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I helped create M&S picky bits — here's my hack for the ultimate dinner
It's June 27, which means it's officially National Picky Bits Day… at least, it is according to M&S.
The retailer is proclaiming today a holiday of sorts in honour of its new summer range being released, which includes 50 new items perfect for picnics, grazing boards and girl dinners.
Top picks from the new selection include everything from Marmite and Cheddar Sausage Rolls to Coronation Chicken Pies, Grilled Turkish Olives and topped dips.
And there's even a theme song for the day, as X Factor star Diana Vickers and songwriter Chiara Hunter (Ki and Dee) have teamed up on a track about picky bits, which some have joked is the 'anthem of the summer'.
But how did Marks & Spencer become the self-proclaimed 'home' of picky bits and who comes up with the ideas for the new products?
Metro spoke to Taron van der Berg, a product developer who has worked for M&S for almost two years, to find out everything you need to know.
According to Taron, who worked on creating the new range, the team came up with a whopping 250 ideas for different picky bits when planning the new range for summer 2025. This then had to be whittled down to the 50 that have been released, with some suggestions being tucked away to be used at Christmas time.
The focus this year was to create a range that looked vibrant, inviting and visual, so that customers would be able to really 'feast with their eyes'.
'We want to set trends and really challenge ourselves to do this when creating a new product,' Taron explained. 'For picky bits, we start by looking at what was popular last summer as well as customer feedback and data.
'We don't just look at the UK though, we work closely with our suppliers and travel to places like Spain, Turkey and Greece to source exclusive ingredients and jump on trends elsewhere in the market that people might see when they go on holiday. Then we bring them to M&S.'
But there are a few rules that have to be followed when coming up with ideas for the perfect picky bits.
'It's got to be delicious, but it also has to be bite-sized and convenient,' Taron says. 'You want to be able to walk into a store, chuck food in your bag, head over to a table or picnic spot, lay it all out and be able to dig in.
'We also have to think of the experience, as having a picnic can be a bit of an occasion with good food, conversation and perhaps a tinnie or some wine. You'll need to be able to eat some of it with your hands and some with wooden cutlery but it can't all require a spoon.'
Some of the most popular new items in the range include the dips, and while houmous has always been a staple at M&S, the topped dips offer something a little different.
A key example is the Ploughman's Dip (£3.50), which features a soft cheese and cheddar dip, topped with a spiced vegetable and apple chutney, ham hock, silverskin onions and parsley.
'We knew our customers already loved our Ploughman's Pot, so we sat down and were like what variation of this could we make that they'd love even more, so we ended up with the dip and also a spicy Ploughman's Pot.'
There's also a new Topped Chicken Shawarma Dip and a Whipped Spicy Nacho Cheese one.
'I believe anything can be a dip, it's something I challenge myself to think about every day,' Taron adds.
And when asked if we might ever see the beloved sauce from the discontinued M&S Pizza Dippers turned into a dip, she said: 'Never say never, watch this space.'
But the best part about the topped dips is that they're incredibly versatile – you can dunk crisps into them, or you can get a little more creative.
'A few people have told me they've been using them as bagel or sandwich fillings, especially the Chicken Shawarma one as it's got everything you need in it.'
Taron also shared a few other hacks for the new products as it turns out they can be used as more than just picky bits – they could help you create the ultimate dinner.
'They're not just picky bits, they're ingredients. For instance, some of our pepper pots, like the new Sunburst Orange Peppers, are really good if you chop them up and put them in a salad,' she suggests.
'We've also launched balsamic onions, which are great for snacking, but similarly, if you're making a pasta dish, you can chop those up and add them to that.
'I also like to take the Red Pepper & Walnut Dip and put it straight on a plate, you can do the same with the aubergine one. Then I take some broccoli or steamed veg and put that over the top and drizzle with a little olive oil. It becomes a beautiful deconstructed salad.
'The Whipped Herby Feta Dip would also pair nicely with some steamed broccoli, maybe throw some seeds on top and olive oil. It'll go down really well.'
If you prefer to stick with a more classic picky tea, then you could always make a 'charcutable', which is something Taron loves to do when having people over to eat.
For this, she covers her dining table in greaseproof paper, then lays everything out on top of it, straight on the table, like a giant charcuterie board. More Trending
What you put on the table will depend on who is eating and where you are, but she recommends starting with some olives, as they're 'super easy to snack on'.
'You definitely need a dip,' she continues. 'Grab a Topped Chicken Shawarma and then you'll need a dip carrier. We've got some amazing new crisps, but the pitta chips also go really well with the chicken.
'Next, you'll want some kind of pastry, like a sausage roll and then add some pots, perhaps meat and cheese, some peppers and the new bean ones – the Giant Butterbeans with a Caesar-style dressing would be perfect.
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'This way, you've got a bit of everything, there's good variety and you can try and please all your guests.'
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