Top St Patrick's Day food ideas

Celebrate all things Irish with our ultimate foodie guide to St Patrick's Day. From hearty family favourites and indulgent desserts to fresh, vibrant produce from Irish and Northern Irish Select Farms, find all the best St Patrick's Day food and recipes right here.

Assistant Copywriter

Florence Head

When is St Patrick’s Day?

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on 17 March, and in 2026 it falls on Tuesday 17 March.

What is St Patrick’s Day?

St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish heritage, history and community. Originally a religious feast day honouring Ireland’s patron saint, it has grown into a vibrant cultural celebration filled with music, dancing, parades and plenty of great food.

Today, it’s all about bringing people together — whether that’s sharing traditional Irish-inspired dishes, raising a glass or adding a little green to your gathering.

More food inspiration

Five St Patrick's Day food ideas

From soda bread to stout cake, get planning your St Patricks' Day menu.

More recipe ideas

1. Honey and ale soda bread

Try this sweet-meets-malty twist on the traditional Irish classic, made for slicing thick and serving warm from the oven. Finish with a spread of whipped honey butter with a pinch of sea salt.

Short on time? Our Sliced Brown Soda Bread is hand-moulded, made with fresh buttermilk from the Northern Irish Ballyrashane Creamery and baked in small batches.

Soda bread recipe

2. Colcannon cottage pie

Colcannon is a much-loved Irish dish traditionally served on St Patrick’s Day – a comforting combination of buttery mashed potato and greens, often elevated with scallions or cabbage.

Our Colcannon Cottage Pie is a new take on the classic, topping a rich beef filling with buttery colcannon and smoky bacon. Use ready-made Colcannon Mashed Potato, sprinkle with cheddar, and bake until golden.

Try the recipe

3. Beef meatball and dumpling stew

For a hearty, Irish-inspired supper, this glossy beef meatball and dumpling stew delivers all the deep, slow-cooked flavour you’d expect – but in a fraction of the time.

The finishing touch? Golden cheddar dumplings baked on top until crisp on the outside and fluffy within. Use our dumpling mix to make it beautifully simple – just mix, shape and nestle into the stew before baking.

Beef stew recipe

4. Peppermint stout cake

Bake up a showstopping way to end your St Patrick’s Day feast. Our Nitro Stout brings deep, malty richness to the cocoa-laden sponge, creating a wonderfully fudgy texture with real depth of flavour.

Click for the recipe

5. Malt Whisky Marmalade Jaffa Cakes

A twist on a teatime favourite, these Malt Whisky Marmalade Jaffa Cakes are chocolatey and just a little bit indulgent.

Made with our tangy Collection Malt Whisky Marmalade, they have a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with a soft sponge base and a glossy, bittersweet chocolate shell.

Explore the recipe

Drinks for St Patrick’s Day

Try our Nitro Stout, a full-bodied beer with a luxuriously creamy texture, thanks to a special nitrogen infusion. Expect deep, warming notes of coffee and cocoa.
Or make a baby Guinness, it looks just like a miniature pint – but contains no beer at all.

How to make it:

Chill your shot glass, coffee liqueur and Irish cream in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Pour 30ml coffee liqueur into the glass, then carefully float 15ml Irish cream liqueur on top using an inverted teaspoon.

What is Irish Cream?

Celebrate Irish produce

Much of the produce we love at M&S comes straight from Irish and Northern Irish Select Farms. From tender meats to fresh dairy and crisp potatoes, each ingredient is carefully sourced, reared and crafted with care. Browse a few below...

Diced Northern Irish Beef: Reared on M&S Select Farms in Northern Ireland, our beef is 100% traceable back to the farm and the animal it came from. Succulent and full of flavour, this diced beef is perfect for hearty slow-cooked stews – try adding a splash of stout for extra roasted depth.
Northern Irish Fully Trimmed Lamb Cutlets: These lamb cutlets come from animals reared on native pastures and free to roam and forage on root vegetables for fuller flavour. Expertly French-trimmed, they’re ready to cook straight from the pack and make an impressive main course.
Irish White Potatoes: Fluffy, versatile and sourced from trusted Irish M&S Select Farms, these potatoes are ideal for mashing, roasting or layering in comforting dishes like colcannon.
Northern Irish Free Range Large Eggs: Laid by hens free to roam on grassy pasture, our Northern Irish free-range eggs are enriched with extra omega-3 for heart and brain health.
Mature Irish White Cheddar: Expertly matured at the Newmarket Creamery in Co. Cork, this rich, creamy cheddar is crafted using local Irish milk.
Wexford Farm Yogurt Mixed Berry: Made on the Dunne family farm in Co. Wexford, this thick, creamy yogurt uses Irish whole milk and is blended with ripe strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants for a vibrant, fruity flavour – delicious on its own or as a topping for cakes and puddings.

St Patrick's Day ideas at M&S Food

Bring a little extra green to your day with our St Patrick’s Day recipes and inspiration. Take our Green Shakshuka, for example, it’s packed with soft Collection Spanish White Beans, plenty of green vegetables, crumbled feta, and a drizzle of fiery rose harissa. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s ideal for a bright start to St Paddy's Day.

Find everything you need for a flavour-packed celebration in our Foodhalls.

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Published 27/02/2026