Which are the best festive nibbles to enjoy with your family and friends?
M&S party food put to the test
Party food, picky bits, canapes… whatever you call them, they’re one of my favourite parts of Christmas feasting.
Every supermarket, from Aldi to Waitrose, sells a selection from classic sausage rolls to samosas and tempura prawns.
With meat, seafood and vegetarian bites, there’s something for all your friends and relatives to nibble on during the festive celebrations.
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 come 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 varieties.
Christmas party food put to the test
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 have the same temperature, so that makes it easier. Here’s how we got on:
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 manage to fix it.
The buns have to be microwaved, but they’re quick, taking only a couple of minutes. The light, fluffy bun contains vegetable pad Thai, which adds crunch. Personally, I’d have liked a bigger ratio of filling to bun, but nevertheless, they’re still tasty.
Appearance-wise, they look brilliant and add a real festive touch. A closer inspection of the back of the packet reveals that they’re actually vegan-friendly, making them a good all-rounder.
Score: 4/5
12 pulled beef and stout Yorkshire puddings £7.50
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 keep toppling over, so I have to prop them up against each other both in the oven and when serving.
The batter is lovely, crisp and golden, but we’re disappointed by the filling. It’s bland in comparison to ones we’ve had previously with Stilton, and they’re missing the tangy flavour of horseradish sauce.
While the beef is tender, the flavour of stout is indeterminable. The topping is herby, but the garlic doesn’t come through.
Score: 1/5
8 paella bites £7.50
I’ve never seen these before, and as we love paella, it’s a must-buy. The nibbles have 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, looks like it has been dropped, with some of the cubes are on their side. However, there’s no serious damage done apart from a couple of peas that have become detached and some stray rice.
They have to be microwaved and take just 90 seconds, so out of everything they’re the quickest and easiest to cook.
The perfect one-bite snack, the flavour of paella bursts through. The juicy prawn on the top is the crowning glory.
Score: 3/10
10 Caledonian Gold hot smoked salmon rosti £7.50
The rostis can be cooked in the oven for 14 minutes or nine in an air fryer. We’re split over these when it comes to scoring them.
The potato and onion rostis crisped up nicely, and the hot smoked salmon with a sour cream and cheesy topping is undeniably delicious.
Had that have been it I would have scored them higher but I feel cheated as there’s 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
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 take 25 minutes in a conventional oven or just ten 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 makes our teeth squeak, while the bacon seems crisp all over despite me forgetting to turn. The hot honey adds 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 us, they’re a real cracker and a clear winner.
Score: 5/5
Dining and Cooking