I tried M&S’s new Marmite pizza — it was so good I couldn’t put it down

Marmite has a unique salty, savoury flavour that some people love and others loathe. Its slogan, ‘you either love it or hate it,’ couldn’t be more accurate. I’ve personally always loved it. Even as a child, I’d ask for Marmite sandwiches in my school lunch and slather the stuff onto my toast in the morning. I’ve also enjoyed various Marmite-flavoured snacks in the past, including Marmite cheese, Marmite crisps, and my personal favourite, Marmite and cheese puffs.

So when I saw Marks and Spencer had released a range of Marmite-flavoured products to mark the five-year anniversary of their collaborations with Marmite, I couldn’t wait to try them. To make the tasting fair, I enlisted the help of my husband, who neither loves nor hates Marmite — he is firmly on the fence.

It’s Mac & Cheese Marmite — 6/10

The Marmite Mac & Cheese was my least favourite dish in the collection. Although I microwaved it rather than oven-cooked it, I still found the flavour lacking.

The macaroni is coated in a Marmite and Cornish Cove cheese sauce, which I found lacked seasoning and needed more Marmite for a stronger flavour. The cheddar cheese and Marmite crumb had a lovely herby flavour, but unfortunately, I found this to be quite soggy. But as I said, this could be because I cooked it in the microwave rather than the oven.

Buy M&S It’s Mac & Cheese Marmite for £3.75 from Ocado

Marmite Dinky Cheese Pinwheels — 7/10

When I first tried these, I loved them. They had a strong Marmite flavour but weren’t too salty. The cheese added a nice tang, and the pastry was lovely and flaky, even when eaten cold.

These had the strongest Marmite flavour, which could put off people who are slightly less keen on its unique flavour. Despite this, my husband liked them, but probably not as much as I did.

However, it was after I baked these that I noticed the texture of the pastry started to change. Served warm, these were delicious; perfectly salty with a slight oozy cheese flavour. But as soon as they started to cool down and became lukewarm, they weren’t as enjoyable.

The pastry itself became a little too dry and cardboard-like, which made the eating experience less enjoyable. My recommendation would be to enjoy these completely cold or heated up. Just make sure to eat them while they’re still warm.

Buy Marmite Dinky Cheese Pinwheels for £3.75 from Ocado

It’s Mac & Cheese Bites & Marmite — 8/10

These had a slightly more subtle flavour, which my husband preferred. After the pinwheels, I found myself wanting a stronger Marmite flavour, but this soon subsided the more I tucked in.

The mac and cheese bites have a delicious Marmite crumb and an oozy cheese and Marmite sauce that perfectly coats the small pieces of pasta. I was expecting the flavour to be quite bland like the Mac & Cheese ready meal, but it wasn’t, and I feel this is largely down to the crumb coating.

My husband really liked these as the flavour wasn’t too intense. We both agreed that even people who didn’t particularly like Marmite would enjoy these.

Buy It’s Mac & Cheese Bites & Marmite from Ocado for £4

It’s Cheddar Sausage Rolls & Marmite — 9/10

My husband and I agreed that, Marmite aside, these were some of the best sausage rolls we had ever eaten. They were well-filled, packed with flavour, and encased in a delicious, buttery pastry topped with cheese.

One of the reasons these were so good was the sausage meat itself. They are made with outdoor-bred British pork and smoked bacon and then filled with Barber’s mature cheddar.

You can definitely taste the Marmite in these and but it’s a much more subtle flavour which is delicious paired with the smoked bacon and cheese. We both agreed we’d buy these again.

Buy It’s Cheddar Sausage Rolls & Marmite for £3.80 from Ocado

It’s 3 Cheese Pizza & Marmite — 10/10

Finally, we tried the viral cheese and Marmite pizza everyone has been talking about on social media. I’ve heard very mixed reviews about this pizza, with some people loving it and some people hating it, but isn’t that to be expected with a Marmite and cheese pizza?

We both loved this pizza and agreed we would definitely be making a special trip to our local M&S store for another. Other than what I had read on social media, I didn’t know much about this pizza. I wasn’t sure if it had a tomato base or whether it contained vegetables, but I’m pleased to report it had neither.

The base sauce is a delicious creamy Marmite béchamel that melts in the mouth; it’s salty, sharp, and perfectly creamy. The base is then topped with three types of cheese: classic mozzarella, sharp cheddar and Red Leicester. I wasn’t sure whether I’d like the addition of Red Leicester, but this worked really well with the savoury flavour of the Marmite.

The base itself was crisp with a satisfying chew and didn’t feel greasy despite the amount of cheese on top. The only problem was that I couldn’t put it down once I had one bite.

I can also report that this pizza also passed the ultimate test: it tasted good cold. Some pizzas lose their flavour when they’re cold and can become cardboard-like. The Marmite cheese pizza became even more flavourful with the Marmite becoming the more dominant flavour over the cheese, which I loved.

Buy It’s 3 Cheese Pizza & Marmite for £6 from Ocado

The verdict

I would buy every item in M&S’s Marmite range again, apart from the macaroni cheese. If you’re after some nibbles for a party, then you can’t go wrong with the It’s Mac & Cheese Bites & Marmite and the Marmite Dinky Cheese Pinwheels.

For a quick lunchtime snack, I’d highly recommend digging into the It’s Cheddar Sausage Rolls & Marmite, and for a weekend night in with your spouse, the 3 Cheese Pizza & Marmite is a winner.