Whenever I hear the words 'M&S' and 'new' in the same sentence, two things happen simultaneously. I get tunnel vision, locking in on whoever is speaking in a bid to know more, but a sense of trepidation also starts creeping in. As a nation, we've put Marks & Spencer on a pedestal, and now every new product they release sends shoppers feral. Within a few hours of it being shared online, Brits are storming the supermarket aisles, clearing the shelves of it, and driving up demand.
As a food writer, I'm in a very fortunate position that I'm often able to try new items early, before the hype kicks in. Some of the stuff is absolutely worth the virality it gets, like the sensational-filled Easter eggs, and, of course, the picky bits that the retailer is renowned for. But, if I'm completely honest, not everything they put out is always as good as people claim.
If you've been keeping up with Metro's reviews, you'll know the Dippy Egg Cookie Cup proved lacklustre, and the recent Malteser rival didn't live up to the OG. Even more shockingly, Colin recently came last in a blind supermarket chocolate caterpillar cake comparison. With the last few taste tests being a bit 'meh', I'll confess I'd started to lose faith in the Foodhall, something many of you will consider blasphemous, but it's the truth.
However, M&S's most recent dessert drop has lured me right back in, and thankfully, this time it didn't disappoint.
How do the new M&S items taste?
The high street favourite launched several new items this week, including two new Cookie Cups (£3.20) and new chilled Dunked N' Loaded Doughnuts (also £3.20 each). And while I was sceptical about the former, M&S well and truly redeemed itself for the Dippy Egg debacle with these.
The new flavours are Birthday Cake and Pistachio Big Daddy, with the latter inspired by the beloved chocolate bar of the same name. The Birthday Cake features a white chocolate chip cookie base, with a smooth white chocolate cheesecake and strawberry jam inside. This is topped with white chocolate chunks, a piece of vanilla cake, and vibrant rainbow sprinkles. It's everything your inner child could want from a dessert – it's nostalgic, fun, and sugary as hell. The fruity jam offsets the sweet filling perfectly, but you can still really taste the white chocolate, which is key as the Dippy Egg one lacked flavour. It's giving birthday cake 2.0, new and improved, and I loved it.
But it was the Pistachio one that was the real star of the show, with a chocolate chip cookie base, more white chocolate cheesecake, plus a pistachio creme filling. It's covered in salted caramel sauce, pistachio pieces and milk chocolate chunks, and it's by far the best Cookie Cup M&S has released, combining sweet and salty ingredients for a truly indulgent bite. My only complaint? There could have been a little more pistachio creme inside. Heck, why not go nuts and completely fill a cookie with the spread? Now, that I'd like to see.
I'm not the only one who can't seem to resist temptation when it comes to M&S, though. Online, Brits have even gone as far as to say the retailer is 'ruining their lives' by continuously releasing new food, with the new desserts sending people over the edge.
In an impassioned rant on TikTok, @hannahsfamilylife begged M&S to 'have a day off' after discovering the Cookie Cups. 'I'm trying to lose weight before summer, how am I going to do that when you're bringing out new products every single day at this point,' she asked. 'It was bad enough when I saw you'd bought out new dips last week. But now you've bought out new Cookie Cups, again. How am I meant to have restraint?'
In the comments, @cosy_writing_corner confessed she couldn't even go to M&S anymore because she was too 'weak', while @masseychlo said she was a 'mess', as she'd been 'checking the app every day' to see if new products were being restocked, and @l_gilbert_ admitted M&S constantly has her in a 'chokehold'. Others had wasted no time racing to try the new treats, with the Birthday Cake Cookie Cup being hailed a '10/10', 'amazing', and 'perfection'.
What else is new at M&S?
These aren't the only new items M&S has in store. There are also the aforementioned doughnuts. The new chilled Custard Cream Dunked N' Loaded doughnut looks fab, but I'll admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the cookies. The vanilla custard on top is delicious, but the filling inside is average. I also wasn't a big fan of the cold dough, as the texture felt a little off to me. There are two other new doughnuts that I haven't tried, including Strawberry & Cream and Lemon Meringue.
For those who love a fizzy drink, the retailer has also released its own range of low-sugar, high-fibre sodas to rival the likes of Poppi. Known as Pop Marks, the £1.60 cans come in four flavours: Pink Lemonade, Lemon & Lime, Tropical, and Mandarin & Yuzu. They each contain a 'unique TRI-FI' blend, made with cassava root, Jerusalem artichoke and acacia. I gave Pink Lemonade a go and found it much more palatable than Poppi, as it's less artificially sweet-tasting, but it definitely gives off 'healthy' vibes still. If you're a soda addict trying to cut down on sugar, these will definitely be a fun one to try.
Shoppers might also spot new overnight oats in the to-go chillers, including Banana Pudding flavour. Plus, there's a new New York Deli Dipper with cornichons and a pastrami, cream cheese and mustard dip. If that weren't enough, several new deep-dish pizzas can be found in the ready meal aisle, with options such as Hot Honey Hawaiian and The Cool Marg' Pie.
