Cost of M & S Christmas food

i know food has gone up in price but they are ridiculous. doesn't some of their festive food have a celebrity chef on it

Why worry about ultra expensive ready made supermarket meals? Just don't buy them. Home made food is always better. Share the prparation and clear up.

Doesn't have to be fancy. My favourite bits of Christmas dinner include the home made bread sauce, stuffings, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, veg.

Put the carols on. Home made decorations and crackers; silly hats jokes and games. Those very old stockings filled with the very traditional "gifts".

When we were young hard up parents these were very basic indeed; every child's stocking toe held an orange, a new toothbrush and a chocolate gold coin and a pound coin. Which the "children" would be dreadfully upset not to find in their stockings now they are middle aged professional high earners. I know for certain, mine will contain a packet of plastic plant labels from youngest son. The first Christmas present he ever chose and bought when he was about 6, bursting with of excitement because he had thought of it all by himself and "I know you're going to love it Mum".
And every Christmas since.

And, if there's nothing left, there should be more stock coming in for New Year anyway, Grannynannywanny

Yes it’s well worth a try Allira if you have the time on Christmas Eve late afternoon. I’ve found that the shop isn’t overly busy at that time as most folk have done their shopping and retreated. Although it might be this year now I’ve spilled the beans on Gransnet 😆

If people buy them then M&S will charge extortionate prices! I think if you’re paying that you should probably be going to your local butcher? Not help the shareholders of corporates!

Being nosy after reading this thread I googled the Christmas food from M&S and noted the very expensive boeuf en croute, £195,is by Tom Kerridge.
I used to like his cookery programmes until I saw the cost of eating in his restaurants.
No wonder he can afford his fabulous home.
I wonder how much M&as are paying him to put his name to there food and recipes.

I used to buy my turkey crown from M and S. I always have a houseful on Christmas Day. I couple of years ago I changed to a Lidl one at half the price without telling any of the guests. Lots of them commented on how lovely and moist the turkey was! It was just as tasty as the Marks one.

I tend to shopat sainsbury's or Asda but recently thought I'd try M&S through Ocado. I tend to buy the same things so have a good idea of the full cost of my shopping, obviously a few things were different but mostly it was like for like.

It cost £148! The same shop in sainsbury's is around £80, slightly cheaper in Asda.
Based on their normal food costing nearly twice as much I can only imagine I'd need a second mortgage to pay for my Christmas food from there.

Probably not as much as they're charging the customers for it.

They charge those prices because they know some people will pay them.

glammagran

£195 for M&S beef wellington to feed six people anyone?

Is that the Australian recipe with extra mushrooms?

Desdemona

I think you're probably right as I'm always intrigued at the similarity of the packaging - all the same information just with the stores different colouring (i.e. dark green for M&S, red for Sainsbury's, bright green for Waitrose etc)

All their food prices have gone up, so it’s no surprise to me.

I buy the odd ready meals. Sometimes with the yellow sticker on. But not much else as too expensive.

Usedtobeblonde

Being nosy after reading this thread I googled the Christmas food from M&S and noted the very expensive boeuf en croute, £195,is by Tom Kerridge.
I used to like his cookery programmes until I saw the cost of eating in his restaurants.
No wonder he can afford his fabulous home.
I wonder how much M&as are paying him to put his name to there food and recipes.

It is a lot, I agree.
But ...... if you're someone who can't cook for yourself but wants something nice, I can see that people would buy it.
Also if you divide it between 6 - 8 people and compare it with the cost of eating out in an a decent restaurant on Christmas Day, it isn't too bad.
The bit of beef alone would probably cost £100, you've got to pay for the other ingredients, plus the preparation, the packaging - not forgetting the marketing etc.

This year we have just the two of us so we are not going to bother much .
Will get a few bits in but have decided to make a chilli the day before and will have on Christmas day , no tree & trimmings either .
It can pass us by this year .

£200 for beef wellington a friend told me 🤦

It’s not compulsory to purchase food from M & S, it’s a personal choice.

I will/do not shop in Tesco, Asda, Morrisons or Lidl, my choice.

I shop in Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and M & S depending where I am. Most fruit & veg comes from local Farm Shop as does some meat from their own animals, the rest from local butcher’s.

You pay the money and make your choice

A friend of mine told me the beef Wellington was nearly £200!!! Don't think so!!

You’ve just beaten me to it GrannyGravy !

As they say on the BEEB, “other supermarkets are available!”
And it is NOT necessary to push the boat out to over the horizon to make Christmas special and enjoyable for everybody.

Apparently it's git Tom Kerridge's name against them. Still wouldn't pay anywhere near the prices!!!

Sarnia

glammagran

£195 for M&S beef wellington to feed six people anyone?

Is that the Australian recipe with extra mushrooms?

It’s called the Collection fillet of British beef wellington by Tom Kerridge

I think if you look at the prices in The Hand and Flowers (Tom Kerridge) you will see why his M & S Christmas Food Collection is priced as it is.

I have just made a steak pie with slow cooked skirt beef cost about £5-£6 how can they justify these prices?

We’ve had this same conversation in our family. I assume M&S must now be aiming at a market of impoverished aristocrats who can no longer afford the staff. 🤔

Their basics can be a reasonable price but once anything is added to gussy it up, the price goes through the roof. It also annoys me that their pre-order system doesn’t mean you can go in and collect your order and leave. You have to queue while staff pick out the items you ordered maybe two months ago and it’s all chaotically (dis)organised. A local farm shop is doing a free range turkey breast with accompaniments for £48 and as we’ll be just four of this year, that will be perfect.

Maggymay

I have just made a steak pie with slow cooked skirt beef cost about £5-£6 how can they justify these prices?

Because Wagyu beef is not skirt steak…

Harris27

Couldn’t believe the prices. I too just buy a few treats from there but can’t believe the prices this year! I’m so glad Aldi do a similiar brochure I’ll just have to pretend I got them mixed up!😂😂

Aldi uses the same supplier, you get the same food for a fraction of the price.