Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Dine In meal for two: what you get for £12

Sainsbury’s has launched a new £12 meal deal for two in stores and online until 31 August. We reveal what you can get and how this deal compares to rival offers.

Sainsbury’s is offering a Dine In meal deal for two that's available both in store and online for a limited time only.

The Taste the Difference food offer lets you pick up a main, side, dessert and an alcoholic or soft drink for £12.

According to the supermarket, you can save up to £5.50 if you bought the items separately.

If you are interested you’ll need to be quick, however, as the offer ends on 31 August.

Supermarket meal deals: which is best?

So how does Sainsbury's new food offer stack up against rival 'dine in for two' meal deals at Tesco and Marks & Spencer?

At £12, it's pricier than both those options, which cost £10, although the offer is slightly different.

With Marks & Spencer’s Dine In deal there's a wider selection of dishes to choose from, but you no longer get an alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) drink after recent changes, so you'd have to say the Sainsbury's offer provides better value for money.

At Tesco, you can choose the same number of items as at Sainsbury's, so even though the menu selection is slightly more limited it is probably the best-value option – and is available all year round as well.

Ultimately, your choice might come down to your preference for the dishes on offer, which we'll get to next.

Sainsbury's regular? Read our top tips for saving more every time you shop

What’s available in Sainsbury’s Dine In deal?

You can choose from 12 mains, including salmon en croute, chicken and king prawn paella and mozzarella and cherry tomato pizza.

There are eight sides on offer ranging from roast potatoes, edamame and sugar snap salad and mozzarella, red onion and cheddar flatbread.

You can also choose from eight desserts, including vanilla cheesecake slices, tarte au citron and chocolate torte slices.

Drink options include wine, Birra Moretti and non-alcoholic alternatives such as Appletiser and J2O and alcohol-free beer.  

Below is a full list of what’s available in Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference deal:

Mains:

• Taste the Difference chicken and king prawn paella
• Taste the Difference cottage pie
• Taste the Difference Wiltshire ham gratin
• Taste the Difference vintage mac and cheese (V)
• Taste the Difference beef hash
• Taste the Difference mozzarella and cherry tomato pizza (V)
• Taste the Difference mozzarella, prosciutto, mushroom and mascarpone pizza
• Taste the Difference spicy pepperoni and roquito pizza
• Taste the Difference mozzarella chicken and bacon pasta bake
• Taste the Difference mozzarella chicken, bacon and leek pie
• Taste the Difference salmon en croute
• Taste the Difference beer-battered cod fillets

Sides:

• Taste the Difference triple cooked chips (V)
• Taste the Difference roast potatoes
• Taste the Difference potato dauphinoise
• Taste the Difference Tabbouleh salad (V)
• Taste the Difference Greek salad (V)
• Taste the Difference endamame and sugar snap salad (V)
• Taste the Difference garlic and parsley sourdough baguette (V)
• Taste the Difference mozzarella, red onion and cheddar flatbread (V)

Desserts:

• Taste the Difference St Clements cheesecake slices (two pack)
• Taste the Difference vanilla cheesecake slices (two pack)
• Taste the Difference Belgian chocolate torte slices (two pack)
• Taste the Difference vanilla and raspberry panna cotta (two pack)
• Taste the Difference tart au citron (two pack)
• Taste the Difference lemon possets (two pack)
• Taste the Difference melting middle chocolate pudding (two pack)
• Taste the Difference white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake slices (two pack)

Drinks:

• J2O orange and passionfruit (4x275ml)
• Appletiser (6x250ml)
• Birra Moretti alcohol-free beer (4x330ml)
• Taste the Difference Barrihuelo Rioja Blanco
• Taste the Difference Pinot Grigio Dolomiti Blush
• Taste the Difference Portuguese Lisboa Red
• Birra Moretti (4x300ml)

Alternative meal deals

If Sainsbury’s Dine In meal deal is not for you, check out our reviews of the M&S Dine In for two or Tesco’s Finest deal, which as we mentioned earlier both cost £10.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a family meal deal, you can check out the M&S pizza meal deal (£10), M&S Italian Dine In meal deal (£15) or Co-op’s £5 frozen food offer.