I remember scampi in a basket in the seventies lol, usually served at variety clubs,it came in a little wicker basket with a red paper napkin plus chips and lemon wedge
Scampi & chicken in the basket both served in the local pub in the seventies lovely grub but destroyed like lots of other things by the health and safety freaks
@@kennethlapham4938 yes Kenneth, good days they were, Boddies bitter was 26pence a pint and like drinking a pint of cream, l must say Gaz has got me going with this one, I've not had scampi for ages!
Scampi is in my Top 10 favourite meals. The nearest I've got to 1970s pub scampi is Whitby Seafoods Jumbo Scampi 220g 40% Crustaceans Tartare sauce is essential with scampi and wedge of lemon always nice, with the usual suspects accompaniments. The M&S is now on my list to try. Many thanks. Serious stuff this isn't it!😊
M&S Scampi is made from Scottish Langoustine. Aldi is Norwegian Langoustine hence the sweetness and texture, only know this because my grandfather was a fishmonger.👍
It's the stuff M&S reject that turns up elsewhere. My sister worked in a clothing company and the M&S quality people came in, didn't like some stitching and rejected the whole batch, 200 jackets. They spent days cutting out M&S labels and sewing in Country Casuals labels.
I must admit the M&S ones looked the best and tasted better from your description, I know they're pricey but it's not something I'd buy often. I personally would choose them over the Aldi ones since they seem to be better all round....plus even though it says serves 2, I would eat these to myself ( I'm a greedy guts lol!) with some tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon, maybe a slice of freshly buttered crusty bread too wouldn't go amiss.
@@BaldFoodieGuy definitely! Also I know my comment is late on this one, but it's actually the first time I've seen it. Maybe I should check my notifications 👍🏻
You’d expect any comparison to Marksies to be better , hence the price tag and their obvious good name 👍🏻 a dip or two and some chips or salad or both as Gareth stated not that different , in Gareth we trust 👍🏻😃
If you buy a meal at a pub scampi chips and peas is about £8 near me, it usually looks like the size of the Aldi pieces and about 7/8 pieces on your plate usually enjoyable but not as good as scampi was in the 70s. I’ve had Whitby bay and thought they were ok and much better than most others I’ve tried. I’m going to try the M and S because they looked lovely and would do me for two decent sized meals. Thanks for your reviews they really help me clear the wheat from the chaff 😉🤣
Hi Gareth, if you take into account the higher percentage of the actual Langoustine 57% v 40% and the difference of the 300g v 250g, then the M&S costs 3.2p per gram v Aldi at 2p per gram of Langoustine (rounded to the nearest figure), then the M&S doesn't seam quite so much more expensive. Of course Scampi is made up of both the fish and the coating, so you take's your pick.
yeah, the m&s is approximately twice the price. i make it £2.80 for the aldi vs £5.50 for the m&s, like for like (weight and meat). so what you are paying £2.70 extra for is the better quality coating and size. but you could get two bags of the aldi for the same price. is the m&s twice as good as the aldi? probably 50-75% better (bringing the price up to £4.20 to £4.90 for the aldi). therefore, you pay a little bit extra (12-30%) for the privilege of eating m&s luxury. not much in it at the end of the day. waitrose, and maybe m&s, are great value when you go there for bargains (not sure if m&s discount much). then you really get a good deal. then again, tesco's does good same day/end of date discounts. so, like for like, you are paying appx 12-30% extra for the premium experience as far as i can tell, which equates to 60p to £1.30 out of a £5.50 bag. Do you want to pay 60p to £1.30 as a surcharge (throw away cost) for that m&s deliciousness? £4.20 vs £5.50. Or £4.90 vs £5.50. Yes, that's why m&s and waitrose can survive on a lot of us going in for bits and bobs, not full blown shopping sprees
I tell you what I prefer MS foods ,,,,yes I know MS is more expensive but the Aldie looks half-size Here in Cyprus MS is the place to go for value before Woolies closedown it was the best then MS
Great review Gareth. I liked the way you kept trying more and more pieces just to make sure you came to the right decision. You hit the nail on the head when you said that it depended upon peoples' budget. £5.50 is serious money for a 300g bag of frozen scampi, but it can be worth it if it hits the right spot and people can afford it.
