A FOODIE has tried the ‘Christmas dinner in a box’ from Sainsbury’s and has warned shoppers about his very big complaints.
Just weeks after buying , Stuart Snowden, a seasoned cook from the , gave the £50 offering from Sainsbury’s a try.
A food influencer has shared his honest thoughts on the £50 ‘Christmas dinner in a box’ from Sainsbury’sCredit: tiktok/@grumpynorthernfoodie
While Stuart Snowden was impressed with the turkey and the fast cooking time, he shared his complaints on the roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and gravyCredit: tiktok/@grumpynorthernfoodie
The Taste the Difference ‘proper dinner in a box’ serves four people and contains turkey breast in a carefully crafted buttermilk brine, topped with chestnut and thyme stuffing and wrapping in dry cured bacon.
It’s also complete with that are slow cooked in beef fat and served alongside that have been drenched in honey and thyme.
To top it off, will also open pigs in blankets made with dry cured bacon, as well as turkey gravy.
The Sainsbury’s box is said to promise a “hassle-free ,” but Stuart, who is known online as ‘Grumpy Northern Foodie,’ took to to share his honest thoughts.
The , who often posts his verdict of high street grub online, unboxed each component of the and less than an hour later, plated up the four .
He recognised that the instructions were “really simple and easy to follow” and the meal took just 55 minutes to cook.
While you get three slices of per person, Stuart wasn’t impressed by the variety of sides, as he fumed: “No sprouts, no Yorkshire puddings, no mash, cauliflower cheese, anything extra like that.”
The , who has worked in the food industry for 15 years, was also not happy with the very small portion of gravy, as he held up just one tiny jug.
He also wasn’t keen on the taste of the gravy, as he added: “It’s got a sweet flavour to it, it’s not gonna be to everybody’s taste – not to mine…still not enough gravy.”
As well as this, the foodie voiced: “I feel this is quite a beige buffet – there are no greens on it, don’t know why they couldn’t have chucked in some , that would have made all the difference.”
After tasting the meat, Stuart claimed that the turkey had “come out quite nice” and was “still quite moist.”
He described the meat as the “saving grace” and the “best part of the meal,” but acknowledged that there isn’t enough for “leftovers.”
There’s better ones out there, there’s cheaper ones out there
Stuart Snowden
He hailed the pigs in blankets as “standard” and thought the roast potatoes “let it down” and were “quite small.”
Not only this, he was also very irritated that the carrots had “lost all the flavour” and when it came to the parsnips, he voiced: “They’re quite crispy, but I had to pour so much oil off them – you can just taste a lot of that oil on there.”
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Tesco British Turkey Whole Bird Small 2.6kg – 3.8kg, £13.60*
Perfect for smaller gatherings of up to seven people, Tesco is selling frozen turkeys already!
Tesco Finest Beef Fillet Wellington 1kg, £28*
Rich and tender, Tesco’s 21-day matured beef fillet wrapped in golden pastry only takes 1hr 10mins to cook. Pop it in the freezer ready for the big day.
Tesco Finest 16 Pigs in Blankets 400g, £4.75*
The must-have side dish for any Christmas Dinner – they’re gluten free and can be cooked in the air fryer too!
Tesco Finest Caramelised Onion Pork Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon, £3.50*
Sweet, succulent and wrapped in oak-smoked bacon, the stuffing is a perfect accompaniment for your turkey.
Tesco Finest Roasting Chantenay Carrots with Hot Honey & Crispy Onions, £2*
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Baileys, 1L, £11*
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Disaronno Velvet Liqueur, 500ml, £10*
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Stuart gave the a four out of ten and shared his thoughts on its value.
He reflected: “I think for the price that you’re paying at £50, while you’re getting a really good turkey, there is a lot of it, the rest of it kinda lets it down – there’s better ones out there, there’s cheaper ones out there.”
Foodies react
Stuart’s clip, which was posted under the username @ grumpynorthernfoodie , has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 507,600 views in just 19 hours.
After hearing Stuart’s verdict, eagerly raced to the comments to share their thoughts on the box.
One person said: “For that price you can get a roast at a pub.”
£50 for that is criminal. They could have easily included some of their Taste the Difference yorkies
TikTok user
Another added: “The one for £25 looks better than this…”
Alongside laughing , a third commented: “Forget that, rather just buy fresh. That’s a rip-off.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “£50 for that is criminal. They could have easily included some of their Taste the Difference yorkies. Given they all take part in the nearer the time makes this atrocious value.”
Not only this, but one sighed: “I’m really disappointed. I’ve actually ordered this because I’m working night shift and I was trying to make it easy for myself as I would’ve had no . But it looks like I’m gonna have to order extra food to go with it.”
But at the same time, one user explained: “I bought this last year for my Christmas dinner, £35 . Being single, it made a few meals. I really liked it.”
Whilst another fan beamed: “The in this is amazing. I need to find out what they use.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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