Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and whatever your reason for staying in this year, you will have plenty of choice as supermarkets are once again competing to offer the best dine-in meals to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
Retailers have cottoned on to the stay-at-home market and have pulled out all the stops to tempt you away from an overpriced table for two at your local restaurant or pub, with meal deals becoming increasing popular in the cost of living crisis.
These deals have been getting bigger and better over the past few years, as coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdowns and soaring prices have put some shoppers off going to restaurants, with even cocktails or a movie included in some bundles.
Read more: Top flower deals for Valentine's Day including M&S, Moonpig and Bloom&Wild
Whether you go for a bargain £8 deal at Aldi or push the boat out for the Waitrose or M&S menu at £20, you'll be quids in compared to dining out, but if you love a bargain as well as your Valentine, we've looked at eight supermarket meal deals and worked out how to maximise your savings from the choices on offer, with the help of consumer champion Which?
Unsurprisingly, the best deal for hard-up lovers comes from the winner of last year's lowest-priced supermarket, Aldi, with a bargain dinner for £7.27 or £11.26 if you want to toast the occasion with a tipple. Aldi's rival, Lidl is not offering a Valentine’s meal deal for two offer this year. Both Tesco and Co-op have two-tier pricing, depending on whether you are a loyalty card holder or not.
Here's what's on the menu this year:
Aldi
Discounter Aldi has three menus for lovebirds to choose from. Each menu costs between £7.27 and £13.55 for a starter, main and dessert for two, including options such as beef steaks, lobster pasta and profiteroles for both of you. If you want wine or prosecco as well, that will cost you between £3.89 and £4.99 extra.
The cheapest package is £7.27 (with wine: £11.26, which gets you Mini Heart-Shaped Garlic Bread, Heart-Shaped Lobster-Filled Pasta and Vegan Chocolate Melt In The Middle Heart, with an optional bottle of Grapevine Pinot Grigio for an extra £3.99.
Biggest bundle saving: If you were to mix up the menu and buy the Scallop and Champagne Gratins, Ashfields 21-Day Matured British Beef Steak x2 , any of the puddings and the Costellore Prosecco Vino Frizzante it would cost you £17.75 - more than just sticking with the meal combinations already set up.
Asda
Asda’s £15 Extra Special Valentine’s Day meal deal comprises three courses, plus wine or a box of chocolates. You can pick from 17 options in total, and the main meal comes with two sides as part of the deal. You’ll also get a Sky Store Movie voucher worth £5.49 to redeem through the Sky Store website or app within seven days of purchase.
On the menu is four starters such as Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Pulled Beef orTempura Prawns, eight mains including Duck Breast Portions with Cherry & Balsamic Sauce or Cod Fillets with Samphire and Lemon Herb Butter and nine sides like Potato Dauphinoise and Green Vegetable Medley. Choose a pudding from five on offer, including Valentine's Cheesecake Slice or Smoked Billionaire's Sponge Pudding, washed down with a selection from six bottles of wine, one soft drink or a box of chocolates.
Biggest bundle saving: As all combinations would cost £22 when bought separately, any combo is good value and will save you £7.
Co-op
Co-op's Valentine’s Day meal deal is made up of a starter, main meal, side, dessert and soft drink, and is available to Co-op membership cardholders for £12 or £15 if you're not a member.
There are 14 dishes to choose from and you can switch the included soft drink for an alcoholic drink, but this pushes the price up to £16 for members or £20 for non-members.
Choose from three starters including Garlic and Parsley Tear and Share with Camembert or Mediterranean Antipasti Selection, four mains like Hereford Rump/Sirloin Steaks or Salmon and Prawn En Croute, three sides such as Triple Cooked Chips or Garden Vegetable Medley and four desserts including Tart au Citron or Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Velvet Tortes. Included in the base price is San Pellegrino Lemon, Diet Coke or Coke Zero or you can add a bottle of wine for an extra £4.
Biggest bundle saving: Combining the Garlic and Parsley Tear and Share with Camembert, Hereford Rump/Sirloin Steaks, either Triple Cooked Chips or Buttered Mashed Potato for your side, any dessert and Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc will get you the best value in this meal deal.
