Let Rick Stein make your dinner à deux this Valentine's

There’s nothing more romantic than treating your loved one to a lavish dinner this Valentine’s Day. But if you don’t fancy sitting in a restaurant surrounded by all those other courting couples, why not whip up a decadent meal for two with the help of a luxury meal box?. From lavish lobster to a six-course supper by a Michelin-starred chef, these boxes contain everything you need to woo that special someone. Sarah Rainey puts them to the test...

RICK STEIN’S LUXURY LOBSTER. £136, dishpatch.co.uk. A three-course banquet by Rick Stein, featuring grilled scallops, lobster thermidor with new potatoes and an intense chocolatey dessert, this is a truly extravagant feast for fish lovers. The ingredients arrive chilled, and ‘cooking’ them requires little more than a blast in the oven. It takes 20 minutes from box to table. Celebrity chef Rick Stein (pictured) offers a meal box comprising a three-course banquet.

Featuring grilled scallops, lobster thermidor with new potatoes and an intense chocolatey dessert, Rock Stein's meal box is a truly extravagant feast for fish lovers. The scallops are huge and succulent; the thermidor sauce is rich; and the dessert is an indulgent mousse. Our only complaint? My husband wanted more lobster and potatoes, but otherwise it’s a triumph. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. ROMANCE RATING: Minimal cooking means you can focus on date night. 4/5.

TOMMY BANKS’S SIX-COURSE SUPPER. £175, madeinoldstead.co.uk. This opulent feast comprises celeriac and truffle ‘croustades’, sourdough with mushroom parfait, halibut in butter sauce, monkfish with fondant potatoes, chocolate tarts and petit fours of madeleines and whisky chocolates. Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks is a meal-kit pro – but if you’re not in the mood for hard work this isn’t for you.

From sprinkling cured egg yolk to black garlic puree, I feel like a veritable MasterChef. But the effort pays off as it tastes sensational. There are meat and veg alternatives, too. DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Hard. ROMANCE RATING: Pricier and more faff than some, but cooks will adore it.3/5. FORMAN & FIELD’S CELEBRATION DINNER. £83.95, formanandfield.com. THREE courses comprising salmon paupiettes (a dish served at Buckingham Palace for the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012), pulled beef wellingtons with dauphinoise potatoes, and individual chocolate caramel pots.

It arrives beautifully packed, with each dish in a recyclable bamboo container. The starter – smoked salmon filled with chunks of crab and lobster – is ready to serve, as is the pud, and the mains take 20 minutes. My favourite is the wellington: golden pastry encasing tender beef, with the creamiest dauphinoise. A decadent dinner at a reasonable price. ROMANCE RATING: Transforms our kitchen into a fancy restaurant.5/5.

COTE BISTRO’S FRENCH FEAST. £89.95, coteathome.co.uk. Cote Bistro's Valentine’s kit offers options for each of the three courses: baked camembert or scallops; confit duck, chateaubriand or lobster; and cherry tarts or creme caramel. Writer Sarah Rainey gave Cote Bistro's Valentine's meal box a rating of 4/5. This Valentine’s kit offers options for each of the three courses: baked camembert or scallops; confit duck, chateaubriand or lobster; and cherry tarts or creme caramel.

The scallops, lobster and cherry tarts are huge portions, with a bucket of chips and garlicky broccoli to go with the main, and buttery peas with bacon to go with my scallops. The starter takes eight minutes, the lobster 20 and the tarts 15. There’s even an optional lobster cracking-tool for £10. It’s not the fanciest food, but it’s homely and we finish the lot. However, the tarts are too sickly-sweet for me.

ROMANCE RATING: Add a touch of French flair to your dinner. 4/5. COOK’S FROZEN SPEEDY SPREAD. £49.70, cookfood.net. COOK's Valentine's meal for two (pictured) is the best value of all the meal boxes and promises an extravaganza of cheese soufflés, beef wellington and red berry mousse. Frozen ready meal experts COOK is offering a special Valentine’s meal for two. It’s the best value of the lot and promises an extravaganza of cheese soufflés, beef wellington and red berry mousse. The box arrives crammed full of handily portioned dishes that are ready to pop in the oven.

The cooking times are quite long and I don’t realise until too late that I’m meant to defrost the mousses for 4-5 hours. My souffles, though gorgeously cheesy, look flat. It’s tasty food but nothing I couldn’t rustle up myself. Still, it means I can put my feet up. ROMANCE RATING: A decent dinner but no ‘wow’ factor. 2/5. JOSE PIZARRO’S LAMB BANQUET. £100, dishpatch.co.uk. This three-course meal kit centres around a suckling lamb leg with garlic yoghurt, crispy potatoes and a zesty salad. There are jamon croquettes and cod pate to start, plus a Basque cheesecake with strawberry compote for dessert.