. My husband on the other hand has an enormous appetite and whilst he enjoyed his meal I think he did not feel full as I found him grazing in the kitchen later. He always says the portion sizes of ready meals are too small 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?
I thought my meal was far healthier than most other convenience food I have tried in that it had a curry, rice and vegetables and felt like a more balanced meal.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
I think they were on the expensive side and so wouldn't ordinarily pay this price. I feel I can make better for cheaper myself but if I needed 'fast' food I would defintely consider it in future.

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 could imagine saying that they were nice and tasty etc but I think it really does depend on your budget. When my DH and I both had full time jobs and hence little time but far more money they would have been ideal.

mrsaligee · 08/06/2012 20:36

Sorry about coming rather late to the party, I put my back out bathing the kids so couldn't get the dishes until today...

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?

For a store which was not central Manchester, I thought the choice was quite good. As other testers have said, it wasn't that easy to find the range as they were on the end of an aisle marked "offers". I ended up with chicken dishes as the beef ones didn't really appeal, much as I love my beef. They were all raguey type hotpot thingys which is a bit predictable for my tastes. The Keralan Chicken curry, Middle Eastern spiced chicken, Andalucian style chicken and the chicken and ham pie with the angel hair pastry were the ones that grabbed my attention.

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

We don't have a microwave and I prefer to heat ready meals in the oven anyway, think it gives them a better flavour. We do a lot of cooking but it was nice to just shove something in the oven for a change! DH found the Andalucian Chicken one a bit faffy as you have to take the lid off halfway through 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?

I felt full immediately afterwards, though since having my children I now have a sweet tooth so about an hour later had to have a yoghurt to satisfy it. I still felt strangely full though, just must be a glutton! DH said he felt full aftewards and that the portion size was fine. I would have liked more sauce in the Keralan Chicken one.

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 liked the Creamy Chicken, Ham and Vegetable pie with the angel hair pastry. I thought the Keralan Chicken could have done with more sauce. DH liked both the Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken and the Andalucian Chicken (he's a man of few words, OK means it was very good).

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

I wouldn't pay £3.99 for one meal, but they were on offer when I went so 2 for £6 wasn't a bad deal, which is why I ended up getting four so we had more to test. Duchesse is right that you are paying for the convenience, and the fact that it is lovely M&S food.*

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

My 78-year-old mother regularly orders meals from a convenience food company and also buys ready meals reguarly from M&S - particularly the more exotic ones such as the curries. I'd recommend them to her but she'd only do it if it were on offer, e.g. buy 2 for £6!

Thanks for letting me test some of M&S's meals for free! I love their food!
Couldn't they do SFL desserts too, or were those on another, unmarked, aisle?

Mrsaligee :)

Jojo12 · 09/06/2012 00:24

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

I found the dishes near the Count on Us range, but nothing grabbed me as I'm vegetarian, and every main meal dish had meat/fish in it. However, I managed to find a veggie-friendly 'super wholefood salad' in the lunch/'food to go' section, and I bought a prawn/hot smoked Lochmuir salmon salad 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?

Neither of the dishes I bought required heating.

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 definitely felt full after the super wholefoods salad, and didn't feel the need for my usual mid-afternoon biscuits at work. DH found the portion of prawn/salmon to be small, although he thought there were plenty of lentils etc in the salad.

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 enjoyed the superwholefoods salad. I think it would be more healthy than my usual lunch at work (sandwiches). I liked the pomegranate seed crunch, the creamy cheese and the lemon and mint dressing. DH did not really enjoy the prawn/salmon dish. He felt the salmon/prawns were bland, although he felt the lentil salad was more tasty. He would have preferred to have just eaten the lentil salad and not bothered with the fish.

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

The superwholefoods salad is a lot more expensive than I would normally spend on a week-day lunch. I think it would be OK value if I was trying to lose weight. The fish dish was very expensive (£4.50) and could probably be replicated at home more cheaply using an M&S lentil salad side dish and adding your own fish.

