Tom Kerridge’s beef with M&S shoppers…over £195 Wellington that serves 6 people
It had previously attracted attention by selling a £37 fish and chip meal and jacket potato for £19.50.
Now Tom Kerridge has pissed off customers once again by launching Beef Wellington as part of the M&S Christmas collection for a staggering £195.
The meal for six is described as ‘the best show on Christmas Eve’ and consists of veal fillet, portobello mushrooms and chicken mousse duxelles with veal and red wine sauce, all wrapped in buttery pastry.
That’s more expensive than a prix fixe meal at the chef’s two-Michelin-starred bar, The Hand & Flowers, in Marlow; a three-course Sunday roast here costs £175.
Tom, 52, said the dish had an ‘earthy black truffle flavour’ and was ‘worthy of an unforgettable festive feast’.
However, this did not go down well with potential customers, with an online joke saying: ‘For this price, I think Tom Kerridge would be justified in having Tom Kerridge do the cooking and cleaning too’.
Tom Kerridge’s Beef Wellington for M&S (pictured) serves six people and costs a staggering £195
Another added on Reddit: ‘I like how she said this was for Christmas Eve. ‘Over £200 before we even get to Christmas dinner.’
Although the Wellington has been described as a ‘show stopper’, it’s not the chef’s only festive M&S treat. Another highlight is the Turkey Wellington, which features slow-cooked turkey breast with a pork, apple, chestnut and cranberry filling.
It is wrapped in puff pastry and topped with pork cracklings, pumpkin seeds and thyme crumbs. It’s slightly more affordable than beef, priced at £110. It serves six people.
Those who prefer fish can opt for the Salmon & Lobster Wellington (£100), in which monkfish and lobster are coated in salmon and monkfish mousse, wrapped in pastry and served with shellfish, lemon and dill biscuit.
Talking about December, Tom said: ‘I’We’ve combined the finest meats and seafood with some pretty magical cooking techniques to create these premium Wellingtons and smooth-as-silk parfaits. Because Christmas is not about making a mess in the kitchen, but about making memories around the table with your loved ones. ‘You can leave this part to me.’
Speaking of the range, an M&S spokesperson added: ‘Our Christmas Food to Order range includes extravagant festive decorations, making it easier than ever for our customers to host larger gatherings this Christmas.
‘Our M&S Collection with Tom Kerridge Beef Wellington is individually handmade, serves 6 people and weighs over 2 kg.
‘This is the absolute best quality Wellington we have ever created. Featuring hand-cut English sirloin aged for up to 17 days, this fillet is seared as it is in the restaurant to ensure a browned centre, then hand-rolled in portobello mushroom duxelles layered with silky smooth chicken breast mousse with a generous helping of black truffle.
Chef Tom Kerridge (pictured) has been working with M&S since 2022, launching a food range as well as kitchenware
It’s covered in a crepe that echoes the most traditional beef wellington recipe and then wrapped in an all-butter hot water crust pastry, the iconic recipe used in Tom’s restaurants. Served with a rich beef and red wine sauce’
‘There’s something for everyone in our Christmas Made to Order and in-store offers at M&S this year, and we offer a huge range of options including classic whole turkeys from just £30 in store.’
Tom, who has appeared on TV shows including Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen, has been working with M&S since 2022, launching a number of dishes including the Gastropub range billed as an extravagant take on British food.
The chef launched his first cookware collection at M&S earlier this month, featuring 50 essential kitchenware and dinnerware, with prices starting from £8 for utensils. In addition to non-stick pans, an updated stainless steel version of M&S’s already popular All-in-One Pot is also available, priced at £60.
Other items include the cast-iron pot (£45), which is perfect for everything from low and slow roasting to high-heat roasting. The 12-piece dinnerware set is priced at £100, the kitchen knives are priced at £25 each, while the full set is priced at £100.
The item expected to be the most popular with shoppers was the Stacking Cast Iron Set (£100), which includes a casserole, shallow casserole and grill pans that fit neatly inside each other.
In a statement shared when the range was launched, Tom said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be launching the collection with M&S and I’m so proud of what the teams and I have created. It’s all about great design that makes cooking enjoyable; Kitchen essentials that feel good to use, look great on the table and are designed to last.
‘It’s been great working with the M&S team and I’m so excited to see it arrive just in time for Christmas.’