Your videos are Number 1.Really honest,down to earth, nothing fake.about you.I love watching your videos. I've just txt my son at work, to pick up M&S scampi.Its.a treat I would never normally afford to buy them.But thanks to you I'm gonna spend a.little bit more.I think.your a inspiration. You help lots of people myself included.I hope you get a.lot more subscribers. I'd rather watch your videos over a movie anyway.Please keep making more home videos 🙂🙂
Add another 33p to the Aldi price = £2.32 for the full price difference based on weight. OK - I might go for the M&S for a treat or occasion - but why would I want to travel into Brighton (closest) - but really when plated up with a few chips and decent dipping sauce/s who would be able to tell the difference? - except you could buy another bag of the Aldi for another day for the same price!
We went to M&S for some posh bits for a birthday weekend away. Got to admit, everything we got excelled our expectations (especially the ready to go cheese selection 😋) ...but I'll stick to Aldi and Lidl for now until I win the lottery! 😳🤣🤣
Last year we went through a bit of a guacamole phase, most supermarkets proudly price matched Aldi at 89p. Popped into M&S (it was raining and it's a cut through) Avocados were 65p and huge. That caught my attention. We used to go to Aldi, but the food waste started to get stupid on "fresh" fruit. I'll happily pay 30% more for a far superior product that can be stored, compared to throwing half the Aldi stuff into the compost bin after a few days.
What’s your favourite way to serve your scampi? I quite like to put some chopped lettuce on a large flour tortilla with either baby tomatoes or a single diced tomato, some cucumber, add the scampi and a squeeze of sweet chilli sauce. Shape it into a wrap and top it off with a wedge of lemon or lime, whichever is available.
I adore scampi, I am the only one who likes it in my house. I normally get Youngs or Whitby scampi but might indulge in some sparks for a special treat. Must have tartare sauce and wedges if lemon. Great vlog again Gareth 😊
I don't think I could justify spending over a fiver on the M&S scampi if the Aldi product is nearly as tasty for considerably less. I've eaten similar breaded scampi from Young's and maybe one or two others and it always tastes pretty good. Most Thursdays I get half a pint of whole cooked prawns from the fish van that comes to our town. Those prawns are from Greenland.
You could tell by his reaction though the aldi was nowhere near. I've had the aldi. It's passable for the price but nowhere near the likes of youngs or whitby foods for taste and quality. I may have to try the m and s though
You hit the nail on the head Gareth. Budget wise Aldi. Can’t knock them for £2. Bang on with a nice steak . The m and s did look nice. It’s a no brainer for me. Aldi all day. Well done again Gareth 👍
Two of my favourite types of seafood are plaice and scampi - when I go to the seaside, there’s nothing I like more than sitting on the pier or under a shelter on the sea front, depending upon where I go, eating either plaice or scampi and chips, with scraps and salt & vinegar!
Sorry for the late comment. Superb video! Im not a scampi person myself (im more of a haddock man) but your comparison of these two were brilliant. I think Based on your review I would definitely go for the M&S ones even though more expensive - just as an occasional purchase. Also I liked it how you made reference to the cost of living going up - and your videos help us to make a aaving where we can. Cheers.
for the air fryer, i'd say no need to take it out half way, my way has done things perfectly, just try it, knock 20 degrees off and use the lower time, and just leave it
I agree with another comment that Whitby Seafood Scampi is awesome. Great value and sometimes on offer in Asda and Co-op. I'm just kicking myself as had the gourmet Sirloin at Wetherspoon's and didn't notice the option of 8 Scampi as a side. They've relegated the Surf and Turf option to tiny print. I never shop at M&S, it's just too pretentious and I don't think my Yorkshire passport covers it.