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

I wouldn't recommend the fish dish for the reasons above - price, portion size and flavour. I would recommend the superwholefoods salad on a once in a while/nice for a change/occasional treat basis. Also, as several of my family and friends are vegetarian, this is the only veggie dish anyway! I find it very disappointing that there are no vegetarian main meals in this range. If the issue is that the range is protein-heavy, there are plenty of veggie-friendly proteins that could be used (chickpeas, quinoa, quorn, tofu, soya etc). I also thought that overall there seemed to be relatively few fish-based dishes in the range.

Cassettetapeandpencil · 09/06/2012 07:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CA2006 · 09/06/2012 09:12

I tried the chicken, vegetable and angel hair pie. DP had the mexican chunky beef with potato wedges.

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

The SFL range was separated in its own section which was good as it allowed me to browse for something suitable. I'd say there wasn't too much choice but enough for me certainly. I liked the look of the pie I had because of the angel hair - I'm easily intrigued!

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

I did both in the oven. I prefer to cook ready meals in the over as generally I don't like food from the microwave. The dishes were easy to prepare and the instructions were good.

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 portion sizes were really good, as did my DP. They definitely seemed larger than normal ready meals and certainly more than other "diet" food. I was very impressed with this aspect of the dishes.

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 liked my dish, it had a pleasant if fairly mild taste - but then chicken and vegetable pie isn't meant to be too strong. DP also liked his mexican flavour and said that it was well seasoned. I would definitely buy these again.

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

I think they were reasonably priced at 3.99. I don't really buy ready meals at all, but this seems to compare well with tesco finest ready meals for instance - but a great deal more healthy.

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 probably would recommend, yes. I was impressed with the amount of food there was for c.350 calories, effectively the same as a small sandwich. The variety on offer was also pleasing (not in terms of number of dishes but the types of meal that were there).

Thanks for my free dinner!

MsGee · 09/06/2012 14:04

I've just got my voucher! Will feedback on a couple if days if that is ok!

pennnn · 09/06/2012 17:12

I popped into my local m&s twice recently, but on neither occasion could I find the fuller longer range. The food section is quite small so I don't know if that had anything to do with it, or if it just wasn't displayed well.

QueenOfIndecision · 09/06/2012 20:18

by the way mnet hq i have namechanged since applying finally got around to it! as i used to love my old name but then it became associated with a stricken ship and i worried it was in poor taste.

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?
well at first i only found one - that was inthe salads section near the door - a prawn and noodle thing. then i found a bout 25 all together in the ready meal section.
i liked the look of the cod mornay, the curry with the samosa topping also looked interesting. the lemon and herb chicken grabbee me as it is exactly the kind of thing i will prepare myself to eat for lunch.
in the end i bought paella and thai green curry. there was quite a lot i liked though - lots of fish and chicken - which i tend to eat.

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?
yes i was taking mine for a lunch at work so i wanted one i could microwave. i don't buy many ready meals nowadays but i look for ones you can microwave. if you have to put them in the oven for half an hour you might as well cook something.

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 great really - and i think i ate it a bit quickly which didnt' help! i did feel quite a bit fuller in the afternoon than i would have done though - which surprised me, i had been a bit cyncial about the claims.
dp hasn't eaten the curry yet. i was supposed to eat it today but havent' been able to keep any food down - see below!

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

taste and flavour fine really. not as lank as microwave meals usually are - some nice crisp veg. plenty of nice tasting chicken. i liked it actually - better than my home made chicken salad attempts. i think it probably was healthier than a lot of ready meals - took time to look at sugar fat and salt content before choosing . but see paragraph below.

actually i would be worried to get the paella again. it could be the latest bug from nursery but i ate it at 1pm and by 9pm i felt sick and then i had horrible d and v in the night which is still continuing. i had kept in fridge at home adn work adn it was in date. but i have been really ill - hope not connected but sorry i wouldnt' risk that particular dish. i still feel terrible - hence no one has had the curry today.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
they were pricey given i usually cook for four people together. but if eating on your own i think they're ok. handy for lunch but don't think i could afford to do that every day!

