Can you hear that? It’s the clock ticking down to the universally-agreed day of love. Yes, Valentine’s Day is coming in hot and fast.
With restaurants back to normal operating procedure post-pandemic, the clamour is on to bag a table at one of London’s poshest/ most romantic/ swankiest establishments to woo your beloved. Well, that’s the Hallmark version of the holiday, any way.
While we’re not ones to turn down the opportunity to dress up and go out of an evening, enjoying a slap-up meal at home on February 14 - a Tuesday this year - offers the sort of intimacy that restaurants can only hope to replicate.
Picture the scene: a table for two dressed up in your finest tableware, Champagne flutes glinting in the soft glow of candlelight, a stunning bouquet adding to the loved-up vibe, and a banging soundtrack entirely under your control: what’s not to love?
There’s no need to worry if you’re not much of a chef in the kitchen either. Supermarkets have been a major player in the V-Day dining-in game for years now, serving up full-course dinners at rub-your-eyes prices. Most options are prepped to a few steps before finishing, promising to deliver a restaurant-worthy plate with minimal cooking on your part.
There are plenty of options around for every price and palate; meal deals to delight bargain hunters as well as money-conscious lovebirds. In the name of journalism, we’ve tried options from the nation’s leading grocers to help you decide which one to spend your precious pounds on.
See the best deals and our thoughts below
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Marks & Spencer Valentine’s meal deal
Price: £20
What’s the deal?: a starter, main and side to share, dessert and a drink include non-alcoholic alternatives.
M&S’s Valentine’s Dine In deals are the benchmark. This year there’s more than 30 options to peruse for various courses of your meal so you can devise the best combo for you.
Start with a choice of Leek & Cheese souffle tarts, luxury prawn cocktail or the most showy, Coquille St Jacques made with Argentine scallops nestled in shells and a creamy sauce that needs nothing more than 20 minutes in a hot oven to come together.
Mains include Cod in a Paprika & Sherry sauce, a herby rack of lamb, butternut squash risotto or Sirloin Steak topped with garlic butter in the shape of a heart: hey, one man’s naff is another’s idea of romance.
We tried the steak, a cut so slender they almost cooked themselves with just a minute or two on each side in a screaming hot pan. Carnivores know the test is in the slicing and the sirloin were so perfectly done the knife sliced through like butter. Our side of choice were the Triple Cooked Chips (good, but frites would have suited the steak better), done to perfection at half the oven time in a Ninja air fryer but Cheesey Spring Greens, Rosemary Hassleback Potatoes, Potato Gratin Dauphinois, asparagus spears and veg meddlies are up for grabs too.
Round things off with dessert: Melt in the Middle Puds are a winner for chocolate-lovers, while gluten-free Chocolate & Orange Brownies deliver for those who have dietary boxes to check. Billionaires Pots has a decent amount of crunch.
Vegans are well-catered for with Crispy Tempura Vegetable Fritters, Mushroom Stroganoff Pie, Asparagus Spears and Creamy Berry Dessert Pots.
M&S offers nine bottles of drink to pair with your meal, from a refreshing Raspberry & Rose soda (pop a sprig of mint in along with ice) to the Conte Priuli Rose Prosecco, a bottle so pretty it could have been designed by Cupid himself.
Available from February 9 - 14.
Buy now, Marks & Spencer
Sainsbury’s Valentine’s Day Dine in for Two meal deal
Price: £15
What’s the deal?: starter, main, side, dessert and drink
Whether you’re cooking for your long-term partner or want to treat your BFF, there’s plenty of mouthwatering choice in Sainsbury’s Valentine’s menu. The list spans some 28 items across starters, mains and sides and dessert, with eight drinks options to wash the lot down with.
We tried the scallop gratin, an impressive-looking dish (thanks to forward prep by Sainsbury’s chefs) that only takes around half an hour to cook through before pan-frying two steaks and letting the heart-shaped butter melt on top. Both dishes were good but it was the Triple Cooked Chips, crisped beautifully in the air fryer without any oil, that took top prize. They were excellent.
Desserts include a vegan Raspberry & Choc Torte, Chocolate Melt In the Middle, Lemon Tarts, White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake Slices and White Chocolate Profiteroles with Strawberry Crème Pat filling - these were quite sweet but with six in the box they’re just enough to savour.
