Party season has begun at M&S

There’s just something so inviting about the food court at M&S and on a recent trip to their Sprucefield store we couldn’t resist from helping ourselves to lots of goodies.  As our wedding draws ever closer we decided to stock up on some party food so that we can feed any guests who decide to pop by on the run up to our big day.  With a 3 for 2 offer we certainly got value for money.  If you’re looking for some party food for the upcoming festive season then we’d strongly recommend checking out the range on offer at M&S.  They also have some Christmas party food combos available to order online.  To give you an idea of some of the food you can grab this Christmas at M&S, here’s a list of the food we got.  All of these can be frozen to allow you to get the whole Christmas period out of using them.  We’ve sampled a few of each of them ourselves and the rest are now stored away awaiting guests over the Christmas season.

Our foodie conquest at M&S

Chorizo Pastry Rolls

We do like ourselves a little bit of chorizo every now and then and these pastry rolls have certainly got us thinking about what we can begin to create as canapés for future dinner parties.  There is a strong chorizo taste and a smoky paprika flavour to these rolls (a real taste of Spain) so they may not be to everyone’s liking.  We thoroughly enjoyed them.

American Pulled Pork Stacks

Pulled pork is all the rage at the minute and for good reason in our eyes.  There’s nothing quite like a pulled pork bap covered in BBQ sauce with some cheese……… mmmmmm.  These stacks do hit the spot though and they look delicate enough to serve at any dinner party. They are finished with a red pepper pearl that bursts in the mouth with a bit of added heat that really works with the pork.

Mini Lamb Kebabs

What’s not to like about mini lamb shish kebabs.  The flavour was on the money and the yoghurt and mint dressing and apricot puree was a lovely accompaniment.  The only downside was the flatbread didn’t really come out that well but the whole dish was tasty none the less and would be a sure-fire winner for kebab lovers at any party you plan to throw this Christmas.

Mini Beef Wellingtons

These were certainly in the top 3 of the foods that we got.  They look like mini sausage rolls but the beef is melt in your mouth and the wellington is bursting with flavour.  Hard to believe something so small could pack such a punch.  Throw your sausage rolls in the bin and serve these to your guests in future.

Mini Pork Belly

We recently enjoyed pork belly as a starter when dining at the 4th Wall Restaurant in Belfast and these little bullets of pork belly magic from M&S would certainly give the 4th Wall s run for their money.  If you’re looking to impress guests but you’re pushed for time then these are a great wee starter.  The BBQ sauce that comes with it really enhances the pork.

Mini Italian Beef Melts

I think we were both in agreement that these were our favourites.   A mini beef burger topped with a cheese and roast veg melt and served on a garlic bread crostini with a basil and pesto drizzle.  One word – amazing!  That is all.

Cherry Tomato and Onion Galettes

This little pastry treat surprised us and was one of our favourites.  Another dish that had lots of flavour and something that vegetarians and meat lovers could both equally enjoy.

M&S Christmas Desserts

No visit to M&S would be complete without taking home some of their famous desserts and we did just that by adding their Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownie and the Raspberry and Passion Fruit Velvet pudding to our basket.  The brownie had a real caramel flavour to it but if you’re not a huge fan of dark chocolate then you may want to forget about this one.  It certainly hit the spot but the winner in this dessert battle was easily the Raspberry and Passion Fruit Velvet.  With a white chocolate base and a sponge filled with raspberry coulis, this pudding delivered a real OMG moment.  Would near drive all the way back to Sprucefield for another.  Regulars to our blog will know that we love our desserts and this one is up their with the very best and would hold it’s own against many a fine restaurant.

Have you tried the M&S Christmas range?

We’d love to hear from you if you have tried out any of the food above from the M&S party range or if you have anything you think we have missed that we need to try out.  The above selection of party food along with one or two orders came to a total cost of £50.50, mainly thanks to the 3 for 2 offer which allowed us to save about £18.00.

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