There was once a time when the thought of a supermarket dine-in meal deal conjured up images of beige lasagnes, dry macaroni cheese and – if you were lucky – a tiny chocolate pudding more likely to burn your taste buds than enrich them.
For the nostalgic among us, those delicacies can still be found hidden away on supermarket shelves.
But the top offerings, perfect for an easy win on busy evenings or for a midweek treat without the cost of a takeaway, are now better than ever.
Supermarkets have upped their game with restaurant-style mains for two, quality side dish options and indulgent desserts – while some even include a drink on top.
The key is knowing which ones are worth your money.
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The Money blog has done the research to find out which supermarket gives you the best bang for your buck.
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Based on the information found on each retailer’s website, the biggest savings on the most expensive dine-in meal deal can be found at Sainsbury’s.
Its £15 Nectar-only Taste the Difference meal deal offers one main, one side, one dessert and one drink.
Selecting the slow cooked beef bourguignon (£8.10), maple roasting vegetables (£3.50), cinnamon bun pudding (£4.35) and bottle of Malbec (£8.50), you’ll have made savings of £9.45.
Even better, up to £12.50 can be saved on Sainsbury’s Indian Dine In deal, which allows you two mains and two sides for £15.
Coming in second is Marks & Spencer. In the Gastropub Deal for Two, customers can get a main, side and starter or dessert for £15.
The most expensive main options cost £12 individually. They include roasted duck legs, chicken forestiere and a Tom Kerridge steak and kidney suet crust pie. With a £6.50 pork and mushroom pate as your starter and £4.50 dauphinoise potatoes as your side, the total for each item individually is £23, giving a total saving of £8 with the deal.
Like Sainsbury’s, M&S has several other dish-specific dine-in deals for two, including Dine In Pizza (maximum saving £7), Dine In Indian (£6), Dine In Stir Fry (£4.5), Dine In Pasta (£3.50).
The next biggest saving can be found at ASDA, which like M&S has several dine-in deals available.
The Take Out Club Pizza deal (two pizzas, two sides for £10.50) has a maximum saving of £5.42, while its bigger cousin (two large pizzas, one side and one drink for £10) has a maximum saving of £4.29.
But its Bistro Dine deal, which includes a starter, main, side and dessert for £11, has a potential maximum saving of £6.22.
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That’s if you buy the £4.26 cheese and caramelised onion tarts, £6.48 cooked lamb shanks with mint jus, £3.24 cauliflower cheese and a £3.24 sticky toffee pudding (other options available).
You can make a maximum saving of £4.50 at Waitrose on their No 1 Dine in deal. Customers get a main, side and starter or dessert for £15.
This can be achieved by selecting the paella (£10.50), triple cooked chips (£4) and vegetable antipasti (£5).
The Co-op offers a Taste of Asia deal – that’s one main and two sides for £8, but only if you’re a member (it’s free to sign up online). For non-members, it’s £9.
If you select the slow-cooked teriyaki pulled beef as your main (£6.65) and two side orders of bao buns (£2.90), you’ll save £4.45 as a member or £3.45 as a non-member.
The Tesco Finest deal, only available for Clubcard members, offers one main, one drink and one dessert or side for £15.
Selecting lasagne or slow cooked steak pie (£7.50), passionfruit and raspberry cheesecake (£3.50) and a bottle of Malbec red wine (£8) provides a maximum saving of £4.
