I’m a food editor – these are the 11 best M&S picky bits

As picnic season begins, we decided that M&S is our favourite place to shop for outdoor eating, thanks to its dazzling array of picky bits. It’s launched over 500 new products this season and the incredibly tough job of sifting through for the gems (and a few stinkers) fell to me. 

We tend to expect a lot from M&S in terms of quality and taste. Plenty of these items are high in fat and salt, given the context, but I’ve selected them for being big on flavour and innovation rather than health, as picnics are supposed to be fun and satisfying.

That said, the products I have chosen contain very few ultra-processed ingredients. There are a few preservatives in the pickle pot and the pastrami dip but that’s about it.

Most importantly, they need to be portable and easy to serve and eat. For this reason, I haven’t chosen many of the pastry products that are better heated up than eaten in the park.

Edamame & Butterbean Crush 

£2.50/170g

A well-named product, as it became my summer crush at first taste. A lovely bright green dip and a change from guacamole, this pot is packed with texture and richness from the smushed edamame and butterbeans, along with zest and zing from citrus and chilli. I loved it with plain tortilla chips.

Spicy Marinated Pickle Pot 

£4/160g

Pickles are big business for 2026, with everything from pickle-flavoured crisps and cocktails to KFC launching its “Pickle Mania” menu. Elevate your picnic pickle offering with this hot ‘n’ tangy pot of mini gherkins, pickled onions and tiny “sweety drop” red peppers in a parsley and garlic dressing, topped with generous chunks of Cheddar. There’s a riotous blend of heat and flavour going on in such a small pot and when you have an interesting dish like this, you can keep the rest of your picnic quite simple.

Topped New York Deli Pastrami Dip 

£4/170g

Loaded dips feature heavily in this season’s picnic line up. They combine a few elements in terms of taste and texture, so it might seem expensive, but you probably save overall. This New York deli-inspired dip goes big on flavour with an incredibly creamy and mustardy dip that’s loaded with chopped gherkin and salty strips of British-made pastrami, along with Emmentaler cheese. The Hot Smoked Salmon & Dill Dip is equally delicious and topped with dill, capers, gherkins and a generous serving of salmon, while on the to-heat-up side of things, there’s a viral Chicken Kyiv Melting Dip.

Six Serrano Ham & Manchego Cheese Rollitos 

£4.15/110g

These ham and cheese bites are a crowd pleaser across the generations and need little introduction. The moreish balance of salty-sweet ham and strong but creamy Manchego cheese means they marry well with any cold drink as the temperature rises and picnic season starts to swing.

Spanish Roasted Vegetable Tortilla 

£4/250g

This continues the Spanish theme and would pair well with the rollitos above. There aren’t many picnic snacks that work well hot or cold but this is one of them. I find it a great summery alternative to sandwiches as it provides heft with the potato and egg without being heavy, and is a far more chic offering than curled bread. There’s sweetness and colour from the veg and red peppers and the whole dish is made from nothing but potatoes, eggs, veg, oil and salt.

Flip and Dip Creamy Basil Dip

£3/130g

Forgive me for mentioning another dip but M&S are at the top of their chips ‘n’ dips game right now with these cute pots designed to be upended onto a plate. I tried the cream cheese and Greek yoghurt coated in pesto and while mine didn’t come out quite as perfectly as shown in the official imagery, it was appetising to get a hint of the delicious dip within.

Baby Potato Salad 

£2.80/300g

Amid all the mash-ups, sometimes the simple and the recognisable stand out. This Baby Potato Salad is made from sweet and tender Charlotte potatoes, an incredibly creamy mayo, chives and spring onion. It’s rich and comforting and really delivers all the feels of a Great British picnic – as well as an incredibly generous mayo to potato ratio.

Beetroot, Apple & Pink Cabbage Slaw 

£2.80/300g

If you like coleslaw, M&S has an inventive array to choose from this season, including a creamy and mildly-spiced Coronation slaw and a herby green goddess option with cabbage, broccoli, avocado and pumpkin seeds. My choice, however, is this bright pink blend of beetroot, apple and cabbage, which is crunchy from the veg with an enlivening zing of horseradish. If you’re picnicking with a crowd, these three products look very pretty together.

Prawn Cocktail Platter

£10.50/300g

I have long been obsessed with 80s favourite prawn cocktail and am all for it enjoying its time in the sun once more. This bijou platter of prawns, Marie Rose sauce and caperberries is an instant mini picnic. I am extremely appreciative of M&S ticking all the boxes here by providing the essential lemon wedge. Also, a good reminder that picnics don’t have to be gargantuan affairs. Grab this platter, a bottle of something fizzy and find a park bench for an instant picnic.

Gazpacho

£2.65/100ml

This is the first time I’ve seen single-serve gazpacho and I love everything about it. The cold tomato soup has a dash of Sherry vinegar to bring out its fresh, summery character. A tasty shortcut to a super-chic picnic set-up.

Collection Mushroom Parfait 

£5/140g

A rich and deeply flavoursome mushroom spread made from a variety of mushrooms and no odd ingredients. I chose this to add some contrast to the more summery notes of my other top picnic picks, while I also think it’s a somewhat traditional option in case your picnic guests aren’t into the latest TikTok snack trends. Get some of the lovely baked Italian flatbreads to serve with this.

To avoid:

Dinky and Mighty Shareable Popcorn Chicken

£4.50/300g

I will admit that the children I gave this to loved it. What’s more, for a reformed chicken product, it is surprisingly free of ultra-processed ingredients. Nonetheless, to me it tastes like oddly-flavoured chicken that’s been pre-chewed for ease of consumption. My husband agreed.

Dinky Cheese & Marmite Pinwheels

£4.20/88g

I’m all for sausage rolls and Scotch eggs, but think most cold supermarket pastry items are claggy and unpleasant. These cheese & Marmite pinwheels are a case in point – good for soaking up alcohol, perhaps, but little else.