For some time Marks ands Spencers have been putting on this offer.

There is the chance to buy a main meal, side dish, dessert and bottle of wine all for £10 and meant as a meal for two.

In the past some have been decent offers, although as a vegetarian there was always ever one out of about 8 or 9 options for the main courses. A mushroom dish would be in with two or three different types of chicken meal, a couple of fish ones, then maybe duck and lamb . The others were a good selection. Vegetable or salad for the healthy side dish option, or about 4 different types of potatoes. Desserts would be ice cream or fruit, cheesecake, cheese, and one or two such as tirimisu, trifle or pavlova.

The wines were always the best value. Some could cost as much as £6 on their own, so to get them as part of this deal was always good value. There were also fruit juices and beers in case you did not like wine.

The only problem with this was the portions. A chicken would be more than enough for two, but some of the others were very small. A small duck breast with either 5/6 pieces of vegetable OR a small portion of mashed potatoes would not be a full meal.

Another problem was how hit and miss the stock was. When I tried to buy it one day, there was only one main course available and so I left it. When I went to another branch, I asked for one of the wines, only  to be told they had not received any of that brand at all.

Salisbury’s on the other hand seem to have decided to at least start this venture with a bang. My choice for this was spinach and ricotta cannelloni, salt and pepper chips, two lemon cheesecakes and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Having used half the cannelloni and half the chips, I was happy to wait quite a while before trying the cheesecake. If they carry on with the choices and portions they have, I will be glad to forgo Marks and Spencers offers.

Now lets see what some of the other supermarkets can come up with.