First look at M&S’s Christmas food set to hit shelves in just DAYS including new bakery cookies and must-have tipple

SHOPPERS can look forward to a host of M&S Christmas food hitting shelves in just days. New bakery cookies, hot cheeses and a must-have tipple all form part of the supermarket’s festive offering this autumn. A selection of M&S festive snacks on offer this autumn Credit: The Sun There’s plenty of centrepiece dishes in store this year Credit: The Sun Last night, The Sun Trends Desk was invited to the M&S Food Christmas Showcase to discover what will be arriving in store over the next few months. Taking place in Arcade in Covent Garden, the space had been transformed into a festive spectacle, brimming with all the tastiest treats from this year’s Christmas line-up Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! I could hear the faint tones of Mariah in the background, and just like that – Christmas had arrived (albeit 99 days early). We spent the evening chatting with M&S’s product developers who are the creative brains behind all your favourite items on the shelves at the posh nosh supermarket. From malt cookies to chocolate boxes, oozing hot cheeses and wintery cocktails, we gorged our way through the festive menu, and now I’m here to tell you what are the best things soon to hit the shelves this autumn. Clemencello Liqueur The Clemencello was a top pick for the Trends desk Credit: The Sun As a long-time fan of the Italian aperitif, I was intrigued to see how it would square up, and I think this zesty liqueur could be a new favourite. Less sweet and delivering a subtler citrus flavour, the Clemencello feels like a more grown-up version of classic lemon, and the nostalgic taste of its Italian clementine extract makes it ideal for the festive season. Most read in Money Served up in an elegant glass bottle, the £13 liqueur arrives in stores next week on September 23, and would also make an ideal gift come Christmas party season. While a refreshing drink served on its own, during the evening, we were offered a warming Clemencello Spritz, consisting of triple sec, Cremant and the new Clemencello liqueur that is leading the charge of the retailers’ festive tipples. As someone that loves an Aperol, this festive spritz is the perfect swap as we head into winter and avoids any overpowering cinnamon or clove flavours that often feature heavily in Christmas cocktails. Val de Loire Camembert Baker M&S are launching a new baking camembert dish this year which makes an ideal gift Credit: The Sun For me, Christmas isn’t complete without a gooey Camembert served with a mountain of carbs (in any form), and this year, M&S has launched the perfect product for cheese lovers. The Val de Loire Camembert Baker will be landing in stores on November 25, and retails for only £12. Inside you’ll find a slab of the creamy French cheese – best served with crusty bread – but even better, it comes inside a dainty ceramic pot to bake it in. Unlike a lot of M&S packaging, the pot has been left unbranded, making it an ideal gift that can be reused time and time again. Cranberry & Pistachio Baking Brie The Cranberry & Pistachio Baking Brie will be a table staple this Christmas Credit: M&S Another hot cheese product I would argue shouldn’t be missed this winter is the Cranberry & Pistachio Baking Brie. Compared to a punchy camembert, the silky soft brie is ideal for those that prefer a milder cheese and the zesty Cranberry and Pistachio topping cuts through the richness of the cheese perfectly. Retailing at £12.50, I imagine the cheesy treat will be a table staple come Christmas party season, and we tried it with some of the supermarket’s festive sourdough – which made the dish even more indulgent. Chunked N’ Loaded Milk Chocolate, Malt & Caramel Cookie Malt cookies will soon be hitting the bakery Credit: M&S We, of course, couldn’t bypass the bakery section, including grabbing a taster of the viral Gingerbread and White Chocolate cookies, but we also got our hands on two new flavours set to debut later this year. With malt being a big theme for the supermarket this year, it’s no surprise it features heavily in their sweet treat offering, but one of the standouts is the new Chunked N’Loaded Milk Chocolate, Malt & Caramel Cookie. As someone who prefers all things salty, I enjoyed that the cookies weren’t overly sweet, and the thick, chewy texture that has become synonymous with M&S cookies was heavenly. The cookies will set you back £2 each, although there’s a bit of time to wait as they won’t be available in the bakery section until November 4, while the new Chunked N’ Loaded Sticky Apple Cookie retails for the same price but arrives slightly earlier on October 7. The Magical Theatre Chocolate Box There are plenty of chocolate gifting options available this year Credit: The Sun One thing about the M&S Christmas food range, is that many items can double up as gifts, particularly because of the its elaborate festive packaging. The best for me had to be The Magical Theatre Chocolate Box, which arrives on September 30, as when you open the tray, the stage-themed display lights up and plays Christmas music! As well as the packaging spectacle, you’ll also get a tasty tray of milk, white, blond and dark chocolates molded into Christmassy characters, all for £15. There’s also classic festive treats like mince pies and panettone Credit: The Sun A couple of other notable items include the New Big Six biscuit assortment and some twists on festive classics including the citrusy Lemon & Orange Panettone and the Amarena Cherry, Blood Orange & Port Mince Pies. For malt lovers, there’s also a Topped & Loaded Malt Gateau landing in stores on December 19, and a new Triple Choc S’mores Ice Cream Cake for those that fancy a frozen dessert come Christmas Day. We also got to look through the brand new Food Hall advent calendar, packed with a selection of fan-favourite sweet and savoury picks to enjoy in the lead up to December 25. While it does retail for £100 (and only guarantees a £5 saving compared to buying the items individually), the box does make for a lovely decoration and can be refilled to use year on year. Full list of 17 new items hitting M&S shelves soon: Clemencello Liqueur – September 23 New Big Six Assortment – September 30 Collection Cherry & Amaretto Stollen Bites – September 30 The Magical Theatre Chocolate Box – September 30 Lemon & Orange Panettone – September 30 New Chunked N’ Loaded Sticky Apple Cookie – October 7 New 8 Prawn Toast Cones – October 14 New Creamy Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie – October 14 New Triple Choc S’mores Iced Cream Cake – October 14 New Chunked N’ Loaded Milk Chocolate, Malt & Caramel Cookie – November 4 New Double Chocolate Bloomer – November 4 New Amarena Cherry, Blood Orange & Port Mince Pies – November 4 New Val de Loire Camembert Baker – November 25 Cranberry & Pistachio Baking Brie – November 25 Collection Scottish Cherry & Chestnut Smoked Salmon – December 9 New Oakham Turkey Crown with Italian Chestnut, Pancetta & Calabrian Orange Stuffing – Available on Christmas Food to Order and in store December 18 Topped & Loaded Malt Gateau – December 19 Comment now