m&s in the bag meal kit

Starting at £8, the In the Bag meal kits are designed to serve two people

M&S has introduced meal kits to six stores to cater to its customers’ hectic lives with “quick and easy” dishes.

The In the Bag kits include five different options made up of meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian meals. Recipes include king prawn paella with bell peppers and garden peas, and sirloin steak with a mushroom, bulgur wheat, spelt and haricot bean risotto.

They are available at M&S branches in Braehead, Glasgow; Lisburn, Tonbridge; Camberley, Berkshire; Tolworth, South West London; Handforth Dean, Cheshire, and Marble Arch, London.

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The meal kits, which were launched in what M&S has called a “small-scale trial”, are designed to serve two people, and prices start at £8.

“We know our customers are busier than ever, so we’re trialling a new recipe kit concept in six stores,” M&S director of product development April Preston told The Grocer. “Our In the Bag trial offers a selection of recipes with all the scratch cook ingredients packaged together, making it easy for our customers to pick up an evening meal for two in one bag.”

The upmarket retailer said shoppers are responding to the concept “well so far”, but added it was “too early to say” whether the kits would be rolled out to more stores. “We’re continuing to listen to customer feedback and will test and learn the best approach,” said an M&S spokeswoman.