Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and if you’re planning a quiet night in, there’s a simple way to enjoy a romantic dinner without slaving away in the kitchen.
The UK’s top supermarkets have unveiled their Valentine’s meal deal offerings for 2026, and it’s fair to say there are some delectable options.
Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, Asda, Co-op, Aldi and M&S have pulled out all the stops with everything from ‘marry me’ chicken, to juicy steaks, and decadent desserts that’ll have your eyes rolling back into your head.
What’s more, Lidl has thrown its hat into the ring, launching a new deluxe deal for the first time (a review of that one is coming soon…)
Want to know which one is best? Metro has put all of the deals to the test to help shoppers work out which ones are actually worth buying.
Valentine’s Day Meal Deals for 2026 – tried and tested
Morrisons: ‘I was pleasantly surprised by the quality.’ 4.5/5
Cost: £15
What do you get: A starter, main, side, dessert and a drink from Morrisons’ premium The Best range for two people.
When is it available: February 5 to February 15.
Some people assume that you can’t follow up a red meat-based antipasti with a steak main, but those people are wrong.
My chosen starter featured all the classic antipasti staples, including suprisingly light Spanish cheese and chorizo alongside sun-dried tomatoes and pimento-stuffed olives, which made for excellent grazing while I waited for my steak and chips to cook.
Given it was a rump, I cooked the steak rare and was pleasantly surprised at the quality. The peppercorn butter also had a nice kick.
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The chips, apparently triple-cooked, didn’t taste all that different from single-cooked chips, but the salt-and-pepper rub packet did add something.
Dessert was a chocolate orange cheesecake that tasted more Christmassy than Valentine’s Day-themed, but that’s no bad thing for me.
Overall verdict? Despite a few minor grumbles, you simply cannot beat this value at £15 – the four bottles of Peroni alone cost half the price at Morrisons.
Reviewed by Ross McCafferty, acting first-person and opinion editor
M&S: ‘It just didn’t blow my socks off.’ 3/5
Cost: £25
What do you get: Three courses, a side and a drink for two people.
When is it available: February 11 to February 14.
Well, I’ve got mixed feelings about this one.
I’ll preface this by saying I’m a die-hard M&S fan when it comes to their Valentine’s Day meal deal because of their extensive gluten-free options, a hurdle most supermarkets stumble and fall at.
Unfortunately, this time, though, we started off weak with the Pork Terrine, which is far from a first choice for me (cries into my free meal). Honestly, as a general rule, terrine feels like eating cat food to me, and I’ll have to say the rich ham and red wine flavours of this starter did little to convince me otherwise. That being said, if you’re a pâté fan, it’ll likely be up your street.
Now, I’m a big believer that you can’t go wrong with steak and chips. In this case, the rump was juicy and tender, and the peppercorn sauce was rich and creamy, a truly divine accompaniment. The star was the triple-cooked chips, though, my god, they were fluffy and moist with a slight crust on the outside. I’m still dreaming about them.
My partner and I don’t drink much, so we paired this with the Blends orange and passionfruit, which I’m guessing is a take on a J2O. It was a solid effort, but it’s more watery than a J2O of the same flavour, which is far more full-bodied. While it lacks sweetness, there’s a nice, subtle taste, and it washes the food down well enough.
Now for the grand finale… The chocolate orange and nut brownie, served warm, is a great option for anyone with a sweet tooth. The orange cuts through just enough to offset the richness of the chocolate, and the nuts give it some nice texture, but I do have to say it will never measure up to the Triple Choc Brownie of 2024 – that was truly a slice of heaven.
Overall verdict? Everything was of the M&S quality I’d expect if I were paying £25 for a meal in, but I felt the menu options had been stronger in previous years.
The chips are the star of the show, and the warm brownie at the end is the perfect way to finish the meal off. I wouldn’t buy the terrine again, to be honest. The texture is not for me, although that’s not the supermarket’s fault; blame France instead. You do get two nice ceramic ramekins to keep from that starter, though, so silver linings.
Ultimately, I’m full, and I’ve had a good meal; it just didn’t blow my socks off this time.
Reviewed by Alice Giddings, senior lifestyle reporter
Asda: ‘I have zero complaints.’ 5/5
Cost: £12
What do you get: From the Asda Birstro range, shoppers can select one starter, one main, two sides, one dessert, and one drink for two people (alcoholic and non-alcoholic included).
