S’mores Iced Cream Cake and Prawn Toast Cones: M&S unveils Christmas bakery range

Marks & Spencer has been crunching numbers and has made the shocking discovery that the average Brit eats three or four Christmas dinners a season.

Given this alarming statistic, it’s a good idea for hosts to keep the festive offerings varied and no surprise to see retailers continuing to embrace the ‘picky bits’ trend. M&S says a picky bits spread will be a particularly big hit with Gen Z as they prefer drinks and nibbles to a full-on meal.

“This summer we were crowned the home of picky bits, and we’re taking that to the next level with our Christmas offering,” says M&S product development manager Alice Holman, adding that her personal favourite are the retailer’s new Lasagne Cups (see details below).

When it comes to flavours, M&S reckons four will dominate this festive season: malt, pistachio, cherry, and zesty citrus

Malt has already been big this year, according to the retailer, and will hit its nostalgic stride at Christmas with its toasted caramel notes bringing comfort and indulgence.

Cherry is also enjoying a revival and is appearing on social media feeds and restaurant menus, and M&S describes it as a flavour trend the retailer is proudly embracing.

Annette Peters, M&S head of trends and innovation, says citrus is synonymous with Christmas, but adds: “We’re seeing those familiar festive flavours evolve in new and exciting ways across the Foodhall, bringing a fresh twist to the traditional tastes and aromas customers associate with the season.”

Here we look at some of the new products the M&S development team have cooked up for Christmas 2026: 

Starters & Party Food

Prawn Toast Cones

These hand-wrapped crispy cones are filled with Black Tiger prawns, ginger and spring onions, and are finished with crunchy sesame seeds. Served with a sweet chilli dip.

Price: £7.50 (224g), available from 14 October

Lasagne Cups and Toasties

Among the selection of picky bits being rolled out at M&S on 11 November are Lasagne Cups (rsp: £7.50, ten-pack). These comprise crisp wheat pastry with layers of savoury minced beef ragu, slowly cooked with Chianti red wine, finished with a béchamel made with extra mature Cheddar and Parmesan, plus a final sprinkle of Parmesan.

There are also Cheese & Chutney Toasties (rsp: £7.50, ten-pack) – toasted sourdough slices filled with a creamy béchamel sauce, farmhouse cheddar and Cornish Cove mature cheddar then topped with extra farmhouse cheddar and herbs. They are sold with a port chutney. 

Mains

Creamy Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie

Made with all-butter shortcrust pastry, British chicken, smoked bacon and leek, this family sized slab pie is designed to serve six people.

Price: £35, available from 14 October

Big Six Assortment

M&S has curated a selection of its customers’ most-loved biscuits for this assortment, including Milk Chocolate Fudge Creams, Jam Sandwich Creams, Outrageously Chocolatey Marbled Whirls, and All Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Price: £5, available from 30 September

Desserts & Sweet Treats

Triple Choc S’mores Iced Cream Cake

This treat features a chocolate sponge collar wrapped around a Madagascan vanilla semifreddo, Belgian chocolate semifreddo, chocolate shards and an indulgent chocolate sauce. It is finished with a torched marshmallow.

Price: £14 (692g), available from 14 October

Tiramisu Iced Cream Cake

Lightly whipped coffee and mascarpone cream cheese has been layered with marsala-and-coffee-soaked sponge, topped with cream and dusted with cocoa powder.

Price: £14 (804g), available from 14 October

Chunked N’ Loaded cookies

M&S has created two new cookies for the festive season: a Milk Chocolate, Malt & Caramel Cookie described as ‘salty, sweet and crunchy’; and a Sticky Apple Cookie that is studded with candied apple pieces.

Price: £2 each, available from 14 October

Double Chocolate Bloomer

This crusty white loaf is hand-cut with milk and dark chocolate chunks and slowly fermented for 28 hours.

Price: £3.25 (380g), available from 4 November

Amarena Cherry, Blood Orange & Port Mince Pies

These all-butter pastry cases are filled with a luxurious Amarena cherry - one of the on-trend flavours for Christmas 2026 - blood orange and Port mincemeat.

Price: £3.50 for four-pack, available from 4 November

Get Your Skis on Colin the Caterpillar

Colin’s chocolate sponge roll, wrapped in thick milk chocolate and filled with creamy chocolate buttercream, is finished with chocolate ski goggles, a bobble hat and snowy sprinkles.

Price: £15 (700g), available from 13 December

Collection Banoffee Mini Tarts

Layers of golden sea salted caramel, banana and white chocolate ganache are wrapped in a crisp, all-butter pastry shell and finished with sprinkle of chocolate chips.

Price: £4.50 (168g), available from 14 October

Food to Go

Upgraded sandwiches

M&S has added 5g more roast British turkey breast than in 2025 to its Turkey Feast Sandwich (rsp: £4.25). It is layered with smoky dry-cured British bacon, roast British pork and sage & onion stuffing. 

Also upgraded for 2026 is the Brie & Grape Sandwich (rsp: £3.80), which has more thick French brie, freshly sliced red grapes and rich chutney, layered between slices of oatmeal bread.