It looks like you need reminding of the M&S food rules. 1, when you cut open the M&S bag you must extend your pinky finger to appreciate it's superiority over the lesser food. 2, never ever mix the cutlery with the lesser food, it encourages them to think they're above their station. 3, tweed jacket and waist coat is required clothing for taste testing M&S food. 😄 Seriously, £5.50 though! 😲
'it's superiority' should read 'its superiority'. Its means belonging to it. It's means it is. Yes, I do shop at M&S! Hope you can see that I am being humorous. Well, a bit anyway as I do love a good stereotype- just off to my tailors to get my new Harris Tweed jacket fitted.
M&S was always noted for quality if you were willing to pay the price. I had shirts and pants from there that lasted 20 years. British Home Stores was decent stuff too but M&S was better.
Mate your reviews are so good and honest and like you say in a lot of instances the higher end places to the more budget places are not quite as good as you would expect but due to todays climate you can get a fantastic alternative which are damn on near a good it’s a no brainer and infact some of the alternatives are actually better tbh, keep up the great work, love your videos and you are really helping us all save money with your great reviews pal 👍
Thanks for the review. I didn’t realise M&S did frozen scampi but my local one is quite small so may not stock it. I normally buy the 3 for £10 scampi from the M&S fridge section but will look in their freezer next time.
I thought that was going to be an advert for a certain drink.... Carlsberg doesn't do scampi but if they did, It'd probably be the best scampi in the world 😋 Still, scampi & chips and a cool pint of Carlsberg. Nice!
My most vivid childhood memory was going to the local seaside hotel for scampi and chips (in a basket!) and that was a weekly holiday treat for us kids in the 70s! I’ve had youngs and Asda scampi recently (in the ninja!) and enjoy it occasionally as a wee treat which evokes some lovely memories….
Eating two whole bags of Scampi, you are living the dream Baldie! Keep up the good work. PS, I'm pretty sure those sirens were due to reports of someone putting tomato ketchup on M&S whole tail scampi.
I'm glad I found this, I love scampi and although I haven't tried these two, I have tried loads of brands. Best I found was youngs in bubbly batter at £4 ( not amazing but best i found ) and worse was Asda at £3 absolute mush.. I will try the M&S ones now.. Thanks
“If I were a rich man . . . “. ALDI, bags times two. One bag with well done chips and marrowfat peas, tartar sauce, maybe tomato sauce on the side too. Other bag; save for another day, maybe mashed potatoes and beetroot or sliced tomatoes. First class review Gareth, saving foodies money along the way. Thank you pal.
In most countries, especially Italy, scampi means the peeled tail of pretty much any kind of prawn but in the UK it refers to the meat of just one special prawn: the langoustine. Langoustine is a small lobster found in the colder waters of Scotland, Ireland and Norway. 👍M and S for us still remains the best re a lot of foods.. 👍
There is nothing special about langoustine it's only called that to increase the price as they are cought in creels while prawn tails are all cought by trawlers
@@HootMaRoot No surprises there. I've never been a fan of Scampi but my sister was and the fish processing plants re the different 'brands' available vary enormously. Some are to quote her words 'Of little substance'.. more batter et than Scampi.. 😉
@@arthurdanielles4784 I was a fisherman on a trawler and creel boat for 15 years+ and when I see the price of shellfish and fish in the shops I wonder where the massive price increase comes from as these small bags of scampi only have at most 5p worth of prawns in them if your lucky
Hi Gareth! I absolutely love scampi! With M&S you get what you pay for so their food is very very good! Their chunky fish fingers are just lovely. Great big dollop of tartare sauce on scampi and you can’t go wrong 😋😋
HI Thanks for the taste test. I have been on the Sainsbury' web . Youngs wholetail scampi is half price now £ 3.00 I have ordered 6 packs as they are the best. Best Regards Lou in Yorkshire,
Great review - thank you so much! They both look delicious but I'm totally with you - is M&S three times better? Definitely not!! Finding things you've had before in Aldi is really hit and miss. They seem to create great products but then discontinue them. Then again M&S do the same. But seeing reviews like this is great inspiration! Subscribed!!