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?

possibly i might. i would be embarrased to admit to eating ready meals to random strangers though [snob emocion] also with being ill a few hours after eating the paella i'm not too impressed.

alp · 10/06/2012 12:29

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

We have a large M&S near us so the range was easy to see on the shelves and had a big section dedicated to it. There seemed to be a good range of pasta, rice and meat dishes whiched seemed different to the usual ready meals 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?

We tried the yoghurt aromatic chicken and the keralan curry dish. The aromatic chicken was 4 mins in the mircowave so was quick and easy to prepare. The curry was a bit more of a faff as it was 40 mins in the oven which wasn't really convenient. I chose the dishes due to what i thought we (DH and I) would want to eat rather than cooking speeds. As I left DH to do his own dinner on that occasion he expected it to be ready quickly.

We dont usually buy ready meals so it was a bit of a novel thing to do.

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

After the aromatic chicken I was full, almost to the point of not finishing the meal.

DH was full afterwards but did start to look around for something else to pick at but then again he is a big eater! He also said he was hunting around for the chicken in 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?

I would think that these are healthy alternative meals. The Fuller for Longer makes me initally think of them as 'diet' dishes but the types of dishes available don't follow this.

I really enjoyed my meal (yoghurt chicken) it was a little mushy but in a risotto way rather than over cooked way!

DH would eat it again but may not choose it himself. and it could be improved by more chicken!

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

I felt the dishes were good value. Two main meals for around £10 which were filling is good value however compared to the Meal Wine Side for £10 as it seems a little expensive.

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 recommned the range as a whole as a busy-weekday meal to pick up. I would possible now have some in the freezer for 'emergencies'

Sorry this is a bit garbled!!

QueenOfIndecision · 10/06/2012 13:09

ok second post, this time about the other dish which was thai green chicken curry. as i said before i have name-changed since applying to be a tester.

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 answered this in my post above. there was loads to choose from. i nearly went for the red chicken curry but then changed to the green as it has less calories

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?
yes microwave, even though this one was at home, still much easier / quicker than oven - the best bti about ready meals imo.
yes it was quick and easy to prepare - minimal mess is good too as DH spent whole morning cleaning the kitchen already.

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?
yes i did feel full after eating it. quite quickly. the portion size was good. i actually couldnt' finish all the rice.

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?

it was nice, i think i preferred the paella for flavour - would prefer a curry to bit a bit spicier usually. nice crunchy veg again as the last one. plenty of chicken. i think it was probably a bit healthier than some other ready meal options in terms of reduced fat and calories but still quite high dose of salt. it didn't taste as full of fat and grease as some ready meals.

Q5. Do you think the dishes you tried represented good value for money or not? Why?
value for money is ok if you are just preparing food for one person - for a family would be extortionate really. with offers on, e.g. two for six pounds then not too bad given the better quality than lots of 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?
probably yes i would to friends and family, if it came up in conversation. they are pricey though. i think it's a one off when back from work late and picking something up from the station or whatever. or an occaional lunch.

thanks for letting us try the meals.

hermionestranger · 10/06/2012 13:56

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

Not very diverse. There was enough to chose from, the chicken hotpot grabbed my attention.

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

I heated one meal in the microwave and one in the oven, they were both really easy to prepare. I had the chicken hotpot and the beef pasta.

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 sizes were quite mean I thought, I didn't feel full after either of them and had a pudding after both and for lunch I would usually have a sandwich with crisps and a drink of juice. For the size of packaging I was expecting more.

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

I thought they were both awful and had funny smells. The chicken hotpot was bland apart from the lentils that totally didn't match the rest of the dish at all. I wouldn't have considered it a healthy nor an unhealthy dish when compared to most other ready meals, it was just chicken, a potato and some bits of veg in a watery gravy with a few green lentils thrown in. The beef pasta was disgusting. There was hardly any pasta and far too much meat sauce for the pasta that was there. The sauce was just vile, it was a weird consistency and tasted odd. The meat was in little grains, not actually minced beef. We also had a lamb hotpot but couldn't bring ourselves to try it because the first two meals were so bad,

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

I do not, even though I didn't pay for them I thought they were a rip off. It seemed to me that M&S were cashing on on their name and trying to make people think they were getting a superior product by charging £4 for one meal. The portions were tiny and I would definitely NOT buy again.

hermionestranger · 10/06/2012 13:58

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? It actually did come up because I had taken one with me to a friends house where I was working oneday and I commented that I thought they were expensive and not worth the money given that they didn't fill me up or taste very nice.

SaggyandBlank · 10/06/2012 20:38

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 large availability of SFL meals in the store. I have been regularly using them for over a year now & already have my favourites. I chose to purchase & review the Mushroom Tagliatelle & the Chicken Hotpot.

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

I have always microwaved the meals. Preparation is a large factor as having a young family, time is important. If they had to be heated in the oven, I would not purchase them. They are extremely quick & easy to prepare. I do think the SFL meals are the best available in terms of convenience, ease, flavour & ingredients.

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 always feel full using these meals. I use them as part of a healthy heating plan so feeling full is very important. My husband has tried the tagliatelle one & does like it but does have some bread with it in order to be full. I found the Chicken Hotpot to be the most filling out of the two. I would always choose this meal if I was feeling particularly hungry.

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 enjoyed both the tagliatelle & chicken hotpot. My husband was not so keen on the hotpot. I do not tend to buy the meat, fish, veg & potato type ones as I would usually cook these type of meals at home myself. I also think some of the veg in these meals does not fare well in the microwave.

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

I have stopped buying these meals in the last couple of months due to the price having gone up to £3.99. I cannot justify this for one meal, nor do I think they represent good value & will only buy them now when on offer e.g 2 for £6.

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 and do recommend the meals. Giving the reasons shown above. I do view them as a healthy option when unable to cook a proper meal. They are very tasty & I feel good for eating them. However, the only rider I give is that they are rather expensive & it is for this reason I have moved away from them.

Panzee · 10/06/2012 20:42

I chose the Chicken stew with dumplings, and the beef ragu and pasta.
Q1. How did you find the SFL range in the store you visited in terms of availability? Was there enough to choose from or not? Which dishes grabbed your attention immediately?
There seemed a few gaps on the shelves but it was a busy time here. It took me a while to choose something.

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 don't have a microwave so heated them in the oven. They are just as quick as other ready meals that I use.

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 finished it quickly but began to feel full at the end. Husband also said he felt full at the end.

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 chicken had beans in which would help with the healthy/fuller longer part. Both dishes were very tasty (particularly the ragu). I don't know if the ragu was particularly more healthy - it had a good rich flavour. The ingredients did seem 'proper', not like some ready meals.

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

Yes as an occasional meal, but not every day.

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 say they tasted nice. Not sure about the price.

Thanks for dinner, M&S and Mumsnet! :)

thenightsky · 10/06/2012 20:58

Q1. Easy to find in store. Couldn't find any vege dishes, which I do prefer. I never fancy meat in ready meals. Settled for Lochmuir Salmon Fillet

Q2. Used conventional oven. I don't buy ready meals, so nothing to compare with. I was impressed with how easy they were.

Q3. I felt portion was a good size and was surprised to see how few calories there were for what was a large-ish meal. DH felt it was small and wanted to add extra vegetables. I found it very filling. DH said it was ok, not large enough to keep him satisfied for more than an hour.

Q4. Taste and flavour were excellent and we enjoyed them. They felt healthy in a basic food kind of way... not full of additives.

Q5. They were on a buy 2 for £6 deal, which I felt was a fair price.

Q6. Yes I would recommend them.