Choose a frozen platter or smaller sides if you want a selection to share; choose a frozen meal-in-a-bag if you need one main dish instead. Pack weight and piece count do not guarantee enough food for a family, so check the serving information and plan any accompanying dishes. A chilled sharing pack is an alternative only if buying and storing chilled food suits your plans.
A frozen platter provides several starter-style items in one pack. Iceland Foods lists approximately 40 pieces in its 760g Chinese Takeaway Platter, but does not state that it is a complete meal for a particular number of people.
A meal-in-a-bag makes more sense when noodles and chicken should be the centre of the meal rather than separate small plates. Iceland Foods lists a 750g Oriental Chicken Noodles Stir Fry with cook-from-frozen instructions.
If freezer storage is not essential, a prepared sharing pack is another route. Waitrose & Partners lists its 1,294g Chinese Takeaway Favourites for two among fresh and chilled ready meals.
Choose when: You want different starter-style items on the table without selecting each one separately.
Bear in mind: Iceland Foods’ platter has no stated serving count, and its components have separate air-fryer instructions.
Choose when: You want one noodles-and-chicken main rather than a selection of starters.
Bear in mind: Iceland Foods’ 750g noodles bag is one dish, not a mixed takeaway-style spread.
Choose when: A prepared selection matters more than buying it frozen.
Bear in mind: Waitrose & Partners sells its sharing pack as a fresh and chilled ready meal, so check its storage and use-by instructions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Amount and format | Look for a stated serving count, then check whether the weight covers a main or starter items. Iceland Foods lists a 760g platter with approximately 40 pieces and a separate 750g noodles main; Waitrose & Partners states that its 1,294g chilled pack serves two. | I’m feeding several people, so I need to know what else to put on the table rather than relying on pack weight alone. |
| Cooking method | Check the instructions for the exact pack and each component. Iceland Foods gives different air-fryer directions for platter items; its noodles bag lists 13–15 minutes in a wok or 14 minutes in an 800W microwave. | If I’m preparing several dishes at once, I want cooking methods that work with the equipment and time I have. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label for every dish and sauce, including precautionary statements. Check each product separately rather than applying one pack’s ingredient list to a whole range. | Someone at my table needs to check particular ingredients, so the exact packs matter more than the style of meal. |
| Storage | Confirm whether the product is sold frozen or chilled. For a chilled pack, check its use-by date and any product-specific freezing instructions. | I may need to keep the meal until a later takeaway night, so I want a storage method that fits my plans. |
Iceland Foods’ 760g platter contains approximately 40 starter-style pieces, while its 750g noodles bag is one main dish. Neither figure alone tells you how many people will have a complete dinner.
Use a declared serving count where one is given. Otherwise, decide which dishes are mains and which are sides before working out what to buy.
The Iceland Foods platter gives separate air-fryer directions for particular components as well as a whole-pack oven method.
Follow the current pack’s directions for the items you are cooking, rather than applying one component’s setting to everything.
Ingredients differ between a platter, a noodle dish and individual sides; sauces and coatings also need checking.
If anyone needs to avoid an ingredient, read the full label and precautionary statements on each current pack before preparation.
A large prepared sharing pack is not necessarily sold frozen. Waitrose & Partners lists Chinese Takeaway Favourites for two among fresh and chilled ready meals.
Choose a product sold frozen if that is what your plan requires. If considering a chilled pack for later use, follow its own storage, freezing and use-by instructions.
Iceland Foods lists both a 760g frozen Chinese Takeaway Platter and a 750g frozen Oriental Chicken Noodles Stir Fry.
Sainsbury's lists frozen Chinese and Thai party food alongside individual Chinese-style ready meals.
Tesco Groceries lists frozen Chinese, Thai and Asian ready meals, including dumplings and noodle dishes.
Marks & Spencer lists a 1.37kg Chinese Favourites ready-meal selection described as made for sharing.
Waitrose & Partners lists its 1,294g Chinese Takeaway Favourites for two as a fresh and chilled sharing pack.
These options cover a noodle main, spring rolls for a sharing spread and a mixed dim sum platter. Check each pack’s quantity against the rest of your takeaway-night menu.
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For a frozen noodle main rather than a mixed starter selection. The three separate 660g packs contain noodles, mushrooms, vegetables and tofu; the product directions specify boiling from frozen. Check how many packs suit your table and read the current allergen label.
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A frozen starter component for a spread, not a complete meal or mixed platter. The box contains 50 vegetable spring rolls of 15g each. Check the pack for its exact frying directions and current allergen information.
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A frozen assortment for sharing as part of a wider meal. The platter lists 20 pieces across four dim sum varieties, with steaming specified as the preparation method. Plan other dishes if the table needs a full dinner, and check the current cooking and allergen labels.
Weight alone cannot answer that. Iceland Foods’ 760g platter has approximately 40 starter-style pieces without a stated serving count, while its 750g noodles bag is one main dish. Check for declared servings and consider what other mains or sides you will serve.
Do not apply one component’s time to the entire platter. Iceland Foods gives separate air-fryer directions for specified pieces and a separate whole-pack oven method; follow the instructions on your current pack.
The Iceland Foods platter and noodles bag both have cook-from-frozen instructions. Use the method stated on the exact pack you buy rather than assuming that every frozen dish has the same preparation requirements.
Read the current ingredients, allergen declaration and precautionary statements on every pack you intend to serve. The Iceland Foods platter and noodles dish have different ingredient lists, so one product’s label cannot stand in for another’s.
No: Waitrose & Partners lists Chinese Takeaway Favourites for two among fresh and chilled ready meals, even though the pack is marked suitable for freezing. If you plan to freeze a chilled product, check its current label, use-by date and storage directions first.