For lovers who want to show their affection through the power of good food, M&S will seriously help impress your Valentine this year.
If the idea of slaving away over a hob for hours sends you into a panic, or the thought of a mountain of washing ruining the romantic vibes that turn you – or your date – off, their deal offers a solution, and who doesn’t lust for a partner who can cook up a storm in the kitchen?
With food being the way to the heart, I decided to see if it was worth cancelling my overpriced dinner reservation, and I think this year, M&S is truly the creme de la creme of home cooking. With easy-to-cook dishes you can whack in the oven, it leaves more time for… well, whatever you wish to do on Valentine’s Day…
The viral dine-in meal deals are back and while M&S is seen as a pricer supermarket, you can’t argue with their newest Valentine’s Day dine-in meal deal costing £25. For this you can serve up a decadent starter, main, side and dessert, complete with a bottle of wine, fizz or soft drink for £12.50 a head – and spoiler alert – it’s seriously good.
This year, there are 15 new additions to the line up – as well as some returning viral favourites including fillet steak Wellington and British wagyu steak pie. There are also delicious fish dishes including salmon en croute as well as a decent range of vegan and vegetarian options too.
In fact, there are so many dishes that there are a staggering 43,904 unique menu combinations to try. Fan favourites include baked burrata with nduja and ciabatta crunch, prawn and lobster gratins, baking brie, and mini bao buns. Tempting sides include loaded mash, Mediterranean-style roasting vegetables, and creamy potato dauphinoise. These dishes will make anyone fall at your feet—and we won’t tell them it’s not home-cooked if you won’t.
So, with my sleeves rolled up and my oven preheated, I attempted the seriously hard task of trying a number of these dishes to see which ones are truly worth putting in your basket…
Baked Brie with a sweet and spicy hot honey drizzle – 5/5
As a camembert lover, I had my reservations. Don’t get me wrong, I love brie, especially heaped onto a cracker but I wasn’t sure it would impress me when hot. However, I was stopped in my tracks with this one as it was outstanding. It was gooey, there was a pretty impressive cheese pull and the spicy but sweet sauce over the top complimented it so well. I think I’m converted.
King Prawn Medley with paprika and garlic sauce and a harissa butter – 4/5
Any type of seafood is stereotypically pretty romantic and these prawns were pretty spectacular. There was a generous amount of sauce which meant all of the prawns were well coated and you can truly taste all of the flavours. It makes a prawn cocktail seem extremely boring. My only gripe is that I don’t really like oven cooked prawns as I feel they are a little chewy.
British Wagyu Beef pie – 5/5
Now we’re getting to the real deal, and this pie was not messing around. Firstly, the presentation was very good, and with a little pastry heart on top, it really brings in the romance. The puff pastry was thick, it rose well, and it had a good golden colour on top – for the presentation alone, it was a winner. When it came to the taste, the ale really packs a punch, it was very strong but it complemented the beef well. The pie was packed with melt-in-your-mouth beef and they were big chunks – it was certainly filling and delicious. I was honestly amazed.
Salmon en route 3/5
For the seafood lovers, these two salmon en croute portions are a winner. With a generous chunk of salmon, wrapped in a thick layer of puff pastry, in a smoked haddock, cheese and leek sauce it was very good. It also included prawns in with the salmon which was a nice touch and made it a little more premium. I just wish there was a little more of the sauce as I felt it was a little dry.
Chicken breast paupiettes with a creamy mushroom, truffle and sherry centre wrapped in smoky bacon – 4/5
I was excited about this as in a restaurant, I would usually plump for a chicken dish and I am also a big fan of truffle. The chicken was juicy and tender and there was a generous amount of bacon wrapped around it. The mushroom and truffle filling was very tasty and there was a good amount of seasoning to make it a well rounded dish. My only issue was that a lot of the filling seeped out of the chicken while it was cooking, meaning it went to waste.
Butternut squash and spinach pie topped with filo pastry – 4/5
This pie looked seriously impressive with the flaky filo pastry, and the inside didn’t disappoint either. It was very dense and packed to the brim with chopped butternut squash and creamy spinach. There were a lot of flavours in there and it was well seasoned – and it didn’t disappoint.
Cheesy loaded mash topped with vintage cheddar and caramelised onions – 3/5
You can’t go wrong with a cheesy mash side, especially with a pie and this mash was pretty good. The caramelised onions gave it a nice touch and the mash was soft and fluffy. I just wish it was a little cheesier – but overall a pretty safe side dish. There is a whole host of different side dishes including smashed potatoes, triple-cooked chips, Mediterranean roasted veg and greens.
2 become one praline heart – 5/5
Despite not being able to get the Spice Girl’s song out of my head when eating this, it was very, very good. The chocolate was rich, and the mousse was on a crunchy chocolate praline base. It was indulgent and presented as two halves into a heart shape, it oozes romance – literally. You have to have a sweet tooth for these, but they’re definitely worth it.
Classic vanilla cheesecake – 5/5
For those with a sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with a cheesecake. The small portion was ideal and topped with a red chocolate heart. It was creamy and the hint of vanilla was subtle but it made it perfectly sweet. The base was crumbly but worked well with the rich topping. I’d probably end up eating both, so you may want to double up on these.
I think it’s safe to say I seriously enjoyed this range, every dish was delicious, and there are so many more options in the range you can try as well. I think M&S has truly outdone itself with this, and I think anyone serving up these dishes for Valentine’s Day will be in the good books.
My favourites have to be the Baked Brie, the Wagyu Beef Pie and the Vanilla Cheesecakes. Let me know in the comments if you try any of the combinations.
Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com
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