Is Marks & Spencer's Wimbledon-inspired strawberry and cream sarnie a Grand Slam... or a total flop? We try the sandwich everyone is talking about to find out

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

One major British institution has paid homage to another, as Marks & Spencer has released a strawberry and cream sandwich just in time for Wimbledon - but is it a Grand Slam or a total flop?
Celebrating the traditional summer treat, the UK supermarket has unveiled a limited edition sweet snack, inspired by Japanese 'sweet sandos'.
Retailing for £2.90 at the High Street Kensington branch, the shop opted for brioche-style sweet bread, filled with soft cheese and crème freche that housed full, decadent slices of its curated Red Diamond strawberries.
And sampling the fruity snack, FEMAIL awarded it a full three points.
With a sandwich where ingredients are minimal, quality is key - and M&S more than delivers on that front.
On first bite, I was wowed by how fresh and richly sweet the berries were, cutting through the creamy barrier with a fragrant tang.
The specially grown variety, provided by 'trusted M&S Select Farms' are 'left to ripen for longer to ensure they're deliciously sweet and juicy', proving their prowess in not just their huge size but juicy crimson red hue.
The supermarket isn't stingy either, offering a solid spread of three big strawberry halves.
Elsewhere the cream mixture - thickened by the addition of cheese - added an icing-like feel to the sandwich whereas as the sweet bread resembled a cakey sponge.
The offering felt more like a dessert than a sarnie - and was presented more like one - so expect to fill up on the sugary flavours.
While the sweet treat is certainly filling, I did notice that it sat heavy in my stomach for the rest of the day, and I wasn't able to finish it all.
Strawberries and cream are a quintessentially refreshing two-ingredient snack; so adding another carb element to it certainly made the meal feel more staunch.
The only thing I felt it was lacking was a third addition - perhaps a new texture like a runny jam or a crunchy smattering of sprinkles.
It's also not one you can nibble on throughout the day. Within a few hours, the remnants of my sandwich started sagging and falling apart.
And M&S isn't the only brand to offer a Wimbledon-themed treat; American restaurant Subway is offering free strawberry and cream sandwiches for one day only.
Selected locations will give away subs to fans on Monday 30th June 2025.
Lighter and less sweet than the cakey M&S sandwich, strawberry slices, clotted creme and a fruity puree are laid out on savoury Italian white bread.
While the ingredients don't feel as flavourful as the UK supermarket's, Subway offers a more delicate treat that doesn't settle as intensely.
The creme mixture is less decadent, but allows for a more relaxed and moreish snack.
Each participating Subway restaurant will have 100 6-inch Strawberries & Cream Subs to give away on its single day debut; in the below locations: Wimbledon (6/6A Hartfield Road), Birmingham (80 Smallbrook, Queensway), Liverpool (Central Shopping Centre), Derby (Pride Park) and Bristol (Galleries Food Court).
Marks & Spencer announced the release of their product - inspired by Japanese fruit sandwiches which originated as fruit shops opened near major train stations and business districts in the early 1900s - earlier this week.
As these businesses grew, many began to open cafes to allow the public to access luxury fruits at a reasonable by incorporating them into dishes such as parfaits, shortcakes and sandwiches.
M&S said that while its latest creation may be mistaken for a dessert, shoppers will find it in the regular savoury sandwich section.
It added the sandwiches were available to purchase in stores now, with some customers claiming to have already tried it.
Lighter and less sweet than the cakey M&S sandwich, strawberry slices, clotted creme and a fruity puree are laid out on savoury Italian white bread
One person rated it a '100000/10' and said it was the 'best sandwich ever' while commenting on M&S' Instagram account.
Another said: ''I have tried this already and it is berry berry good.'
A third penned: 'Where are my car keys!!!! I need to get this NOW.'
A fourth commented: 'I might have to treat myself to one on the way to work tomorrow,' while another compared it to 'cake on the go'.
M&S said: 'Inspired by the Japanese sweet sandos, recently spotted popping up in London 's trendiest Japanese patisseries, our product developers have long dreamed of creating a dessert sandwich.
'With our exclusive Red Diamond Strawberries at their juiciest best, the time has finally come to create the ultimate strawberries and creme experience.'
M&S is saying its strawberries and cream sandwich is ideal for 'alfresco lunches, afternoon tea at home, summer picnics, courtside snack breaks or a sweet afternoon pick me up'.
M&S Food first sold freshly made sandwiches in the 1920s, and expanded sales with pre-packed sandwiches in the 1980s. The retailer's food halls have sold four billion sandwiches to date.
One person rated it a '100000/10' and said it was the 'best sandwich ever' while commenting on M&S' Instagram account
Strawberries and cream are a popular British dessert often enjoyed in the summer months when the fruit is in season in the UK.
The combination is thought to date back to the Tudor era, where dishes of strawberries and cream would be served at Henry VIII's royal banquets.
It has also been made popular after being served at Wimbledon every year and is a popular snack with spectators.
Wimbledon announced are raising the price of their world famous strawberries and cream for the first time in 15 years.
The All England Club have taken great pride in freezing the price of strawberries at £2.50 per portion since 2010, but Mail Sport can reveal that will increase by 20p for 2025.
A spokesperson for the All England Club commented, 'We have taken the decision to slightly increase the price of strawberries this year from £2.50 to £2.70.
'We feel this modest increase still ensures that our world-famous strawberries are available at a very reasonable price.'
With tournament running costs increasing every year, the price hike shows even Wimbledon is not immune to the cost of living crisis.
The club sell around 140,000 punnets per year, meaning the new price will bring in an extra £28,000.
At £2.70 the event's iconic snack is easily the best value food on site. Wimbledon is also one of the very few sporting events which allows fans to bring in their own food and drink - including alcohol - so visitors on a budget can always bring in their own strawberries.
They would not be as fresh as those served up at Wimbledon, however, who only serve strawberries picked that morning and shipped in from the family-run Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent.