24 September 2023 , 16:55
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Christmas may feel like a while away yet, but as the old saying goes 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail', so many Brits will be thinking about their turkey, or their Christmas pudding already. And when it comes to Christmas, there's a retailer that stands out for many - Marks and Spencer's.
On Thursday, September 21, the retail giant hosted a glitzy event in Central London to let people know what their festive offerings were going to look like this year - and there's lots for keen shoppers to look forward to. From a Christmas-themed Colin, to delicious trifles, and even tasty picky bits.
Emily Sleight from the Liverpool Echo was lucky enough to see for herself what's on offer, and there are tonnes of sweet treats to choose from this festive season - because who doesn't love stuffing themselves full of choccy treats after a turkey dinner?
Emily tried a trifle containing "layers of sponge, raspberry sauce, whole raspberries, custard, soft mallow, and toasted almonds" that left her "speechless." She described the treat as "unreal", saying it "beats a bog standard Christmas pudding by a country mile." There are also chocolate and hazelnut mince pies for people who prefer them a little sweeter, and Emily commented M&S always seems to "do it right" when it comes to the sweet stuff.
Emily said the trifle left her 'speechless' (M&S)Chocolate
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- Swiss Truffle Assortment Light Up Tin
- The Magical Christmas Village With Lights and Music
- Milk Chocolate Push-along Car Tin
- Colin the Caterpillar Chocolate Advent Calendar
- Colin the Caterpillar Build Your Own Biscuit Tin
- Percy Pig 'n' Mix
- Colin the Caterpillar 'Greatest Bits'
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Biscuits
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Light Up House Tin
- Shortbread Light-Up House Tin
- Snowy Christmas Light Up Tin
- Snowy Christmas Biscuit Tin
Gifts (under £10)
- Milk & Blond Chocolate Florentines
- Belgian Chocolate Luxury Biscuits
- Chocolate Christmas Crunch Biscuits
- Salted Caramel Pinecones
- Belgian Milk Chocolate Mince Pie Florentines
Desserts
- Frozen Trifle Caked Alaska
- Passionfruit & White Chocolate Yule Log
- Made-Without Yule Log (GF)
- Chocolate And Hazelnut Mince Pies (V)
Hot Drinks
- Hot Chocolate Light Up House
- Light Up Cold Tea Tin
And when it comes to picky bits, M&S knows how to make customers smile. Emily said that the food had a real "sense of luxury", admitting that beige food is her favourite, but this is anything but boring. A personal favourite of hers were the Collection Pulled Beef & Potato Rosti Towers as the beef was "tender and tasty." But there are so many other delightful dishes to choose from.
- 'Our Best Ever Prawn Toast'
- Collection Middle Eastern Style Chicken Flatbreads
- Texan Style Spicy Dirty Fries With Pulled Smoky Beef
- Collection Pulled Beef & Potato Rosti Towers
- Truffle Arancini
- Festive Bao Buns
The picky bits look delicious (M&S)
The hazelnut and chocolate mince pies offer something a bit different to consumers (M&S)Emily said that another "star of the show" was the cheese selection, sharing that there's a selection of gifts for cheese lovers this year that are bound to impress. She even said her eye was on the Hot Cheese Sweet Chilli Baking Camembert.
- Ultimate Cheese Lovers Box
- 3-Year-Old Cornish Cruncher Vintage Cheddar
- Hot Cheese Sweet Chilli Baking Camembert
- Hot Cheese Cornish Cruncher & Cider Cheese Bake
- Port & Cheese Tasting Box
- Saint Désiré Soft Cheese
Christmas Dinner itself is set to be a hit this year too, with Emily describing the turkey as "buttery and moist", despite the fact she's not usually a fan of the meat as it can be quite dry and bland. She explained: "This year, M&S is also selling a ready-done £45 Christmas dinner that is said to serve four people. It's basically like a posh ready meal to make life easier, and I think it's an amazing idea."
- Collection Slow Cooked Turkey With All The Trimmings
- Butternut & Brie en Croûte
- Celeriac Gratin (V)
- No Turkey Joint (VG)
And Emily highlighted that there was a real emphasis on "lower percentage alcohol" and she likes that, as it's not something every retailer has done. "I can confirm the Very Berry Vodka Liqueur is delicious", she gushed.
- Light Up Very Berry Vodka Liqueur
- Light Up Marmalade Gin Liqueur
- Light Up Rum Stollen Liqueur
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Red Mulled Wine
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Pink Passion Star Cocktail
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Bucks Fizz
- 0.5% Cola & Golden Spiced Cocktail
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Grapefruit & Chilli
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Lime Mojito
- 0.5% Low Alcohol Extra Dry Botanical G&T
- Low Alcohol Strawberry & Basil Botanical
- Low Alcohol Golden Spiced Botanical
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