When is it available: February 5 to February 15.
I didn’t know what to expect going into the taste test, but given that the retailer won our Valentine’s test last year, I was hoping for the best… and boy, Asda has sure smashed it again.
For £12 you get three courses, with two sides for the main, and a drink. In this instance, I opted for runny scotch eggs to start, followed by the marry me chicken with triple-cooked chips and creamed spinach, morello cherry & Belgian chocolate tarts to finish and a bottle of Kylie Minogue’s non-alcoholic sparkling rosé to wash the whole thing down.
The scotch eggs were an absolutely delicious starter, with a nice crisp outside, tender meat and a wonderfully oozy golden egg yolk in the middle. If I had been served this dish in a pub, I’d have been leaving staff a big tip – it’s truly top-notch, comforting grub.
I was expecting that to be a hard act to follow, but the marry me chicken was delightful – it sees two chicken breasts smothered in a creamy, tomato sauce, with a slight pepper kick.
There’s an incredibly generous amount of sauce and some tomatoes to go on top, and paired with not one, but TWO sides, this was an incredible amount of food.
The triple-cooked chips were the best chips I’ve ever purchased from a supermarket, although if you want them to really crisp up on the outside, I’d recommend leaving them in the oven for a little longer than the instructions say.
Similarly, the creamed spinach was delicious, although if I were to buy this again, I probably wouldn’t opt for a creamy side with a creamy main. A salad or a veg medley might make for a better pairing, and I’d probably have the spinach with a steak.
Rounding off the meal, I’d been concerned that the tarts would be dry and require some cream, which would have been an additional cost, but they were perfectly fine on their own. They look lovely – perfectly round and topped with cocoa and a dusting of shimmery red edible glitter – and they taste great too.
The all-butter pastry case is filled with a generous amount of cherry jam and topped with a rich Belgian chocolate. You’d think it would be too sickly, but actually, the overwhelming taste is of cherry, making it much more palatable. Rich, chocolate follows after the fruit, giving you a real decadent dessert.
Everything was washed down with Kylie’s non-alcoholic pink fizz, which was also a pleasant surprise. I love wine, but considering it was a ‘school’ night (work day), I decided to play it safe with this and enjoyed it immensely. I popped it in a fancy champagne flute and didn’t feel like I was missing out on booze at all. It hit the spot in the same way and tasted lovely.
Overall verdict? I’m the queen of finding things to complain about, but honestly? I have zero complaints about this meal. The food was of a much higher quality than I was expecting; it all tasted delicious, and there was so much of it. I was well and truly stuffed before it even came time to touch the tarts.
When you consider you get all of this and could swap out the 0% fizz for actual alcohol, you realise what truly phenomenal value this meal really is.
I’m sorry to say I’ve been sleeping on this supermarket, if this meal deal is anything to go by.
Tesco: ‘It was honestly a bit of a let down.’ 3/5
Cost: £20 with a Clubcard
What do you get: One Tesco Finest starter, main, two sides, one dessert and one drink for two.
When is it available: February 9.
First up, Camembert. What’s not to love?
The cheese was deliciously creamy, and the caramelised onion sauce is a classic pairing – although I’d have liked a little more. The dough balls were perfectly soft and fluffy – I couldn’t really taste the garlic and parsley, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.
My main complaint is that it’s quite a small portion of cheese, although perhaps that’s a ‘me’ problem. This was the best part of the meal by far, and I’ll be rebuying this for another dine-in night.
I had high hopes for the salmon en croute, but honestly, it was a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t particularly flavourful, with zero cheesy taste, and I only counted two prawns!
The pastry was tasty and flaky, but a little dry.
Obviously, eagle-eyed readers will see that I have an overzealous oven, and my meal was a little scorched, but I did end up eating it with a dollop of tartare sauce.
The sides, however, were the standout. You can’t really go wrong with cheesy chips, and the mint sauce for the veg was delicious.
Finally, the desert was fine?
The white chocolate and raspberry combo is definitely ‘done’, but it’s obviously a flavour pairing that works. It wasn’t too rich, and just the right amount of sweet. The cocoa biscuit base was a nice texture, but I’d have preferred it if it were milk or white chocolate, as it overpowered the rest of the dessert a little.