M&S
Home of the original meal deal. you can save a decent £17.50 compared to buying the most expensive items outside of the promotion. This year's deal includes a starter, main, side, dessert and drink for £20. The offering from M&S features a choice of seven dishes for each course, including Coquilles St Jacques or Duck Parfait with Orange Glaze to start, Rump Steak with Peppercorn Sauce or Cod with Tomato, Paprika and Sherry for mains, Cheesy Spring Greens or Potato Dauphinoise on the side and Zingy Lemon Cheesecakes or a Mini Cheese Selection for pudding. There are also seven bottles of wine and two soft drink options to choose from.
Biggest bundle saving: You'll save the most by opting for Coquilles St Jacques followed by Rump Steaks with Peppercorn Sauce, Sirloin Steaks with Garlic Butter or Herb-Crusted Lamb rack with Cheesy Spring Greens for your side, any of the desserts aside from the Mini Cheese Selection, and Conte Priuli rosé prosecco or Conte Priuli prosecco to drink. Combined, this would cost £37.50
Morrisons
Morrisons £15 meal deal for two will get you a starter, main, two sides, two desserts and an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. If you want the biggest bargain, you can save up to £20.45 by picking the priciest items.
Choose from six starters including Antipasti Platter or Cornish Scallop and King Prawn Thermidor Gratins, seven mans such as Beef Wellington or Scottish Salmon Fillets with a Hollandaise Butter, six sides like Cauliflower Cheese or Chunky Chips and seven desserts including Gü Zillionaires Cheesecake or Caramelised Biscuit Profiteroles. Choose from six bottles of wine or four soft drinks.
Biggest bundle saving: Cornish Scallop and King Prawn Thermidor Gratins, Beef Wellington, any sides aside from Garlic Bread Sticks, Gü Zillionaires Cheesecake and Menestrello Prosecco Spumante will give you the biggest savings.
Sainsbury's
The Sainsbury’s deal comprises a starter, main, side, dessert and drink of either a wine, gin and tonic or an alcohol-free alternative for £15. On the meu are four starters such as Scallop Gratin or Vegetable Tart, six mains including Sirloin Steak with Butter and Plant Based Wellington, five sides like Mashed Potato Green Veg Medley or Rainbow Chard and five desserts including White Chocolate Profiteroles or Lemon Tarts. A choice of one of four bottles of wine, two alcohol-free wines, Pomegranate and Rose Gin and Tonic or three soft drinks complete the deal.
Biggest bundle saving: Going for the Antipasti Platter, Sirloin Steak with Butter, any side, any dessert and Prosecco Conegliano would cost £29.10 ordinarily, so you would save £14.10.
Tesco
The Valentine’s Day meal for deal two from Tesco is made up of a main, side, dessert and drink for £12, but only if you have a Clubcard. There's no deal for those without so you'll have to buy the items separately, which could cost you as much as £21.60. Tesco is also the only retailer not offering a starter as part of the deal., but the retailers offers the biggest choice of 10 manin, including Ranch Steaks plus Garlic and Herb and Peppercorn Butter or Duck Breast Portions with a Raspberry Hoisin Sauce.
Choose from six sides including Truffle Mac and Cheese or Heart Shaped Potato Croquettes with Black Pepper and Parsley and six desserts such as Belgian White Chocolate and Raspberry Pots or Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Slices. Also included is a choice from 10 drinks, including lager and soft drinks as well as wine.
Biggest bundle saving: Going for any main, side and dessert, plus Tesco Finest prosecco Valdobbiadene Docg would save you £9.60.
Waitrose
Waitrose’s Valentine’s meal deal includes a starter, main, side, dessert plus bottle of wine, prepared cocktails or non-alcoholic drink for £20. Eight starters are on offer, including Scottish Mussels in Garlic butter ior Vegan Layered Mushroom Parfait, nine mains such as Beef Ribeye Steaks with Béarnaise or Truffle and Parmesan Chicken Kiev, eight sides like Watercress Spinach Rocket Salad or Frites and nine puddings including Heston from Waitrose Espresso Martini Choc Tortes or Rhubarb and Custard.
Biggest bundle saving: You'll save the most by getting the Bacon Leek and Roquefort tartlets or Layered Mushroom Parfait for starters, Beef Ribeye Steaks with Béarnaise and PlantLiving Dauphinoise Potatoes for your main and side, with either Raspberry Panna Cotta, Heston from Waitrose Espresso Martini Choc Tortes, Rhubarb and Custard Love Hearts or British Cheeseboard for dessert and any of the Tails Cocktails drinks. This will save you £18.45 compared to if you bought the items outside of the promotion, as they would cost you £38.45.
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