As Valentine’s Day 2023 approaches, supermarkets and FMCG brands are already preparing for 14 February celebrations.
From three-course meal deals to heart-shaped products and sustainable flowers, there are a whole host of new offerings ‘sweetening’ up the sector.
Whether shoppers are looking for a chocolate gift or planning a night in for two, Grocery Gazette has taken a look into what the UK’s supermarket giants and some of the biggest confectionery brands are launching this Valentine’s season…
Tesco – £12 dinner for 2
Leading retailer Tesco is offering a Finest Valentine’s Dinner for Two. Available online and in-store from 9 February, the offer includes a main, side, dessert and drink for £12, exclusively with a Clubcard.
Mains include Tesco Finest duck breast portions, smoked salmon gratin and a new vegetable moussaka, with sides ranging from creamed spinach and a green vegetable selection to chunky chips, truffle mac and cheese and heart-shaped potato croquettes.
Across its desserts, the Big 4 grocer is offerings six raspberry profiteroles, a chocolate brownie heart and lemon meringue cheesecake slices.
While Tesco’s Valentine’s Day deal includes alcoholic beverages such as its Finest South African Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Cinsault Rose and a four-pack of Peroni, non-alcoholic options will also be available such as Nozeco Rose and Bottle Green sparkling presse in Crisp Apple and Elderflower.
Asda – £15 dinner for 2
Asda is also offering a meal deal this Valentine’s Day which includes a starter, main, two sides, a dessert and a bottle of wine or box of chocolates for £15.
Running in-stores from 9 until 14 February, Asda Rewards app users will also earn £1.50 in their cash pot when picking up the deal.
With 17 new options in total, shoppers can choose from truffle mac and cheese with slow cooked british beef, chicken liver parfait with raspberry jelly or vegan mushroom arancini hearts with truffle dip for a starter.
Mains include 30-day dry aged sirloin, garlic stuffed Yorkshire bred prok kiev cutlets, British duck breasts with morello cherry sauce, plant-based wellington, nduja stuffed chicken parcel and cod fillet. Side options range from carrots to triple cooked chips and daughinoise potatoes, while desserts include tiramisu cups or a dark Belgian chocolate heart with raspberry.
The Big 4 grocer has also re-launched the £4 heart-shapped pizzas available via its pizza counters and online as of 30 January.
Aldi – £11.66 dinner for 2
Aldi is also offering a meal deal in time for 14 February at as little as £3.63 per person for a three-course meal (without wine).
Featuring heart-shaped lobster filled pasta, scallop and champagne gratins, wagyu sirloin steaks, vegan pies and mushroom arancini, the offer can also be upgraded to include wine for £5.83 each.
A range of other heart-shaped foods are also available from 29 January, starting from £1.09. Ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a new cookie and brioche are £2.49 each, as well as a two-pack of crumpets.
Across its savoury selection, Aldi has launched sharing bread with camembert, lobster filled pasta, garlic pizza bread and chicken nuggets, all in the classic heart shape.
For dessert, macarons feature alongside a vegan chocolate melt-in-the-middle heart cake; available in store from 9 February.
Also back by popular demand, is Aldi”s Ballycastle Red Velvet Cream Liqueur for £7.49.
Sainsbury’s – £15 dinner for 2
Sainsbury’s is also offering a ‘Dine in for Two’ meal deal at £15 which includes a starter, main, side, dessert and drink.
Running from 8 to 14 February, the deal includes dishes such as scallop gratin, sirloin steak, pork belly, triple cooked chips, cauliflower cheese, lemon tarts, as well as prosecco and a pomegranate and rose gin and tonic.
Waitrose – £20 dinner for 2
Upmarket retailer Waitrose has launched its meal deal which also includes a starter, main meal, side, dessert and a bottle of fine wine for £20.
Available from 8 to 14 February, the supermarket is offering at least eight options per course, including meat-based, vegetarian and vegan selections.
