A self-confessed Marks & Spencer superfan has revealed he spends about £250 a month in the store because he loves it so much.
Chef Daniel Stephenson has become obsessed with M&S – especially the food hall – since a store opened local to him in Farnham, Surrey.
Asked about his love of the snacks and how much he forks out in-store, Daniel said: “I’d say around £250 a month. Right now it’s the cookie cups, the cookie base is perfect and has a nice crisp bite to it and the fillings are always sweet and creamy. And savoury, it’s probably the avocado oil crisps with the Caesar loaded dip.”
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With his background working with food, he added: “I love M&S. I find an excuse to go there most days.
“I just love the quality and unique food they make.”
“There’s always something new to try,” he told What’s The Jam.
“My favourites at the moment are the crisps and dips.
“I equally love the cold picky bits as much as I love the bakery.
“I’m definitely up there as one of the biggest fans.
“I think it’s their creativity and quality of the food.
“It all tastes so good and, as a foodie, that means a lot to me.”
The 31-year-old foodie influencer regularly posts glowing tributes to the retailer online and in one viral video, he gushed over the illuminated signage outside his local branch as the sun set over the store.
He said: “I went there to try some of the M&S dip range after seeing it online.
“It was a sunny day and around 5pm.
“I looked up and saw the golden hour sun hitting the front of the store and just thought, ‘Wow, that looks beautiful, I need to share this’, and then filmed my video.
“It was just the way the sun was hitting the building.
“It felt like a magical moment and as if the universe itself was shining a light on this amazing store.”
The video quickly attracted thousands of views and comments – including one from rival supermarket Tesco.
Daniel said: “The response was great too.
“People could relate to it.
“I mean, who doesn’t love M&S right now?
“I even had a comment from Tesco to which I replied, ‘Not here, this is a tribute to M&S’.
“It got a lot of love from people and my comment got 10 times more likes than theirs.”
Daniel insisted his best-received videos happen when he’s “just experiencing M&S”, adding: “My content around it has been blowing up because I just share real moments when I go there.
“I’m a chef by trade but have recently started my own marketing agency.
“I’m also a content creator and have been growing my own pages with food reviews, hot takes and my love for M&S.
“Everything I do tends to revolve around food.”
Daniel said his online content has also garnered a response from M&S staff themselves, including members of the company’s food development team.
He said: “They’ve shared some of my posts and often engage.
“Some people accuse me of being rich or middle class because of how often I go.
“It has definitely become something I’m now known for.
“I’ve been called ‘the M&S guy’ in the street a few times.
“The product development team liking and sharing my videos feels great too. It’s cool to know they have seen my stuff and I hope they feel the love.”
And he had one final message for fellow food lovers.
Daniel added: “You only have one life, buy some picky bits, eat a pack of cookies and enjoy the time you have.”
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