Choose one frozen dish when everyone wants the same main and the pack’s serving and cooking directions suit your group. Build a meal from separate frozen mains and sides when tastes differ, checking what each pack contributes; a chilled sharing box is an alternative only if freezer storage is not essential.
If everyone wants the same dish, a single bag reduces the number of items to plan. Iceland Foods gives half-pack frozen cooking directions for its Chinese Chicken Stir Fry 750g; check the serving guidance before deciding how much your group needs.
Separate mains and sides let you choose different dishes rather than relying on one fixed bag. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list frozen ready meals alongside items such as dumplings and bao, but each pack’s role and servings still need checking.
Read the ingredients and allergen declaration on every exact pack, including sauces and sides. The Iceland Foods stir-fry examples list wheat and soya, and one also lists sesame; the cuisine name alone cannot tell you whether a product suits someone’s requirements.
Start with the number of diners and the main dish, then decide whether sides add the variety you want or are being asked to make up the meal.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portions | Compare labelled servings with the number of diners. Check whether cooking directions cover the whole pack or a smaller amount; Iceland Foods gives half-pack directions for its Chinese Chicken Stir Fry 750g, but whole-pack directions for its Oriental Chicken Noodles Stir Fry 750g. | I want enough main dish for our group without assuming that a 750g bag feeds a particular number of people. |
| Menu | Identify the main before adding starters and sides. Tesco and Sainsbury’s frozen ranges include both ready meals and smaller items such as dumplings or bao; check each item’s labelled servings or piece count. | Different people want different dishes, so I would rather combine a main with selected sides than serve one shared recipe. |
| Ingredients | Check each current pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration. GOV.UK says that any of the 14 regulated allergens present as ingredients in UK prepacked food must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list. | Someone at the table needs me to check every dish, not just the main or a product we bought previously. |
| Storage and cooking | Confirm that the item is frozen if freezer storage matters, then follow its own cooking method and quantities. Waitrose lists the sharing options cited here under fresh and chilled meals, while the M&S sharing selection is listed as ready-to-cook. | I am stocking the freezer ahead of fakeaway night, so a chilled sharing box would not meet that plan. |
Pack weight and cooking quantity do not, by themselves, establish how many diners a dish will feed. Iceland Foods gives different cooking quantities for two of its 750g frozen stir-fries.
Use the exact pack’s serving guidance and decide separately whether the meal needs rice, noodles, vegetables or another dish.
Dumplings, bao and other small-format items sit alongside ready meals in frozen Asian ranges. Several different sides do not necessarily add up to a main for every diner.
Choose the main dish first, then use labelled servings and piece counts to plan the sides.
Ingredients vary between products: the two Iceland Foods stir-fries cited here list wheat and soya, while the Oriental Chicken Noodles Stir Fry also lists sesame.
Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration on every pack you intend to serve.
A sharing format does not establish how an item should be stored. The Waitrose range cited here is listed under fresh and chilled meals, not frozen food.
If you need to store the food in the freezer, check the exact item’s storage instructions before buying.
These retailer examples show different ways to assemble a fakeaway; they are not a list of products available on Joybuy.
Iceland Foods lists frozen Chinese stir-fry bags that are relevant to a one-dish fakeaway.
Tesco’s frozen Chinese, Thai and Asian range includes ready meals, dumplings and bao for a multi-item menu.
Sainsbury’s frozen Chinese and Thai category lists ready meals alongside gyoza and bao.
M&S lists ready-to-cook Asian sharing selections, including a Thai Favourites Takeaway Box 1.11kg and Chinese Favourites 1.37kg.
Waitrose lists Chinese and Asian mains for two and sharing choices within its fresh and chilled ready-meal range.
These options include a noodle multipack and separate gyoza, dim sum and bao for a mixed fakeaway. Use each pack’s serving guidance when deciding which items will form the main meal.
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The three-pack format offers separate noodle packs for planning a fakeaway meal. Check the current pack’s labelled servings and ingredients before deciding how many diners it will cover.
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A dim sum platter can contribute a separate dish to a mixed menu. Check its labelled servings and current allergen declaration before relying on it for the group.
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The piece count helps when dividing a gyoza side between diners. Check the pack’s serving guidance, cooking directions and allergens, and plan a main separately if needed.
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An assortment adds another dish to a shared fakeaway. Check its labelled servings, cooking directions and current ingredients before deciding how it fits alongside the main.
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These pork-and-prawn bao can be planned as one part of a mixed menu. Check the pack’s serving guidance, cooking directions and allergen declaration before serving.
Not necessarily: weight alone does not establish a serving count. Check the exact pack’s labelled servings against the number of diners and the other dishes you plan to serve.
Only follow half-pack directions when they apply to that product. Iceland Foods gives frozen cooking directions based on half a pack for Chinese Chicken Stir Fry 750g, but whole-pack directions for Oriental Chicken Noodles Stir Fry 750g.
Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration on every exact pack, including sides. GOV.UK says any of the 14 regulated allergens present as ingredients in UK prepacked food must be clearly labelled in the ingredients list; the Iceland Foods stir-fries cited here list wheat and soya, and one also lists sesame.
Do not assume so from the sharing format. Waitrose lists the cited range under fresh and chilled ready meals, while the cited M&S selection is under ready-to-cook meals; check an exact item’s storage instructions if you need freezer storage.
Check the actual pack before serving, especially when someone has an allergy or intolerance. Iceland Foods advises that product information can change, so details from a previous purchase or an online listing should not replace the current label.