It just wouldn’t be Christmas without all your normal dinners being squashed down into teeny tiny portions and whacked on a buffet table – that’s right, it’s time for this year’s M&S Christmas party food round-up.
The fancy supermarket giant always goes big on picky bits, with elaborate creations that seem to get more odd every year.
Last year there was the obsession with making everything into festive shapes (like clementine-shaped pate, the antipasti wreath, and the garlic doughball Christmas tree).
This year, I think M&S has been on the wine.
You’ll find fridges full of street food style party food, including several creations that have definitely been inspired by a 3am takeaway.
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That’s alongside all their usual fancy favourites, with truffle, tiger prawns, and melty cheese all over the place.
While all the supermarkets have loads of space dedicated to their party food selections, we all know M&S is king when it comes to completely excessive creations for the festive season.
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And the best bit? It’s all priced on a 4-for-3 offer, so yThe ultimate booze tour around the bars of the Manchester Christmas Marketsou can get a free extra when you buy three items.
Here’s our pick of the best M&S Christmas party food for 2023.
British favourites… but really small
A selection of mini M&S pies this ChristmasMini Kyivs are in the M&S Christmas party food dealTiny quiche bites at M&S
We all know Aunty Sheila loves a quiche – just imagine how her eyes will light up at the sight of a teeny weeny quiche bite.
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M&S has got Christmas butternut, sage and and feta mini quiche bites, as well as cheese and bacon bitesize tarts.
Marks and Spencer is also championing the best British food of all time – pie – with a platter of mini pies, filled with chicken leek and bacon, or beef and ale.
And of course there are tiny chicken kyivs too, because who doesn’t want a mouthful of garlic butter and breadcrumbs before their Christmas dinner?
The takeaway-inspired, one-too-many-wines snacks
M&S Christmas range includes mini loaded fries and salt and pepper chicken spring rollsM&S also has southern fried chicken for Christmas, obviously
This section right here is definitive proof, if we ever needed it, that whoever is in charge of M&S’s party food is drunk.
This person has walked into work and slurred ‘I KNOW. Kebab. In pastry. And then salt and pepper chicken… Also in pastry. Yeeeah!’
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The result is the sort of party food you’ll actually want to be faced with after hitting it too hard in the pub over Christmas.
There are weeny portions of pulled beef-loaded fries, spring rolls filled with salt and pepper chicken and a dipping pot of Chinese-style curry sauce, Chicken shawarma parcels, and southern fried chicken.
You can also grab M&S’s best-ever prawn toast with a ponzu dipping sauce.
Tiny meats on tiny carbs
Mini steak sandwiches and ragu sourdough breadsMini M&S buttermilk chicken burgersPulled beef and potato rosti towers from M&S
Nothing soaks up one too many brandies like a too-big-mouthful of red meat and literally any form of carbohydrate.
So M&S’s Christmas party range has got that covered too, with all sorts of sandwich-inspired meals condensed into nibble-sized buffet snacks.
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Do you want pulled beef on top of a potato rosti? They’ve got it. A tiny buttermilk chicken burger? Yep, that’s here too.
What about a very fancy-sounding Italian style meaty Ragu bread with a creamy cheese sauce dolloped on top? Or a mini steak sandwich with caramelised onion and mustard?
The ‘ohh someone’s doing well’
Truffle arancini at M&SThe tiger prawn assortment at M&S
If you’re hosting any sort of gathering over Christmas, you’re probably frantically hoovering the carpets and rearranging your bookshelves to hide the Prince Harry autobiography in favour for something more high-brow.
But if you really want to impress your guests, the answer is surely truffles.
And for some reason when you make party food jet black, you look extra fancy. Enter the truffle arancini from M&S’s collection range, which are filled with mushrooms, vintage cheddar, and finished in a black breadcrumb.
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M&S’s three-for-four party food range also has a selection of tiger prawn bites, each one wrapped in a different handmade filling.
There are prawn baguette toasts, prawn and coconut bites, and prawn and potato lattice balls. Very posh.
Say cheeeeeeese
Cheesy pigs in blankets at M&SFondue bites
European winters seem to not exist without a huge vat of molten cheese fondue, but that’s not exactly conducive to a stand-up Christmas party buffet.
So, in true Marks & Spencer style, they’ve wrapped a rich blend of cheeses into a crispy coating to create fried fondue bites, which are all melty and delicious in the middle.
And if you just wish your pigs in blankets were a little less oink and a little more fromage, try the cheesy pigs in blankets, where a blend of three cheeses are shaped into sausages and then wrapped in bacon. Because why not?
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There’s always one
Snowmen bao at M&S. Credit: The Manc Group
I don’t know how it happened but these days you’ll find bao all over the damn place.
You can get brunch bao, takeaway bao, dessert bao, and Christmas bao.
For the second year in a row, M&S’s Christmas party range includes a special festive-shaped fluffy bun.
