Key Highlights
- Rick Stein’s Seafood Celebration dish from Waitrose is a £105 two-course box for Christmas.
- The box includes a Lobster & King Prawn Velouté Pie and Classic Fish Soup, largely prepared for ease of serving.
- Review finds the pie to be richer and more decadent than the soup, but both are high-quality dishes.
- While the experience is luxurious, it comes at a premium price point that may not suit all budgets.
The Luxury of Christmas Dinner Simplified
If the thought of dry turkey and endless potato peeling fills you with dread, Waitrose might just have the perfect alternative. The supermarket has teamed up with Dishpatch to offer a new collection of boujee dinner boxes that are supposed to take the faff out of the festivities. The exclusive offering from Rick Stein is one such example.
Rick Stein’s Seafood Celebration
The Cornwall-based chef, restaurateur, author and presenter has created a two-course Christmas menu for Waitrose, priced at £105 for two people. The menu includes the Lobster & King Prawn Velouté Pie and the Classic Fish Soup, both of which were part of my test run.
The box comes with dishes that are mostly prepared; you are essentially just finishing it off. There is no chopping, no making your own pie base, and zero stress.
The soup and pie arrive in their respective containers, ready to be heated up or eaten as they are. The packaging alone feels like a gift, elevating the experience from a “ready meal” to something more special.
Taste Test
Once out of the oven, the soup looked perfectly presented and the pie was golden and definitely a showstopper. But does it taste like Rick Stein cooked it? The filling in the pie is a rich, indulgent velouté infused with tarragon and parsley that perfectly complements the lobster and king prawns.
It feels decadent, creamy, and undeniably special.
The Classic Fish Soup made with saffron, tomato, fennel and prawns is served with Harissa Croutons, combining harissa and Parmesan for a rich, spiced twist. Though this was a nice dish, the pie definitely topped it on flavour.
Price Point and Value
This convenience comes at a premium. With individual dishes starting around £25 and the full two-course experience (including the fish soup) costing up to £105, it’s world’s away from Aldi or Lidl’s cheap and cheerful Christmas dinner deals. The quality is high, but the portion sizes are a point of contention.
The box states it serves four, but these are “chef portions,” not “hungry family at Christmas” portions.
If you are feeding a group with hearty appetites, you might find yourself eyeing up the cheese board immediately after the main course. It is undeniably a luxury experience rather than a budget-friendly feed. However, if you are looking to impress guests without lifting a finger, this will do the trick.
The Verdict
Rick Stein’s Classic Fish Soup and Lobster & King Prawn Velouté Pie is a fantastic option for foodies, couples, or smaller families who want to ditch the traditional roast for something more sophisticated. It removes the stress entirely and delivers a delicious, high-end flavour. However, be prepared to pay for the privilege. It’s not a value option, but for a hassle-free, decadent treat (perhaps better suited to Christmas Eve or Boxing Day than the big day itself), it’s a winner.
Taste: 9/10
Ease: 9/10
Value: 6/10
