I put M&S Christmas party food to the test — I almost didn’t buy the best thing (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
Party food, picky bits, canapes — whatever you call them, they’re one of the best things about Christmas. Every supermarket from Aldi to Waitrose has their own, from classic sausage rolls and samosas to tempura prawns and vegetarian bites.
This year I decided to see what M&S has to offer, taking advantage of the four-for-the-price-of-three deal. Priced at £7.50 each, they came to £22.50 in total and I added in one more at the last minute for £5.50 to round it up to five different dishes. But before we put them to the test, we needed to plan in advance as they all have different cooking times and methods. Some have the option of using an oven or air fryer, while others must be microwaved. At least the oven-cooked ones required the same temperature, so that makes it easier. Here’s how I got on.
I put M&S party food to the test (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
Snowman bao buns — £7.50
Bao buns are very en vogue this Christmas. At other shops, I’ve spotted polar bears, pink ones, Santas and some wrapped up with a bow, like a present. M&S’s snowmen are definitely amongst the cutest and caught my eye straight away with the Asian soft round buns decorated with a green scarf, a ‘carrot’ nose, buttons and eyes.
If you’re buying now, they can be frozen, but you need to remember to defrost fully before cooking. Unpackaging, one snowman has lost his nose, but we managed to fix it.
The Snowman bao buns at £7.50 (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
The buns have to be microwaved, but they’re quick, taking only a couple of minutes. The light, fluffy bun contained vegetable pad Thai, which added crunch. Personally, I’d have liked a bigger ratio of filling to bun, but nevertheless, they were still tasty.
Appearance-wise, they looked brilliant and added a real festive touch. A closer inspection of the back of the packet revealed that they’re actually vegan-friendly, making them a good all-rounder.
Score: 4/5
12 pulled beef and stout Yorkshire puddings — £7.50
Pulled beef and stout Yorkshire puddings (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
The image on the box looks very tempting and the description of slow-cooked pulled beef, stout, mature Cheddar cheese and a garlic and herb crumb had me salivating.
They can be cooked fresh or from frozen. Some of the pesky little puds kept toppling over, so I had to prop them up against each other in the oven and when serving. The batter was lovely, crisp and golden, but I’m disappointed by the filling. It was bland in comparison to ones I’ve had previously and missing the tangy flavour of horseradish sauce. While the beef was tender, the flavour of stout was indeterminable. The topping was herby, but the garlic didn’t come through.
Score: 1/5
8 paella bites — £7.50
M&S paella bites (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
I’d never seen these before, and as I love paella, it was a must-buy. The nibbles had a rice base infused with prawn stock, and chopped prawns and peas, topped with tomato sauce and a black tiger prawn. The last pack on the shelf, once opened, looked like it has been dropped, with some of the cubes on their side. However, there was no serious damage done apart from a couple of peas that had become detached and some stray rice.
They had to be microwaved and took just 90 seconds. The perfect one-bite snack, the flavour of paella burst through. The juicy prawn on the top was the crowning glory.
Score: 3/10
10 Caledonian Gold hot smoked salmon rosti — £7.50
Caledonian Gold hot smoked salmon rosti (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
The rostis can be cooked in the oven for 14 minutes or nine in an air fryer. The potato and onion rostis crisped up nicely, and the hot smoked salmon with a sour cream and cheesy topping was undeniably delicious. Had that have been it I would have scored them higher but I felt cheated as there was no hint of the jalapeno peppers listed in the description.
I’m sure if you put these out for your guests, they’d inhale them, but after expecting a spicy kick, all I could taste was disappointment.
Score: 3/5
12 halloumi in blankets — £5.50
M&S halloumi in blankets (Image: Lynette Pinchess )
The logic behind these confused me. Wouldn’t meat eaters simply opt for traditional pigs in blankets with a sausage? And while vegetarians will eat halloumi, it’s a no-no because of the bacon. These took me 25 minutes in a conventional oven (but just 10 minutes in an air fryer). If using an oven, as I did, you have to remember to turn once during cooking. I forgot.
Five minutes from the end, you have to cover with a sachet of hot honey and return to the cooker. Having already bagged the four for three offer, I picked these up on a whim as one extra — and I’m so glad as I did as they were the best of all.
Flavour comes at you from every angle. The soft melty cheese made my teeth squeak while the bacon seemed crisp all over despite me forgetting to turn. The hot honey added a gorgeous spicy sweetness, balancing out the saltiness. It might be worth serving with a cocktail stick as they’re sticky and messy, but for me, they’re a real cracker and a clear winner.
Score: 5/5
Dining and Cooking