From the Hash Brown Topple Tower to a Turkey toastie in mini bite form, the full party food range includes a number of mouth-watering new products
Yes, it’s the most magical time of year for shoppers, as supermarkets across the country unveil their full Christmas ranges. Each retailer has a unique way of presenting its festive fare, and there’s also the anticipation of those big Christmas adverts hitting our TV screens in the coming weeks.
Few Christmas ranges create quite the stir that Marks and Spencer manages to do, though. Every year, they host a grand Christmas showcase where media, celebrities, and influencers get to taste all the festive food treats they’re whipping up before many hit the high street to give them a whirl and share their opinions.
Lifestyle editor Dianne Bourne was among those attending, and she had the opportunity to try some of the new items, causing a stir on social media, as well as the return of favourites, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The event involved guests visiting a number of tasting stations, as well as hot canapes being served up for us to sample at a posh London venue.
Guests were then escorted to a sit-down meal, where a complete festive dinner was served. Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge was there to introduce some of the high-end (and yes, that means pricey) delicacies he has crafted for M&S this year.
If you think it’s a bit early to be discussing Christmas grub, well, M&S believes they’ve had their largest-ever response to the launch of Christmas order lines this year, with shoppers seemingly more eager than ever to get things sorted for the 25 December festivities.
So here are my thoughts on it all.
The winners….
After sampling around 50 products on the night, here are Dianne’s top ten items that she can recommend, and that she would definitely like to try again.
Hash brown topple tower
This is one of the standout items from the new party food range that M&S have released super-early this year.
And it’s easy to see why when you behold the Hash Brown topple tower in all its splendour.
You can set it up in a fun Jenga style, and presumably enjoy with family or friends, taking it all apart again.
Which, having tasted the hash brown fingers, won’t take long as they’re superb.
Price: £5.50
In store: Now
Turkey toastie mini bites
If you adored the Turkey Toastie that M&S have been offering in its Cafes for the past few years, then you are going to adore these mini bites too.
They’re a fantastic idea for party food, providing small squares of the delicious turkey, cheesy, stuffing-y layered butter-slathered toast with a little pot of gravy for guests to dip the bites into.
It makes Dianne just about ready for the comeback of the full-sized toasties too. Although they won’t be arriving in cafes until 5 November, sadly.
Price: £7.50 for 8
Available in store: Now
Gingerbread cookie
M&S fans have been eagerly awaiting this one, especially given the recent success of their revamped cookies.
And indeed, the gingerbread and white chocolate cookie does not disappoint – it’s a delightful mix of crunchy and chewy, with a lovely hint of ginger and generous chunks of chocolate.
Dianne also sampled the NEW chocolate and peppermint bark cookie which was pleasant, but when it comes to festive indulgence, the gingerbread cookie was my top pick.
Price: £3.25 for 5 cookies.
In store: Gingerbread available now, Peppermint bark from 5 November.
Lemon and Mascarpone Panettone Gateau
A new addition to this year’s dessert range, they’ve taken a traditional pannettone, sliced it up, and stuffed it full of lemon curd and mascarpone.
Dianne had never considered adding cream to a pannettone before, but this has made me question why she hasn’t – it’s absolutely divine.
It also makes for a stunning festive centrepiece – and they claim it serves 10.
Price: £25.
In-store: Available on Food to Order.
Peppermint bark
Dianne wasn’t expecting to enjoy this, but you know what?
It was really delicious – a chunk of minty chocolate that you can break into pieces.
The highest praise Dianne can give is that it’s akin to a posh Matchmaker (and who doesn’t love a Matchmaker). It would make the perfect sweet finish to cleanse the palate after a hearty festive meal.
On a related note, their small-batch Christmas Caramel Crunch, presented in the same style of tin, is incredibly delicious and would make an excellent gift for any friends or family with a sweet tooth.
Price: £10.
Available in store: Now.
Maple mulled wine
Dianne is not usually a fan of mulled wine, but this new Maple Mulled Wine might have just won her over.