While own-brand dishes will be featured in the deal, such as a Spanish tapas platter, sea bass, a watercress spinach rocket salad and churros, Waitrose has also included items from its Heston, Duchy and No.1 ranges.
In a bid to offer more sustainable shopping options this Valentine’s Day, Waitrose has also launched two wrap-free bouquets, removing unnecessary packaging and limiting single-use plastic.
The Rose Bouquet and Rose & Lily Bouquet will be protected in a layer of Fatsia palm leaves instead of cellophane.
M&S – £20 dinner for 2
M&S has launched its limited-edition Dine In for two meal at £20 for a starter, main, side, dessert and a drink.
Its range includes prawn cocktail, duck parfaits and a three-cheese bake as some of its starters, with rump steak, sirlion steak, cod and butternut squash risotto as mains, as well as triple-cooked chips, asparagus spears and daughinoise potatoes for side options.
For dessert, M&S is offering dishes such as lemon cheesecakes, a rasperry profiterole stack and a mini cheese selection, with a range of prosecco, wine and lemonade available as a drink pairing.
Morrisons
Supermarket giant Morrisons has unveiled its flower bouquets available in-store from 11 to 14 February, ranging from £2.99 to £30 across a selection of roses, tulips and lily’s.
Its bakery selecition has also seen a Valentine’s Day revamp with heart-shaped shortbread, eclairs, brownies, chocolate and raspberry cupcakes, a giant hand-iced cookie and ‘do your own’ gingerbread hearts complete with an icing and decoration kit.
All products are currently available in Morrisons stores priced between £1 and £7.
Nestlé
Nestlé chocolate brand Rolo has partnered with Costa Coffee to create a chocolate caramel drinks range for Valentine’s Day.
The limited-edition selection includes a Rolo chocolate caramel hot chocolate and milkshake, available from 2 to 15 February in Costa Coffee stores nationwide.
Mondelēz
Mondelēz chocolate brand Green & Blacks has launched a new Smooth addition to its organic tablets range in time for Valetine’s Day, which features plain 50% cocoa and mint flavours.
It has also unveiled its personalised Valentine’s Day gifts, with customers able to choose from white, milk and dark chocolate bars and adding a name or message to the front of the packaging.
Hotel Chocolat
Chocolate manufacturer, Hotel Chocolat has launched its Valentine’s gifting collection which includes a range of heart-shaped confectionary priced from £15 to £42.
Varying in size, the boxes include flavours such as salted caramel, vanilla ganache, pistachio praline and cashew praline.
Lindt
Chocolate brand Lindt has launched its Valentine’s selection, including a ‘pick and mix’ heart tin for eight truffles at £25, as well as a ‘pick and mix’ gold tin, selection boxes and pre-filled tins.
Finding the best value
According to data from Insinkerator, the supermarket offering the best Value through its meal-deal this Valentine’s Day is Morrisons.
The research looked into details including cost, what’s included and if there is a vegetarian option available across Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, M&S and Tesco.
As a result, customers would be able to save £20.45 for the most expensive comination available at Morrisons, saving more than the cost of the deal.
Asda came in at second place, saving £15.45 alongside a £5.49 Sky Store voucher.
Waitrose and M&S saw savings of £18.95 and £16.75, however Tesco ranked in fifth place, saving Clubcard shoppers £7.35.
“With Valentin’es Day on a Tuesday this year, it may be more important for supermarkets than in those years when it falls on or nearer the weekend. As a result of this, Tuesday may be a day when people don’t have time to cook which means that there are a lot more promotions on ‘meal deals’,” Bloomberg Intelligence retail analyst, Charles Allen said.
“Prepared meals are seen as more important to ensure inexperienced cooks can prepare a meal for the day associated with romance. It is also likely that food delivery companies will be taking advantage of the weekday timing.”
Allen added that he expects many supermarkets to offer several promotions on sparkling wine, champagne and flowers.