As mentioned, there are eight drink options: highlights include Prosecco Conegliano while non-drinkers can still enjoy something bubbly by serving Shloer Celebration pink fizz.
Available from February 8 - 14.
Buy now £15.00, Sainsbury’s
Asda Extra Special Valentine’s Meal for Two
Price: £15
What’s the deal?: starter, main, two sides, and dessert, plus either a drink or chocolates to share
Matching Sainsbury’s on price but putting more food on the table, Asda’s 2023 Valentine’s meal deal will leave both heart and belly full. The supermarket chain has added 17 brand new items to its menu, giving love birds even more choice for their special meal come February 14.
Meal options include Truffle Mac ’n’ Cheese tucked inside Slow Cooked British Beef Tartlets, juicy Wild & Roast Garlic Stuffed Yorkshire Bred Pork Kyiv Cutlets, sides like Chantenay Carrots with Citrus & Yuzu and Dauphinoise Potatoes before rounding things off on a sweet note with Italian Espresso Tiramisu Coffee Cups.
As an extra gift, the store is even bunging in a free Sky Movies voucher with the meal deal, so you’re sorted on the entertainment front too.
Buy now £15.00, Asda
Tesco Finest Valentine’s Dinner for Two
Price: £12 for Clubcard holders
What’s the deal?: one main, one side, one dessert and one drink
It pays to sign up to Tesco’s free loyalty shopping programme, especially if you’re planning to do your Valentine’s Day grocery shopping there. The two-course deal skips a starter in favour of pudding but you won’t feel like you’re short-changed with this £12 menu.
Options include a feast of veggie dishes, from Finest Heart Shaped Potato Croquettes with Black Pepper and Parsley, Tesco Finest Vegetable Moussaka, and the Tesco Finest Truffle Mac & Cheese.
Meanwhile meat-lovers can choose from the likes of Ranch Steaks, Smoked Salmon Gratin, Chicken in Cabernet Sauvignon, Duck Breast Portions with a Raspberry Hoisin Sauce and juicy beef burgers with heart-shaped cheese melts. Naturally the heart-theme runs through the Finest V-day range with the motif stamped into puff pastry and as profiterole sprinkles.
Drinks are in the mix: add selected booze-free bottles and beer or choose from three Finest wines. There’s also a bottle of award-winning prosecco to add to basket.
With the prosecco alone retailing at £10, Tesco’s offer won’t fail to hit budget-seekers’ sweet spot.
Buy now £12.00, Tesco
Morrisons The Best Valentine’s Dine In for Two
Price: £15 with a My Morrisons loyalty card
What’s the deal?: a starter, main, two sides, dessert and a drink
Morrisons plays Cupid for any shoppers who have signed up to its loyalty programme with a spread to honour the day of love. Along with a starter and main, you can boost your meal with two sides before sitting down to a pud to complete your meal. There’s a decent selection of vegan options too, so no one will go hungry.
If you’re vegan you can tuck into cauliflower wines, plant pate, stuffed butternut squash, roast carrots and parsnips, Ciabatta breadsticks, and Gu Zillionaires Cheesecake.
Drinks span wine including sparkling and there’s five choices of fruit press, lemonade and ginger beer for those abstaining.
While you can sit down to the standard three courses, there’s nothing stopping you from adding to the meal or presenting it in a different way if you want to do something out of the box. For instance, we prepared Morrisons rump steaks with taco seasoning and had them in flour and lettuce wraps. If you’d rather stick to the script, Morrisons’ line-up has all you need for a slap-up dinner to remember.
Available from February 8 - 14.
Buy now £15.00, Morrisons
Lidl
Price: depends
What’s the deal?: N/A
While Lidl isn’t offering a V-Day meal deal per se, there are oodles of gems to pick up in the aisles to create a romantic dinner of your own with prices from just £1.99.
Kick things off with an antipasti platter with prosciutto, before a main of 10oz Birchwood steak to share or Aberdeen Angus burgers along with sides of Potato Dauphinoise or Halloumi Fries. The steak can easily feed two if there’s other sides on the table, or when sliced into a leafy salad for a lighter option.
Veggie options include a Deluxe Sourdough Chargrilled Veg & Pesto Pizza. Keep things sweet and simple with a dessert of Deluxe Chocolate Melt in the Middle Puddings - there are two 90g pots to tuck into for just under £2.50.
Available to shop in-store now
Buy now, Lidl