Perhaps it’s because she enjoys maple syrup, but the oaky sugary taste balanced out some of the darker notes of regular mulled wine, resulting in a truly delightful autumnal drink.
This would be perfect for Halloween parties, Bonfire Night gatherings, and Christmas events.
Price: £7.
Available in store: Now.
Chicken Kyiv hot melting dip
The M&S hot melting dips this year have become viral sensations, and for good reason – there’s an nduja one and my favourite, the chicken kyiv dip.
This is a hot, crunchy, garlicky tub of joy that tastes heavenly when spread on a piece of crusty bread.
Need I say more?
Price: £4.
Available in store: Now.
Turkey Wellington by Tom
You may have heard about Tom Kerridge’s Wellingtons this year, along with their hefty price tags.
The beef wellington in this collection costs a staggering £195, although Tom himself stressed at the press event that each one is handmade exclusively for M&S customers.
Dianne didn’t get to try the beef one, but instead it was the Turkey Wellington (still a substantial £110) that was the star of our Christmas meal.
And she must say, it’s a triumph. A succulent turkey slice, wrapped around moist stuffing, is encircled by rich shredded turkey thigh and then enveloped in the crispy buttery puff pastry.
It’s a masterclass in meat from Mr Kerridge.
It might be a hefty price, but this would certainly elevate your Christmas dinner to gourmet levels.
Price: £110.
In store: only available from Food to Order, with orders open now.
Coastal cheddar wedge
I’ve always been a fan of M&S’ Christmas cheeses, and this year they’ve outdone themselves again with this ridiculously creamy cheddar. Definitely worth spending that bit extra for.
Price: £8 for 500g.
In store: from 26 November.
Chocolate and Cherry Irish Cream Liquer
Oh, this was a delight. It was served in a cocktail at the end of the night with a slick of fresh cream on top which may have made it extra devilish, but the flavour of the liqueur blending creamy chocolate with the sharp hit of cherry was the perfect mix.
Comes in a very giftable gold bottle as well.
Price: £15.
In store: Now.
The misses….
And while some people raved about some of the dishes on offer, Dianne was not a fan of those she has listed below.
These items just missed the mark for me, for one reason or another.
Paella bites
Dianne is not a fan of paella at the best of times and this didn’t endear her towards it.
They may look appealing, but the rice square topped with a prawn was rather tasteless to me; it could have done with a bit more zing.
Price: £7.50 for 8 bites.
Available: Now.
Fish & chip bites
Dianne must admit, she did enjoy the flavour of this fish, chip and pea canapé combination. The issue was that it was nearly impossible to eat as finger food without causing a mess.
She ended up dropping a heap of the crumbly, mushy pea filling all over my top and into my puffy handbag – it got stuck in all the nooks and crannies of said bag, and oh, it was just a right old mess.
These would be fine if you’re having a nibble and are seated, eating these with a knife and fork, but if you’re serving them as circulating canapés, beware of the pea pitfalls!
Price: £5.50 for 8.
Available: Now.
Duck liver parfait
This is one of the items from the new By Tom Kerridge Christmas range and comes with a Michelin-star price too – at £16 for a filled ramekin of the Duck Liver Parfait.
There’s no denying it was a nice smooth pâté, although Dianne wasn’t fond of the chicken stock jelly layer on top.
She couldn’t help but feel you could get a similar sort of pâté for half the price of this.
Price: £16.
Available: only available on Food to Order.
Maple pancake stacks
Another one that Dianne found very messy to eat, and there was just a lot going on here with two mini pancakes sandwiching slices of maple-infused bacon.
If you’re planning a big family brunch, this might be a nice addition (brunch was a major theme at the MandS Christmas show). However, you could probably make it much cheaper by making your own pancakes with bacon.
Price: £7.50 for 8.
Available in store: Now.
Pigs in blanket
Yes, Dianne knows it’s controversial, but the highly touted “Our Best Ever” double-wrapped pigs in blankets didn’t impress me. She found them just a bit too rich.
The fact that Dianne didn’t want to eat more than two tells us these are probably not the pigs-in-blankets for her Christmas feast this year.