As for the drink, I’m not a wine connoisseur by any means, but I’ve had a fair few glasses of prosecco in my time, and I’d certainly drink this one again
Overall verdict? Nobody ever wants to hear the word ‘fine’, but I’m sorry to say, that’s all this was.
Reviewed by Kristina Beanland, lifestyle editor
Aldi: ‘It lacked the wow factor.’ 2/5
Cost: Aldi has two Valentine’s Day meal deal offerings this year, a cheap one and a premium option. In keeping with the other supermarkets, we tried the premium Specially Selected deal, which costs £8.47 without wine (£4.24 per person), £13.22 with wine (£6.61 per person).
What do you get: Main, side, dessert and optional wine for two people.
When is it available: From February 10
Dinner for two for £13 – with wine, no less – is an increasingly rare find these days, so this Aldi deal intrigued me from the off. And frugality is an attractive quality in a partner, right?
It wins points for being easy and quick to cook, meaning you don’t have to spend half your Valentine’s night in the kitchen. The Specially Selected black cod in a miso glaze
was delicious, but let down by the tiny sachet size of the glaze allegedly meant to coat the fillets; barely enough for a light jacket, flavour was in short supply.
The veg medley with truffle butter (which I had separately owing to delivery issues) wasn’t exactly truffle-y, but would have been a decent and not too overpowering accompaniment to the cod and extremely lazy microwave baby potatoes I paired with it.
As for the cheesecake and prosecco, no complaints – but really, you can’t go too far wrong with either of those things.
Overall verdict? While it was a solid meal, it lacked that romantic ‘wow factor’ you might hope for on V Day. That could probably be remedied by adding a starter or maybe putting some heart-shaped sprinkles on the table, but keep in mind that if you have to buy additional things to make it special, perhaps Aldi’s offering isn’t the budget-friendly choice it may seem.
Sainsbury’s: ‘It’s very tasty, but not a perfect meal.’ 4/5
Cost: £18 with Nectar Prices.
What do you get: A starter, main, side, dessert and drink for two from the Taste the Difference range.
When is it available: February 10 to February 14
I kicked this meal off with chorizo and burrata arancini, and didn’t have overly high hopes for it. I love an arancini in Italy, but supermarket-ready-made ones have always disappointed me.
The flavour combo here was hard to resist, though, so I took a chance, and it paid off. This was by far the best arancini I’ve ever had from a supermarket – crisp, with chewy rice and a gloriously cheesy middle, and a nice peppery kick from the sauce.
For the main event, we shared a beef bourguignon pie, which I thought was a tad too big for just two people. It was pretty much a classic beef pie, but with chunkier bits of meat and little silverskin onions.
The pastry was crisp, but perhaps a little too crisp – I had to make up a little jug of Bisto to have with it.
I’d been hoping to pair the pie with mash, but as the meal hasn’t launched yet, my options for samples were limited, so I ended up with hot maple carrots.
These had a maple and parsley ciabatta-style crumb and went down a treat. So much more exciting than regular carrots – I’m definitely going to be zhuzh-ing up my veg in this way from now on!
The meal ended with a sticky toffee pudding for two, which was tasty, but scrimped on sauce. When I think of this pudding, I’m picturing it being drenched in shiny sauce, and a lot of this had either soaked into the sponge or burned off in the oven.
I also can’t imagine eating sticky toffee without some kind of accompaniment, so a pot of cream was needed, which cost extra.
For drinks, we kept it very classic and had Coca-Cola. I really liked that as part of this deal, you get a four-pack of the glass bottles, as those always feel like a real treat to have at home.
Overall verdict? In terms of price, Sainsbury’s is sitting safely in the middle of the pack, but was the food worth £18? It was very good and definitely up there as one of the better options this year, but not a perfect meal as it needed a few tweaks.
Waitrose: ‘The dessert is a real showstopper.’ 4.5/5
Cost: £20
What do you get: A starter, main, side dish, dessert and either fine wine, cocktail or chocolates for two.
When is it available: February 10 to February 15
Indulgent and decadent, this selection of treats felt like the perfect recipe for romance. Already excited about the array of food in front of me, I was extremely happy to find that each meal lived up to expectations.
The prawn cocktail starter, a perfectly sized pot of goodness, was rich and extremely well-seasoned. The sauce had a really nice vinegar twang, and I was pleased to discover that the prawns included were big and juicy, as opposed to some of those tiny pathetic things you often get.
