Marks and Spencer : M&S TEAMS UP WITH MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF TOM KERRIDGE ON ‘REMARKSABLE’ VALUE MEAL PLANNER

Retailer commits to hold prices across Remarksable value range for Summer*, including meal planner ingredients

• New meal planner features five family-friendly recipes serving four costing under £2 per person per meal
• Also includes handy tips for making ingredients go further and reducing food waste

M&S Food has teamed up with Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge to help customers enjoy delicious, quality meals at pocket-friendly prices.

A new 'Remarksable' meal planner marks the start of a three-year partnership with Tom and features five easy-to-follow recipes for a family of four, coming in at under £2 per person per meal. Recipes include Chipotle Chicken Thighs with Herby Rice and Roasted Spiced Cauliflower with slow-cooked onions and greens.

Prices for all products in M&S' Remarksable value range**, including the 32 recipe ingredients featured in the meal planner, will be locked for the whole Summer. From DNA traceable Remarksable Value M&S Select Farms 20% fat beef mince (500g - £2.10) to Remarksable Value M&S spaghetti (500g - 85p), air-dried in the Italian alps.

M&S's Remarksable value range launched in 2019 and is made-up of everyday staples, offering customers great value without compromising on quality or sourcing standards, such as vitamin-D enriched soft white medium sliced bread loaf (800g - 70p).

The collaboration between M&S and Tom Kerridge comes at a time when value is front of mind for families, who are keen to spend more time together. M&S' latest Family Matters Index revealed 78% of families rank value as a key factor in deciding where to shop and that families across the UK are spending more time together as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic - 1 in 5 are keeping up the routine of eating together as a family.

M&S has committed to deliver trusted value for its customers - back in 2008, when value was similarly front of mind, the retailer launched its famous Dine In offer and has since sold over 200 million of the iconic deal. Earlier this year, the retailer expanded its offering with a permanent always on Family Dine In deal.

Developed around 'ALL taste, less waste', Tom's family-friendly recipes - available by scanning the QR code in M&S stores across the UK and online, also include handy tips on making the most of leftovers, such as turning leftover broccoli stalk from the Carrot & Broccoli Bake recipe into delicious pesto.

Tom will also feature in a new TV advert introducing the meal planner and recipes to customers, airing this week across ITV, Channel 4 and YouTube. The QR code on the planner will take customers through to an online hub, with the recipe details and videos, while customers will also spot social media and direct mail activity.

Following the success of his recent Full Time Meals campaign with Marcus Rashford, Tom knows a thing or two about how to create delicious family meals on a budget. "One of the big things is having a shopping list and an understanding of menu prepping and meal planning, knowing what you're going to cook over the next five or seven days. Build together the recipes you're going to cook, and only buy what you need - a little bit of structure works really well."

As well as being famous for his Michelin-starred 'pub classics', Tom is also well known for his stances on sustainable farming, supporting British farmers and reducing food waste. He adds, "I think people are always surprised when they realise prices at M&S are much more competitively priced than they'd expect, especially on most of the things you'd buy on a weekly shop like milk, butter, cheese, bread, pasta and veg. And I think the quality behind those products is still absolutely top notch. So the eggs are still free-range, the mince is completely traceable. They don't compromise on quality even with their Remarksable Value ingredients, and that's something really important to me."

Sharry Cramond, Marketing Director at M&S Food: "It's fantastic to team up with Tom Kerridge to keep delivering on our promise of trusted value for customers. Great value matters now more than ever and we want to make it as easy as possible for families to create delicious dishes from the comfort of their home. 1 in 5 people say they are eating together more as a family since the Covid-19 pandemic - our Dine In offer led the way in giving families all the experience and quality of eating out without the price tag and Tom's delicious 'Remarksable' meal planner does just the same."

As part of its transformation, M&S Food has invested over £100million in its value position over the last three years, including its Remarksable value range.

ENDS

*The M&S Milk Pledge was launched in 1999 to guarantee dairy farmers a fair and sustainable price. As always, in order to keep this commitment, prices for M&S' 100% RSPCA Assured milk, part of the Remarksable range, are aligned to the pledge and are not part of our summer price lock.

**See above

Notes to editors:

For further images or spokespeople please email the Corporate PR team on [e-mail] or call 020 8718 1919.

Family Matters Index Report

The quarterly M&S Family Matters Index is a continuing journey to understand what really matters to families in the UK, today and in the years to come. Produced quarterly, reports explore the priorities, challenges, ambitions and plans of 5,000 UK families.

The full report is available here.