M&S has unveiled its Christmas range and their are some weird and wonderful items available this year (Picture: M&S / GETTY)
This isn’t just Christmas food, it’s M&S Christmas food… the high street favourite has finally unveiled its festive range for 2024 and it’s a good one!
As well as all the usual fare — turkey with all the trimmings, chocolate, booze, and party food — there are some weird and wonderful items being sold this year.
From turkey lasagne to chocolate and cinnamon tortilla chips, and a white wine alternative to mulled wine, there are a few items that we at Metro weren’t too sure about.
But in the name of journalism, I’ve given them a try to see if they’re worth spending your hard earned cash on this Christmas.
Here’s a look at some of the quirkier items Marks & Spencer is serving up, and my honest thoughts on them as a food writer…
Turkey Feast Lasagne, £9
The Turkey Feast Lasagne is like a Boxing Day leftover dream (Picture: M&S)
Lasagne is a staple dish in many households and everyone will have their own recipe for it, but usually the core ingredients stay the same. However, this festive version sees the beef mince replaced with a slow cooked turkey ragu, sausagemeat, and cranberry stuffing, all of which is layered between egg pasta and a rich bechamel sauce.
I have to admit, I was sceptical about this one. It sounds like the kind of thing you’d haphazardly throw together on Boxing Day, as a way to use up all your Christmas Dinner leftovers, and it tastes like it too — but I mean that in a good way. It shouldn’t work, and yet it does. It’s delicious.
M&S has put a fun twist on the classic Christmas feast, and the best part is that it doesn’t need loads of trimmings to go with it. Just serve with a simple side salad, and let the festive flavours speak for themselves.
Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Tortilla Rolls, £2.50
These are incredibly moreish! (Picture: M&S)
Chocolate and cinnamon are a classic combination for cosy season. It’s sweet, with a subtle warming spice that envelops your senses like a hug.
The combo works in hot chocolate, pastries, puddings, and it turns out it’s also pretty tasty when the flavours are added to a tortilla chip.
While I tend to pair tortilla chips with salsa and sour cream, it seems I’ve been missing out by sticking to savoury dips and toppings, because M&S is on to something with this.
Sweet and savoury pairings are nothing new, but these crisps still feel like a bit of a game-changer. They’re the taste of autumn/winter all rolled up into moreish little morsels.
If you aren’t convinced, perhaps some testimonies from my colleague would help, as these disappeared from my desk faster than the Grimace Shake sold out at McDonald’s. Acting lifestyle editor Kristina Beanland felt they were ‘one of the best things [she’d] eaten in a while’.
She said: ‘When I heard about this product, I was confused. Crisps are an elite snack — why mess about with them and add chocolate? However, as I polish off yet another packet, I can admit I was seriously mistaken. Essentially a sweet version of tortilla chips, they’re the perfect mix of sweet and savoury, with a dash of cinnamon to give you a little festive kick. I literally could not stop eating them — in fact, I had to hide them from view. They’re that good.’
If cinnamon isn’t for you, you don’t have to miss out on the unique experience, as the retailer is also selling an alternative, with Dark Chocolate Chilli Tortillas on the shelves too.
Pigs in Blankets Mac & Cheese, £9
Pigs in blankets make everything better (Picture: M&S)
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that pigs in blankets make everything better, and this dish is no exception to that (which is saying something as mac & cheese is pretty wonderful on its own).
People often add bacon bits or chorizo to pasta dishes, so this isn’t really all that weird in the grand scheme of things. I suppose it’s the addition of cranberries that might throw some people off.
I thought I might find the cranberries an odd addition, but I actually ended up wishing there were more of them, as only a few had been scattered on top. They just pair so nicely with the cheese, and it’s a combo that just screams CHRISTMAS to me.
I’d definitely buy this again, and next time I’d serve it with some cranberry sauce, just so I wouldn’t feel hard done by.
White Mulled Wine, £6
M&S is selling mulled white wine (Picture: M&S)
So far I’ve been a big fan of this Christmas range, but I guess the streak had to end some time.
I’d like to preface this review by saying that I really wanted to like this drink. I’m not a red wine fan, but I always get FOMO when people crack out the mulled wine in December. I love a silly little drink, but it’s just never been the one for me.
When I saw M&S was selling a white wine version, I thought it was finally my time to partake in the mulled wine fun, and the description on the bottle had me adding it to my cart in a heartbeat.
It’s a pear, vanilla and mulled spice flavour mulled wine, and just like the regular stuff, you heat it up gently, then you’re meant to serve it with a slice of lemon.
Sadly my enthusiasm for this tipple evaporated as soon as I turned on the hob. I couldn’t cope with the smell of the warm wine. It wasn’t sweet and fruity liked I’d hoped, just overwhelming — it reminded me of something I’d drink when I’m full of cold and flu.
The actual taste of the wine wasn’t quite as bad as the smell (I think) but I can’t say for sure, as every time I’d lift the mug to my face to drink, I’d be hit with another waft and feel repulsed. I couldn’t manage more than a few sips… If you have a sensitive nose, this definitely won’t be one for you.
Turkey Feast Dip, £3.25
This didn’t look all that appetising, but it tasted phenomenal (Picture: M&S)
You’ve got to bear with me for this one, ok?! I know it looks revolting, but trust me when I tell you it’s PHENOMENAL. It seems anything at M&S with the words ‘Turkey Feast’ in the product name is a winner.
It’s a creamy turkey gravy dip, topped with pieces of shredded turkey and bacon, cranberry sauce, cranberries, and a stuffing crumb. Sounds pretty good as is, but what the product description doesn’t tell you, is that there’s also plenty of cream cheese in there too.
Spread it onto a cracker, dip some crisps in there, or frankly just eat it with a spoon. You won’t regret it.
The World’s First Snowing Chocolate Box, £15
It’s a cute idea… (Picture: M&S)
If there’s one thing M&S does well, it’s a special keepsake box for biscuits or chocolate. Last year they really outdid themselves with the tins that lit up, and this year they’ve got some cute ones in-store, like the Christmas tree biscuit tins, and Santa’s grotto.
But this one? You don’t need this one. It’s not worth the money.
Sure, it’s a world first — that’s pretty fun. But the reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype. The box is made from flimsy plastic, and filled with tiny polystyrene balls. When you switch it on, a light comes on and a fan also starts going, which whips the balls around the box in a bit of a frenzy.
The whole thing is quite aggressive and noisy, nothing like a pretty snow globe, if that’s what you were envisioning.
As for the truffles inside the drawer at the bottom, these are tasty, but not nice enough to spend £15 on. If it’s chocolate you’re after from M&S though, the Chocolate Shop advent calendar is pretty special.
Halloumi Pigs in Blankets with Hot Honey, £5.50
There’s a cheesy version of pigs in blankets at M&S (Picture: M&S)
You might have noticed that hot honey is having a bit of a moment right now. Popeyes has a hot honey burger, and even Wagamama has jumped on the swicy (sweet and spicy) trend.
M&S of course is also on the bandwagon, and they’ve managed to work it into their Christmas range perfectly. The hot honey comes with the retailer’s Halloumi Pigs in Blankets, and you’re meant to douse the cheesy goodness in the stuff between stints in the oven to get it nice and sticky.
Are they as good as regular pigs in blankets? No, but they’re still really good. You really can’t go too far wrong with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and covered in hot honey.
But if you wanted something a little fancier, M&S also has a Hot Honey Brie Brûlée (£7) for Christmas, which would make a fab treat on Christmas Eve (or any time, really).
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