Sainsbury’s is set to launch an apple crumble sandwich in November, combining fresh apple with fruit compote, crème fraîche and crumbled biscuits between slices of brioche.
The unusual dessert sandwich will be sold as part of the supermarket’s meal deal range, although it will be classed as a snack rather than a main item. It will form part of Sainsbury’s Christmas range.
Custard does not feature in the recipe, which instead uses the sweetened bread and creamy filling to recreate the familiar flavours of apple crumble.
The product follows the growing popularity of fruit-filled sandwiches inspired by Japan’s ‘furutsu sando’. These traditionally pair fruit such as kiwi, mango or berries with whipped cream inside soft, sweetened milk bread.
Marks & Spencer helped bring the trend to British supermarkets when it introduced a strawberries and cream sandwich ahead of Wimbledon for £2.80. Despite attracting some scepticism, it sold 75,000 units in its first five days.
The retailer later released a £3.50 version containing chocolate, strawberry and pistachio crème on cocoa-enriched bread. Tesco also introduced a £3 birthday cake sandwich, made with strawberry jam and cream cheese on brioche, to mark 30 years of its Clubcard scheme.
Aldi mocked the trend by proposing a vegetable alternative. In a social media post, the supermarket wrote: “This is not just any sando… this is a Carrot and Creme Sando, 500,000 likes and we’ll make it happen.”
Sainsbury’s other Christmas offerings are due to include fox-themed bao buns and mince pies made for dogs.
