This £25 4-Course Meal Is A Must For Valentine’s Day
The idea of the dinner date is one of my favourite concepts. Conversations hovered over candles, secrets shared, relationships developed, and love in the air. There’s not much better than deciding what pudding to split or what starters to go halvesies on… If we’re having wine or cocktails. That said, there’s something even more intimate about a dinner date in private, a bit of a couples’ Waitrose shop, a table for two at home, the smell of the food in the oven as one casually whips up appetisers.
In Partnership With Waitrose
I don’t know about you, but this Valentine’s Day, I will be celebrating not with a reservation, but with a cosy date at home. For those daters who are interested in the idea, but not so much the execution, Waitrose is making it much easier to move to the living room.
I don’t know about you, but this Valentine’s Day, I will be celebrating not with a reservation, but with a cosy date at home… Waitrose is making it much easier to move to the living room.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
What you get for £25
Waitrose’s four-course menu (starter, main, side, and dessert) with wine, which is just £25, I might add, is a game-changer for several reasons. It removes the pressure without removing the pleasure. No prep chaos and no cleanup, making it that much easier to move from course to course without having to worry about the after-dinner mood killer.
Secondly, it recognises that so many people want to cook for or with their partners, but don’t necessarily have the skill, time or energy to whip up a beef bourguignon from scratch. There is something so lovely about making classic dishes that have a bit of je ne sais quoi about them, but the fear of getting it wrong, or simply a packed schedule, is enough to ward off attempts. Plus, Waitrose is the home for food lovers.
I tried the menu ahead of Valentine’s Day, and I’m here to say it’s genuinely worth building the evening around. There are several options per course, but this is how I curated my dinner date.
Waitrose’s four-course menu with wine, which is just £25, I might add, is a game-changer for several reasons…
Drink: Prosecco
Every Valentine’s evening should start with a toast. Our meal came with a bottle of La Gioiosa Asolo Prosecco. Bubbles to welcome in and drag out the evening, the perfect pour for a very romantic dinner.
Starter: Vegetable antipasti arancini
The vegetable antipasti arancini takes only 16 minutes in the oven, enough time for your first glass of rosé bubbles. It’s a good choice given its teaser quality, a small dish to ensure maximum anticipation for the rest of the meal. It’s tomatoey, pestoey, and a dish that feels thoughtful without trying too hard.
Main: Beef bourguignon
There is nothing better than a classic, French dish to celebrate the love between two people. It’s practically written in history that French equals passion. So beef bourguignon naturally became our main choice. It really does taste as though I made this myself, it’s rich, intense in flavour, properly seasoned and the beef is tender. The mushrooms and onions are whole and fresh, and it perfectly serves two with no leftovers and no room for more.
Side: Potato Dauphinoise
The potato Dauphinoise is a romantic side dish. It’s creamy, warming, and delicate, making for the perfect dressing on the table and a soft and smooth balance for the rich main.
Dessert: Chocolate pudding
But there is always room for dessert. Of course, the fourth dish had to be a melt-in-the-middle chocolate pudding. A crowd favourite, and a dessert I’ve craved my whole life. Plus, there’s nothing like aphrodisiacs on Valentine’s Day, here’s to chocolate pudding, and four-course, home-cooked meals with no fuss, no muss and no overdraft.
Verdict
For couples who love food but don’t want the chaos of cooking from scratch, this menu hits the sweet spot. It’s generous, comforting and actually very good — proof that you don’t necessarily need a big budget, a reservation or a cleared schedule for cooking to make Valentine’s Day feel special.
Here’s to chocolate pudding, and four-course, home-cooked meals with no fuss, no muss and no overdraft.