I love your videos. Many thanks for trying out these products. Personally I would go for M&S every time. It’s an every now and then treat for me and when you compare to the cost of eating it out it’s a reasonable price. Always reminds me of the 70s served in a basket 😊 It’s one of my favourite foods.
I prefer to deep fry my scampi, as it adds extra crunch, and they're done in around 5 minutes! No way would I pay for the M&S, Aldi or Lidl for me, once you've got lemon juice or tartare sauce on them they're lovely! Love the comparason videos you do! As well as all the others!
The reason that the M&S one's look bigger is that the packaging states that the scampi is actually made up of "1,2,or 3 wholetails" @3:31 so they are squashing up to 3 pieces together before coating in breadcrumbs. Hence the individual scampi looks bigger but it is made up of many smaller pieces.
That's why I keep watching u Gareth u are real and have empathy we are all different indeed and if we dnt live in a village with an m&s we will settle for the aldi or iceland bless you my lovely ❤️
Thanks for your shows showing how the Difference in all the suppliers in food prices and taste too so greatful my hubby works for sainsbury even being 78 but as you say price of things are going up once again thanks I enjoy your time and showing us the Difference between things it's very helpful. 👍
Spot on when you can get two bags + change for the price? Also cranking up an oven against say an air fryer which is cheaper power & time wise? Microwave is for say 1 min to defrost then air fryer! Depends on whether it’s summertime heating up the house or winter which using an oven makes sense! Normally the smaller the prawn the sweeter it is! 👍
Hi Gareth good vid mate Scottish langoustines are the premier league of scampi famous the world over definitely the best £5.50 a bags not bad considering the effort that goes into catching them
Yes Gareth, some people like a soggy bottom… Yes turn your pie over half way through… Excellent feedback from the Foodies….that we’ll all benefit from👍
Wow ......................!!!! Another mouth-watering video ..! Very clever of you to open up the scampi straight out of the oven, to cool down ..! Once your tongue is burnt ..... not so tasty .! 2 x bags of Aldi scampi and a huge bag of frozen oven chips together with a bag of frozen peas, for the price of the M and S scampi, great for a family on a budget ! I missed the scampi in the basket serving suggestion or maybe I'm just showing my age ....! Cheers Gareth ...
After watching your M&S versus Aldi scampi video I bought M and S at £ 6.00 and Harry Ramsden from Iceland about £3.50 and although both were very tasty Harry Ramsdens for me won the day,so i hope you can try them one day. I really enjoy the channel and try things you recommend so keep it up .
With that price difference, give me the Aldi any day! Just give your guests some Tartar sauce to dip them in - they'll never know the difference = SPOT ON RESULT - Abracadabra!
My wife used to work for Bowyers, the pork pie people and M&S had their own recipes for their meat products and Bowyers were not allowed to use that recipe for any other company that were using the service.
I would pay for the M&S scampi if it tastes better. Nobody eats Scampi every day, so it's like having a treat anyway. M&S Scampi - 2 portions with chips & peas - 2 great meals 😁 Great video as usual Gareth! 😛
Yum! Apart from a steak when I go out scampi is another favourite… but when I’m at home i always have the scampi bites from Iceland lol x great honest review Gareth x👍🏻😘
Hello just found your pages and have watched 10 of your videos already .l have subscribed too . Would love to see your family come in at the end to start eating what you ve cooked
You've just made my mind up what I'm having for tea! Nice review mate, it's Aldi scampi for me - done in the air fryer, with some Aunt Bessie's, peas and bread and butter! Have a bag of scampi each at that price :)
An extra 50 p for 450g more I'll be going to Aldi. Also it did make me chuckle that the ad that came on in this vlog was just for men hair colour which I need about as much as you do 🤣 great review as always 👍
Thanks Gareth that's tea sorted tonight lol. Scampi, sweet potato fries and peas and a dollop of tartare sauce. Washed down with a couple of lagers in time for a glorious Liverpool victory ✌ 👍
A nice soft white bun with mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice in it and cracked pepper with a leaf of lettuce and that inside omg yessssssssssss. Great review Gareth cheers
At the age of 58 I have developed a prawn allergy so can't have it! Hope its good! I used to like Scampi but it can be heavy! Too many bread crumbs! Totally correct about energy prices! Sick of using oven for one item!
