There was a long queue snaking around the cake table when my family and I turned up at the M&S Cafe in Liverpool City Centre.
After visiting the Museum of Liverpool, we wanted to keep the costs of our day trip down and during school holidays Marks and Spencer's food outlets have offered a kids eat free deal when you spend over £5. This seemed perfect and clearly, we weren't the only ones who thought it was a great deal as the bustling Church Street store was packed at 2pm.
There were still plenty of cakes and lush looking sandwiches, but we wanted something hot as we escaped the traditional Easter holiday drizzle outside. Myself and my husband had the choice of mac and cheese with garlic bread, scampi, chips and peas or a pizza.
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While my three-year-old was able to choose between a cheese and tomato pizza, jacket potato, cheese and tomato pasta or pancakes with blueberries and honey. There was also their all day brunch menu, which I was a little torn between at first glance.
But as the queue went down fairly quickly, so we didn't have to wait long to make our order of two adult mac and cheese and a kids' cheese and tomato pizza. But there was a snag as after paying, we were told by one of the waiting staff there was no mac and cheese so we ordered the scampi instead, only for the staff member to come back to say there was no scampi either so they were checking downstairs for mac and cheese and he then passed me the preparation slip, leaving me unsettled as I went to sit down with our drinks.
In a typically British way of not wanting to be a bother to the very busy staff, I kept wondering how long I should leave it before I checked on our order, and if it did come would it be pasta or scampi? With Logan becoming agitated after waiting in the queue and now wondering where his meal was, I didn't find it a very relaxing experience, but I couldn't fault the staff who were pleasant, patient and keen to help.
I was impressed that included in the kids' meal was a packet of cheese puffs, a banana and a carton of orange juice, and this balanced the tiny pizza when it arrived with our first choice of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was good, the cheese had a good 'pull' to it and the topping had a decent crunch. Paired with the garlic bread it was a warm, comforting meal I needed although it could have looked a bit neater, but I appreciate that is hard to do with pasta.
Logan's pizza was very basic and at first, he was put off, but he can just be fussy. After it was sliced for him, he soon started eating and there were no complaints. This is definitely for smaller kids though, I am not sure it would be enough a 10-year-old.
The verdict
It cost £21.90 for our meal with drinks, saving £5.25 for the kids' meal. But at those prices, you are competing with fast food outlets and I am not convinced it really saved me the most money I could on a lunch. While the staff were all lovely and everything was clean, I feel it was busy to the point of being stressful for me personally, but that may have just been the time of day we chose and proves how popular their menus are with customers.
I think, if I was to go again, I would be inclined to go with their sandwiches and cakes, not because there was anything wrong with the hot meal, but I just felt for £8 it was a reheated microwave meal which I can do at home for less. And while the kids' meal was good, I think I am judging that on the fact it was free. I think if I was paying for his meal, I might prefer to treat him to a Happy Meal from McDonald's which is cheaper, but that is just my preference.
It is a great deal if you love going to their cafe anyway and the cakes looked incredible, I was just too full to try any, which is a sign of a good meal.
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