The steak main was definitely tasty, although I will say I was a little disappointed with the heart-shaped butter – while the aesthetic made for a sweet addition, the flavour didn’t soak into the meat the way I would’ve liked. Although, in all honesty, that might have been a cooking error on my part.
The salted triple-cooked chips were tasty; however, I think they would’ve been even more of a delight if Waitrose had upped the seasoning game, throwing in some oregano or paprika to really make them stand out.
My biggest issue, though, is that you only get one side – I felt the need to add some green beans just to make sure I got my full five a day.
For dessert, I finished up with a melt-in-the-middle chocolate number, and it was easily one of the best I’ve ever had. Totally delicious and the perfect end to the meal.
Overall verdict? I can’t lie, the dessert was the real showstopper here, but a real bonus is that the whole thing was incredibly easy to prepare.
The prawn cocktail pots were ready to go, the chips and steak were done and on the plate in 20 minutes, and the chocolate dessert was out of the microwave and in my stomach before I even blinked. A real success!
Reviewed by Charlie Sawyer, lifestyle reporter
Co-op: ‘You might not get bells and whistles, but you’ll get a substantial meal for a tenner.’ 3/5
Cost: £10
What do you get: Main, two sides and a bottle of fizz (or non-alcoholic drink) for two.
When is it available: February 4 to February 17
I was somewhat bereft when I learned this meal deal didn’t come with a starter or dessert, like its supermarket contemporaries, with a pudding feeling most apt for a Valentine’s Day meal deal.
However, my sadness was muted upon seeing the choice of main and sides – with Co-op upping its offering to two sides this year, after only including one in the meal deal in 2025. In short, the choice is extensive.
When the whole meal is a tenner, it feels criminal not to go for the rump steaks with truffle and black garlic butter, so I opted for two of those with a side of greens and creamy dauphoinios potatoes.
I could also have got a bottle of prosecco, which on its own is £9.75, making this truly a deal – but being pregnant, I went for the Sparkling Elderflower Pressé. So at least this V-day meal still had a little sparkle!
Despite needing to cook my steak well done (again, thanks pregnancy), it was tasty for a meal deal rump, and the heart-shaped butter was a nice touch. I will caveat that if you can stomach a rare steak, take it out of the pan earlier, as I found a well-done option a little on the dry side. I whipped up a little gravy to introduce some moisture, but if I were more prepared, I would’ve bought some Béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. A small pot wouldn’t go amiss, Co-op!
The greens were, well, greens. You can’t really mess those up, but the variety was nice – a bit of courgette, some peas, and tenderstem broccoli makes for a strong trio.
But it was the dauphoinois potatoes that stole the show for me. Despite getting a rearranging in my bag on the way home, they came out of the oven a creamy, crispy-on-the-top dream.
Overall verdict? The food is tasty, but the prep work is stellar. I whacked the potatoes in the oven for 35 mins, then steak and veg took less than 10 minutes to prepare. And at the end, I was left only needing to wash up the frying pan and my plates.
While I’d gladly pay another couple quid for a starter *or* dessert addition to the deal, if you want a wallet-friendly option in a world of pricey meal deals (we’re seemingly in a never-ending cost-of-living pinch), this is a really solid option. You might not get bells and whistles, but you’ll get a substantial meal with sides AND a bottle of plonk for less than what you’d shell out for one cocktail at a bar.
Reviewed by Mel Evans, partnerships and projects editor
Lidl
Cost: £8.26 without wine, or £12.95 with wine (England and Wales). In Scotland, it’s £14.25 with wine.
TOTAL Dine in for 2, which includes a starter, main, side and dessert, is available from: £8.26 without wine (£4.13 per head) (nationwide), £12.95 with wine (£6.48 per person) (England & Wales only), £14.25 with wine (£7.13 per person) (Scotland only).
What do you get: A starter, main, side and dessert for two. You can add wine for an additional cost.
When is it available: February 9 to February 14
Our Lidl review will be added ASAP once samples become available.
More supermarket taste tests:
- Supermarket own-brand coffee crowned best in UK — better than Nescafé and Kenco
- Supermarket own-brand croissant that ‘ticks all the boxes’ crowned best in UK
- Supermarket own-brand ketchup voted just as good as Heinz — and it’s 70% cheaper
- Supermarket own-brand chocolate biscuits voted better than McVitie’s — and they’re £1 cheaper
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