Graham TBH they both looked really nice , but I must admit I get mine from Poundland 🤦🏻 deep fried are really good too (£1) wow 😮 M&S goods are premium so you get what you pay for 🤷🏻 love the video maybe try some of Poundlands frozen goods value for money and tasty 👍🏻👍🏻
Good recur Gareth, I would buy two bags from Aldi rather than one bag from m&s and have more pieces per portion, I do like scamp but you never seen to get many when you eat out, m&s food is good but budgets are getting to be more important at the moment.😀
So in 2024 these are the same size and % of scampi but they're £1.75 dearer. It would be a good idea if you periodically looked back and compared prices and pack sizes etc for products you tested. I think this would be a good addition to the great service you're providing to the public.
Both looked amazing gareth and yes the M&S did look a bit better and as you said tasted better but at today's wages and the cost of living the M&S is a treat for most of the population it's aldi, lidl are the reality 👍👍🍤🍤
yes definitely Robert. Even walking round the people look rich lol, i shouldent say but its true lol heavens knows what they make of my scruffy appearance lol
2 bags of scampi and you have change left over for your chips and peas and maybe a cheeky wee lemon to squeeze over it it's a no brainer great video again mate
Scampi is the meat from the tail of a langoustine and the whole tail means that all of the tail has been peeled and breaded. This is different from the 'formulated' scampi, which is made out of shaped scampi or prawn meat. To be called proper Scampi in the UK, it has to be made from a Langoustine that belongs to the lobster family and is made from the cooked & peeled Langoustine tails.
Of course, you're going to get different size, the prawns are different size to start with. We buy ours loose and without breadcrumbs from Lidl and add the coating (gluten-free) ourselves. They are much cheaper and you get to choose how much coating you put on.
I put the Aldi scampi in 300 f fat and deep fry for 5 mins and then bung the chips in the fat.Works fine everytime with tomato ketchup and tartare sauce.A weekly dinner for me.My other favourite is Aldi`s frozen Tiki Marsala and rice for only £1.19.
*Courted my then Girlfriend (Anne Bunting) [1966 with a Triumph 21 350cc Bike] with a temptation of this in Llangollen when she was a Ward Sister in the Gobowen Hospital - Didn't work - maybe in hindsight more Persistence - took her to Criccieth B&B but owner insisted on Seperate Bedrooms ! - However worked after a 3 Course at Bernie's Inns and a Prawn Cocktail Starter, followed by a Main & a Black Forest Gateau didn't do he trick - she then moved to Kirkwall in the outer Hebrides - got the hint as you can imagine communication became difficult so married my next and best choice - & love her to bits - 2 Sons 1 Daughter and 7 GrandChildren !*
M&S yes costs more but they are meticulous in every process of production and the factory has to be graded A for them to even produce anything. Worked in production factories in the past and they are the hardest customer to get to produce for. One wrong part of the process they walk away.
@@BaldFoodieGuy they certainly are local BP garage is an M&S shop and they reduce the pre packed sandwiches from say 4 quid to 1 at 8pm as by midnight those ones are out of date and well worth a quid really well filled lol.
Very good. Haven’t treated myself to scampi in ages. There were some really hunky pieces in the M&S batch. Yummy. I could see the cogs whirring at 10:20 haha. keep up the cheerful and light hearted reviews!
I would get the more expensive ones...idk these bottom feeders I do the same thing with plaice and lemon sole. Air fryer is the way to go with these delicious badboys!
I love scampi ❤ and chips ❤ It was so popular on a Friday our council estate local boozer couldn’t keep up 😂 in the 70’s there was no such things like book in advance but they did and even did takeaway through the off licence 😂