Last year it was reindeer, this year they’ve gone even fancier with snowmen, complete with little red and green beanie hats and orange carrot noses.
London attraction The Curling Club is now expanding into Manchester
Thomas Melia
Well-reviewed winter attraction The Curling Club, which has already made a name for itself in London, is now making its way to Manchester.
Set to open in Manchester’s world-class skyscraper district, New Jackson, The Curling Club is keeping its stay short and sweet, with a three-month residency here in the city centre.
Curling Club will signal in the mid-winter season as it runs from late November right through until the end of February, giving you a lengthy period of time to sweep ’til your heart’s content.
This sports-themed pop-up opened in the capital last year, offering guests a wintery escape packed with food and drink choices, accommodating up to 600 people at a time, right next to The Shard.
The Curling Club is set to open in Manchester this November until February.Imagine a pint or two in this curling haven in Manchester this year.Credit: Justin De Souza
Now, Manchester’s latest activity bar destination is bringing its charm and competitiveness to Manchester for the first time ever, hoping to emulate the success of its capital predecessor while encouraging people to pick up the sport.
Just like the original London location, their Manc site will feature the iconic custom-built lanes and sustainably-made granite stones, which are set to improve your precision and control – fancy that.
We’re sure will still somehow manage to be the worst players in the room at any given time.
If that wasn’t enough curling expertise for you, there will also be on-site coaches helping guests perfect their technique and providing some top-notch advice.
There will even be an exclusive appearance from Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead and Team GB’s ‘Chef de Mission’, Mark England, who will be hosting select events across the two cities.
Manchester can expect a similar curling set-up this year.The glitter-ball dancers ready and waiting for this wintertime.Credit: Justin De Souza
New Jackson will be the ultimate backdrop for this innovative winter experience as the venue will be curating seasonal cocktails as well as being home to live DJS, glitter-ball dancers and some seriously good food.
You had us at booze and scran.
Keep this seasonal site in mind as they’re already marking themselves as a destination for work parties, events, group outings and Christmas party celebrations.
Trevor Bowers, Chairman of The Curling Club, said of the impending opening: “With this expansion and other plans, we’re accelerating our national rollout – all while staying focused on delivering exceptional, high-quality experiences for both guests and corporate clients during the winter season.”
Manchester’s Heaton Park to host dazzling new immersive light trail this winter
Emily Sergeant
Heaton Park will be transformed into a glowing world of wonder as one of the UK’s most celebrated festive light trails makes its Manchester debut.
Once the sun goes down this winter, visitors will be able step into an immersive world of light and sound as Northern Lights – the acclaimed light trail from the team behind established music festivals Kendal Calling and Bluedot- will be descending on our city’s largest park, and bringing a breathtaking festive experience for all ages along with it.
Already a hit in other major northern cities such as Leeds and Newcastle, and in the Welsh capital Cardiff, Northern Lights has captured national attention with its cinematic visuals, choreographed soundscapes, and festive atmosphere.
The mile-long route will feature up to 12 large-scale installations, each synchronised to bespoke soundtracks creating a 90-minute experience like no other.
Winding through Heaton Park’s iconic grounds, visitors will encounter glowing tunnels, enchanted glades, and a stunning illuminated lake scene, all designed to spark wonder as the magical festive season arrives.
“We’re putting together an experience that is completely new and unlike anything seen on the park before,” explained Roxy Robinson, who is the Creative Director at From the Fields, ahead of the trail arriving this November.
“Our goal is to create a magical evening out that feels joyful, atmospheric, and a little bit extraordinary, and we want people to step into a different world for 90 minutes and leave with huge smiles on their faces.”
Manchester will be hosting a dazzling new immersive light trail this winter / Credit: Supplied
Alongside the trail, there’ll also be a ‘Christmas Village’ serving up mulled wine, hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, and street food from Manchester’s finest independent traders, alongside vintage fairground rides, and open fire pits to complete the winter vibes.
Northern Lights is not only one of the UK’s most successful festive light events, but it’s also one of the most accessible, as the Manchester trail will be fully accessible for wheelchair users and prams once it arrives this winter, following hard paths, ramps, and matted areas, with no steps in sight.
On top of this, there’ll also be dedicated quiet sessions for neurodivergent visitors, and the chance to get wristbands allowing queue-jumping for those with additional needs.
Heaton Park will be transformed into a glowing world of wonder once the sun sets / Credit: Supplied
Northern Lights will arrive at Heaton Park later this year from 20 November – 31 December 2025, with timed entry slots every 15 minutes from 4:15pm up until 8:15pm (times may vary during off-peak days), and tickets going on sale from 3 June – with prices starting at £15 for adults, £5 for children aged three and up, and under threes going free.
‘Early bird’ registration is now open though, meaning you can get 20% off tickets for a limited time only, and even be in with a chance of winning a family pass and £50 spending voucher.