Bighams Review

Turn off the phone, crack open a bottle of wine and let

Charlie cook tonight

Now Bigham's look tempting, the meal choices sound tempting, I can now tell you that the preparation ease and time adds to the temptation, finally the eating is that temptation fulfilled.

I was asked to try Bigham's and as you may have read I tend to cook from scratch, we as a busy family although sometimes eat the odd ready meal, odd certainly can describe some of them. Or we resort to takeaway because I just don't get the time to cook.

We love eating out but with the recession squeezing us this is one of the luxuries to indulge in as often.

So Bigham's go beyond your average ready meal, this is more like home cooking only with a few sous chefs doing all the hard graft.

Its like fine dining in the comfort of your own home!

We tried the new Thai Green Curry and the Breton Chicken varieties and they are both the sort of dishes you wish you had kept for a special occasion.

The Thai green curry just looks so fresh in the pack, big pieces of chicken, lime wedges. The same for the Breton Chicken.

You just have to stir fry for 8-10 minutes, I went  with 10 as the chicken pieces are a good size. Then you add the sauce, again it smells fresh and looks just like a sauce you made it earlier.

The eating is sublime, the Thai flavoursome, fresh, succulent, coconut and lemon and all the flavours you expect from a Thai meal. Its wonderfully fragrant.
I wasn't as keen on the nut addition, but Chris loved it.

The Breton Chicken was a delight too, creamy cheese and garlicky sauce with a  the leeks just crunchy,  bacon to add taste, the chicken tender.

The great thing for me is knowing that on the odd evening when the children are both out, Chris and I can have a really good home cooked style meal without the time and effort but still with the taste.

They are seriously good and its incredible to actually cook a ready meal and end up with restaurant fare.

They cost £5.99 in Waitrose, serving two, it really is a great price when you consider one takeaway meal is nearly that and not nearly as high quality.

I will certainly be dipping into the Bigham's meals again and trying some of the new range too.

NEW… Charlie Bigham’s meals

Charlie Bigham’s make delicious, high quality prepared meals, with all the love and attention you would – if only you had the time.

All Charlie Bigham’s meals have been inspired by his food experiences, so there is something to suit everyone; whether it’s an exotic Beef Teriyaki or a warming British classic like Shepherd’s Pie.

They are all hand prepared with the finest, freshest ingredients, with no additives or preservatives.

Steal back some precious time, relax and enjoy each other’s company over a proper dinner, made in an oven and not a microwave.

This autumn, Charlie has added five new recipes, all in smart new packaging:

Macaroni Cheese – a luxurious twist on a childhood favourite made with Grana Padano cheese, truffle oil, button mushrooms and topped with crunchy pancetta

Fish Pie – generous pieces of salmon and haddock in a traditional parsley sauce, with creamy mashed potato, crunchy cheddar and breadcrumbs

Sweet and Sour Chicken – fresh and succulent chicken breasts, paired with yellow peppers in a hand-made sweet and sour sauce with a hint of chilli

Moroccan Chicken Tagine – chicken marinated in aromatic Moroccan spices and honey with apricots, almonds and black olives

Steak and Mushroom Pies – tender British steak slowly braised with red wine, mushrooms and fresh thyme and covered with a light and flaky pastry lid

All meals have an RRP of £5.99, (apart from pies which are £6.99), and areenough for a couple to share.

Available in Waitrose and on http://www.ocado.com/

Other recipes include: Lasagne, Moussaka, Spinach Cannelloni, Indonesian Chicken Satay, Breton Chicken, Catalan Chicken, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Thai Green Chicken Curry, Teriyaki Beef, Salmon and Haddock Fishcakes, Chicken and Mushroom Pies, Shepherd’s Pie and Steak and Ale Pies.