Luxury Christmas Dish Causes Price Shock
Marks & Spencer has sent Christmas shoppers into a frenzy with the launch of an ultra-premium Beef Wellington priced at a staggering £195. The luxury ready meal, created in partnership with celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, serves six people and has been described as the 'ultimate showstopper' for Christmas dinner.
What You Get For The Money
The extravagant dish features portobello mushrooms, chicken mousse duxelles and a hint of black truffle, all wrapped in an all-butter hot water crust pastry. It comes complete with a beef and red wine gravy, positioning itself as a premium alternative to traditional Christmas fare.
This isn't the first ready-made Wellington to hit supermarket shelves this festive season. Chef Charlie Bigham recently launched a £30 version at Waitrose, but the M&S offering has well and truly topped it in both price and luxury credentials.
Shopper Reactions: Outrage and Understanding
Social media platforms, particularly Reddit, have exploded with reactions to the price tag. Many shoppers expressed absolute disbelief at the cost.
One Reddit user, u/BocaSeniors!sM, commented: 'There's overspending at Christmas, then there's f***ing that!!' while another, u/Heavy-Schidna-3472, simply described it as 'ridiculous'.
u/veeb did the mathematics, pointing out that the dish works out to £32.50 per serving, which they considered 'insane'. Another user, u/vicariousgluten, joked that the price would only be justifiable if it included Tom Kerridge to do the cooking and cleaning up.
u/hhfugrr3 represented a common sentiment, stating: 'That's just stupid. I'd pay that in a restaurant, but not for a cook-at-home ready meal.'
The Other Side of the Argument
Not everyone was critical of the price point. Some Reddit users defended the cost, pointing to rising meat prices and the expense of quality ingredients.
u/TheBaronNash shared their experience: 'A lot of people here obviously haven't ever purchased a whole beef fillet. I did a welly for new years a few years back and the beef alone was £87 from the butcher, plus easily £15-£20 in additional ingredients.'
They added that with preparation time, delivery and the M&S premium, the price was 'totally expected' for a properly made version of the dish.
u/weeksy79 offered perspective on luxury Christmas spending, noting: 'Blimey, a lot of people not exposed to how the other half live. Worked at a nice farm shop over a decade ago, people would spend £800+ on their Xmas shop.'
Even a self-proclaimed butcher, u/Conquano, weighed in: 'As a butcher I find this absolutely ridiculous, but if someone has the available/expendable income for such fancy things and that's the way they want to spend their money then I'm not going to judge.'
Broader Trend of Premium Christmas Products
This isn't the first expensive Christmas item to cause a stir this season. Harrods recently launched a £250 Food Halls advent calendar that similarly divided opinion.
TikTok user @gracebooth97 shared an unboxing video where she expressed disappointment that the calendar predominantly contained chocolate and tea rather than the variety of unique treats she had expected from the luxury department store.
The M&S Beef Wellington controversy highlights the growing divide in Christmas spending habits and raises questions about how much consumers are willing to pay for convenience and luxury during the festive season.
