It's not just food, it's M&S profits

Plum_Pie

daisyroots wrote: »

I wouldn't call Upper Holloway a village [snip] the Algerian butcher in the Seven Sisters Rd, for example, does all the French cuts of meat, beautifully cut by hand, prices similar Morrisons.

O/T
Ooo, Daisy! we're practically neighbours! :beer:

I've never tried that Algerian butcher - I will now.

lynzpower

there are a number of things I will specifically go into M&S for.

they do these really nice chilli and cheese corn chips you cant get anywhere else ( for about 55p)

their ready made sesame prawn toasts and spring rolls are streets ahead of the tesco or asda equivalent and I dont buy them from anywhere aside from M&S/ waitrose.

they are one of the few places that sells pikelets which im a huge fan of and they are way nicer than the tescos cardboard versions.

they do hake goujons which are also excellent IMHO.

they have these awesome belgian style shortbreads half in chocolate on offer 2 for a pound ( always) and thier jaffa cakes at the same price too. Always stick a pack of these in the basket when im there.

If I buy any sort of "ready meal" type bits ( and they are usually the fiddly accompniments like prawn toasts) it will always be M&S. We dont eat a great deal of these, so once in a while its not too bad.

I usually buy greetings cards from M&S ( always get a nice one for a quid) and usually pop into see whats on offer there. I did go in for a cake the other day as my baking skills are pants, but at 3.00 a go I couldnt spend it, so left with a pint of milk and 2 packs of jaffa cakes instead!

milkydrink

lil_me wrote: »

Exactly the same for the beef then, just shows doesn't it.

Some may find it hard to believe, but it all came from the same box of stuff as everyone elses, some days when a line was finished they'd just change the labels and work from same conveyor belt of stuff. No idea why it tastes any different.

No way in a million years are they "all the same"

My family have a riot if I don't get Sainsbury Taste The Difference roast beef, there is a big difference between preimum beef & value beef.



& yes M&S cards are great value & really nice too.

lil_me

Lynz have you ever tried making your own pikelets

Here's a recipe I have used, they are lovely aren't they, one of my fave comfort foods with icecream on

• • 200 grams / 7 oz of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • A pinch of salt
  • 4 tablespoons of white sugar
  • 210 ml / 7 fluid oz of milk
  • 30 grams / 1½ oz of butter

  In a medium sized bowl whisk together the egg, milk, sugar and salt. In a large bowl sift the flour and baking powder. Melt the butter. Pour the egg mixture and butter into the flour and stir quickly until the dry ingredients are moist and smooth with no lumps. Taking care not to over mix the batter. Heat a greased griddle or frying pan, and drop dessertspoons of mixture from the tip of the spoon onto the pan. Cook over a medium heat, too little heat gives heavy and pale pikelets, too much heat is likely to burn. Turn the pikelets as soon as bubbles appear. The pikelets should be golden on both sides.

With the rest, I didn't say everything was the same, I only know following what my sister worked with which was the chicken (whole chickens and portions where she worked) and another member on the forum mentioned the beef. I of course didn't state every variety as I didn't work there personally and take notes. I don't even try to convince people about it, I know my sister wouldn't lie about it as she had no reason to but many people choose not to believe that many suppliers provide the same stock to multiple chains for their own reasons. With the yoghurts for M&S there was a member on this forum complained about them and got apologies from M&S and StIvel who make them.

ti1980

The thing with M&S though is that some of the suppliers are changed from time to time. I think there are about 5 different suppliers of yoghurts. So which St Ivel may make some of the yoghurt (I don't know for certain) I know that they don't make all their yoghurt.

One of my treat things is M&S chocolate fudge bars. They are supplied by Thorntons and Thorntons sell them for 59p whereas M&S sell them for 45p (and I get 20% discount off that).

People say such generic things about M&S such as Thorntons supply the chocolate. Again, Thorntons supplies certain chocolates but there are also about 5 different suppliers of chocolate to M&S.

hardpressed

Does the voice of that woman in the M&S advert annoy anyelse? I can't stand her.

newleaf

lil_me wrote: »

Exactly the same for the beef then, just shows doesn't it.

Some may find it hard to believe, but it all came from the same box of stuff as everyone elses, some days when a line was finished they'd just change the labels and work from same conveyor belt of stuff. No idea why it tastes any different.

And the biscuits. My mum used to work in a biscuit factory, the biscuits would be coming down the conveyor, which never stopped, and the supervisor would give the shout to 'change your boxes girls, we're doing M&S now...' Same bickies, posher box, that's all.

lil_me

:shhh: Don't tell my partners Nana about the biscuits, she would be so upset to find out the custard creams she goes on (and on and on) about are not produced in the special little factory M&S make all their food in :rotfl:She thinks she has M&S ones when she comes here, joys of having a biscuit barrel.

candygirl

hardpressed wrote: »

Does the voice of that woman in the M&S advert annoy anyelse? I can't stand her.

It really annoys me.it'd be better of on certain premium rate chat lines than advertising food:mad: :mad:

firesidemaid

went in m + s the other day to spend my &more vouchers.

whereas marks used to be double the price and worth it, they are now quadruple the price of asda and frankly, not justified or worth it.

i needed to spend the vouchers but, £1.99 for 4 slices of corned beef and £2.49 for a (£1 asda) bag of spuds? meanwhile OH says 'don't get those spuds again........'!

it's gone too far now.