FESTIVE SPARKLE
I tried M&S’ huge Christmas range with 450 new items including Xmas dinner dip, turkey feast lasagne and hot honey brie
A festive favourite is back on shelves again
I WAS among the first to taste of M&S huge Christmas range before it hits shelves - and there were some absolute corkers.
Wandering around the supermarket's showcase of more than 450 items including new and returning dishes, it put me in the mood for the festive season.
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Yes, December 31 is still 100 days away - but supermarkets reveal their festive delights to journalists around this time of year.
And I wasn't disappointed by what I found. M&S is renowned for its Christmas food, it's the time of year when shoppers upgrade their usual food shop and spend a little bit more as a treat.
That means the competition is fierce as supermarkets battle for customers attention.
Festive dip, hot honey savoury snacks and even a Christmas inspired lasagne are among the fresh arrivals set to get M&S shoppers' mouths watering.
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A dip inspired by Christmas dinner featuring bacon bits, turkey, cranberry and even stuffing will be top of my shopping list this year.
Served up on little crisp breads, or scooped up with crisps, the dish is something I could eat by the spoonful.
It was a big surprise. It’s certainly not something that I would have picked up off the shelf. But a single mouthful tasted like an entire Christmas dinner. Willy Wonka eat your heart out.
The unusual dish follows summer's Chicken Caesar, New York Deli Pastrami and a Fully Loaded Indian Style Dip which were a viral hit on social media.
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The price and date it's available have not yet been confirmed, like many of the items on show today we'll have to wait to find out how much they will hit our wallet.
The dish takes inspiration from the M&S Turkey sandwich which gives a taste of the big day way before it arrives. Last Christmas the high street giant sold one every two seconds.
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M&S hopes this kind of mash up will get you spending not just on the big day itself, but in the months leading up to it. I’m sold.
And it’s not the only weird and wonderful creation.
You can serve up a Christmas lasagne any day of the week. The £10 (750g) dish has layers of pulled turkey, smoked bacon, cranberries, sauteed leek and the classic creamy bechamel.
Where you won’t find weird and wacky flavours is the biscuit aisle.
MAGICAL KEEPSAKES
Chatting to M&S boffins who work behind the scenes to create new foods, Brits like classics with a small twist.
Speculoos flavour is about as wild out as you'll find. Where you will see creativity though is the designs.
A so-called "hero" product - something M&S is betting on being a big talker and seller - is the Santa’s Workshop Musical Light-Up Tin.
Sparks is already known for its gorgeous light up house tins - and they are coming back to shelves again.
But the newest invention that M&S expects shoppers to rush to stores for is a musical box.
My M&S Xmas highlights
White Mulled Wine, £6, 11% - 5/10
An interesting twist, but I prefer my white wine cool and crisp, so not for me.
Turkey Feast dip, TBC, - 10/10
A mouthful of Christmas, top of my shopping list and I'll be eating it all winter.
Turkey Feast lasagne, £10 750g - 8/10
Rich and festive, another dish that is spot on with the essential flavours of Christmas, but I'd need a small portion as it's very creamy.
Hot Honey Brie Brulee £7, 288g - 8/10
A cheesy dream, with extra zing from the hot honey and a bit of crunch, a great combo of flavours and a winter warmer.
Halloumi in Blankets with Hot Honey, £5.50, 240g - 10/10
A surprise hit with soft and creamy centres. Possibly better than the originals.
Wind up the tin and you can watch Santa’s helpers prepare for Christmas. With lights, music, mirrors and moving parts, the £10 (400g) tin is a delightful keepsake for kids and adults. Oh and it is filled with choc chip cookie stars.
Another new creation is a magical snowing forest. Not only does this box of chocs light up there's a flurry of snow when switched on, like a never-ending snow globe.
For £15 (200g) you get crunchy Belgian milk and blond ganache truffles, and a pretty decoration.
The flavour trend of the cold season is hot honey, which has been added to everything from crisps and popcorn to brie and pigs in blankets.
My favourite dish on Christmas day is pigs in blankets, so I was shocked to find how much I loved this new twist on a classic.
HOT STUFF
Instead of sausages, the piggies are filled with halloumi and covered with a hot honey drizzle.
The combo of sweet and spicy glaze is moreish and seeps in to the cheese making it a deliciously soft and sweet eat. At £5.50 (240g) for 12, I'll be stocking up on a few to snack on between now and the big day.
Equally cheesy and delicious is the baked hot honey brie brulee (£7, 288g), which M&S hopes will be a viral hit on social media.
It's a whole creamy brie, drizzled with English Provender hot honey and sprinkled with brown cane sugar.
As you pop it under the grill for a cracking top, just like a sweet creme brulee, it's even more indulgent and warming. Perfect for cold winter nights.
CHEERS!
Not forgetting the tipples for the big day, shoppers will be pleased to see the return of the original snow globe gin liqueur after being missing from shelves last year.
Key dates for M&S food
- M&S food to order - open now for online orders and collection Dec 22 -Dec 24
- Advent calendars - in store now
- Mince pies - in store now
- Hampers - available for order online now, last orders Dec 22
- Christmas market gift shop - Oct 10 in store and online
- Christmas flowers - online orders from Oct 17, last orders Dec 22
- Christmas sandwiches - in store from Oct 30
- Christmas desserts - in store from Dec 18
- Christmas veg - in store from Dec 20
- Turkeys - in store from Dec 20
In previous years the drinks have been so popular that M&S slapped them with a buying limit because of the huge demand.
This year the liqueur which contains edible gold glitter comes in just one flavour, Clementine, and in a new gifting box for £20 (70cl).
White mulled wine (£6, 11%) is another new twist on a winter favourite, with pear, vanilla and mulled spice flavours.
Personally, I prefer my white wine to be crisp and cold, but for fans of mulled wine looking for a new taste it's an alternative winter warmer.
Meanwhile for the sweet-toothed shoppers there's a new Celebrations-style sharing tub of mini bites, containing one new cranberry and white choc bite that won't be available individually.
The show was perfect timing as the weather turns, and I can't wait to pick up some of these dishes and treats for me and my family (but probably mostly me).
I think the brie brulee will be as big of a hit as the garlic bread twist camembert on last year's menu. And if the turkey feast dip doesn't go viral, then all the more for me.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
See what's on Tesco's shelves this Christmas including pigs in blankets stuffing.
Plus you can pick up items from posh shop Fortnum and Mason from just £3.50.
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