We live in a time when the boundaries of food innovation are being pushed further and further. Sushi burritos, rainbow bagels, pickle ice cream—these culinary oddities often ignite social media storms, uniting skeptics and foodies in a collective gasp. But nothing prepared me for what I saw the other day on my feed: a Strawberries & Cream Sandwich—yes, a sandwich—from Marks & Spencer (M&S) Food.
My first reaction? Unfiltered mockery.
It seemed like something born out of a dare at 2 a.m. A sweet summer dessert awkwardly stuffed between two slices of bread. Not toasted. Not grilled. Just… there. Lying in its triangular plastic coffin, looking both innocent and offensive. I shared it online, accompanied by the sort of sarcasm usually reserved for pop-up ads or supermarket sushi. I may have even referred to it as a “gastronomic felony.”
But today, I come before you humbled, transformed, and ready to make amends.
A Chance Encounter in Rayleigh
It’s funny how life has a way of forcing you to eat your words—sometimes literally. The day after my online ridicule, I found myself in Rayleigh, Essex. While picking up a few essentials at the local M&S branch, I wandered over to the pre-packaged food section out of sheer curiosity. And there it was: the last Strawberries & Cream sandwich on the shelf.
Let me pause here.
It was mid-morning. Pre-lunch rush. And only one remained. Could it be that this Frankenstein of a sandwich was… popular? Were people willingly paying £2.80 for this sweet abomination?
My ego was bruised, but my curiosity got the better of me. I picked it up, partly for research, partly out of guilt for judging it too harshly. After all, how could I claim authority on a sandwich I hadn’t even tasted?
We live in a time when the boundaries of food innovation are being pushed further and further. Sushi burritos, rainbow bagels, pickle ice cream—these culinary oddities often ignite social media storms, uniting skeptics and foodies in a collective gasp. But nothing prepared me for what I saw the other day on my feed: a Strawberries & Cream Sandwich—yes, a sandwich—from Marks & Spencer (M&S) Food.
My first reaction? Unfiltered mockery.
It seemed like something born out of a dare at 2 a.m. A sweet summer dessert awkwardly stuffed between two slices of bread. Not toasted. Not grilled. Just… there. Lying in its triangular plastic coffin, looking both innocent and offensive. I shared it online, accompanied by the sort of sarcasm usually reserved for pop-up ads or supermarket sushi. I may have even referred to it as a “gastronomic felony.”
But today, I come before you humbled, transformed, and ready to make amends.
A Chance Encounter in Rayleigh
It’s funny how life has a way of forcing you to eat your words—sometimes literally. The day after my online ridicule, I found myself in Rayleigh, Essex. While picking up a few essentials at the local M&S branch, I wandered over to the pre-packaged food section out of sheer curiosity. And there it was: the last Strawberries & Cream sandwich on the shelf.
Let me pause here.
It was mid-morning. Pre-lunch rush. And only one remained. Could it be that this Frankenstein of a sandwich was… popular? Were people willingly paying £2.80 for this sweet abomination?
My ego was bruised, but my curiosity got the better of me. I picked it up, partly for research, partly out of guilt for judging it too harshly. After all, how could I claim authority on a sandwich I hadn’t even tasted?
