Tesco’s latest sandwich launch has sent the food and drink industry into a frenzy. Featuring strawberry jam with a cream cheese filling, between two slices of soft, brioche-style bread – complete with rainbow sprinkles – the Birthday Cake sandwich is in stores for a limited, four-week run.
Industry insiders have been quick to comment on the innovation online, raising questions over both its nutritional credentials and its originality. While some are concerned about the UPF and HFSS status of the sandwich – which is listed as a main course in Tesco’s lunchtime meal deal – others argue it’s a poor imitation of M&S’s viral Red Diamond Strawberry and Crème Sandwich, which hit chillers to much fanfare last month.
In all fairness, Tesco launched a British Strawberries & Clotted Cream Sandwich in 2011 for the bargain price of £1, so it could be argued M&S was late to the game.
While both lines of inquiry raise interesting arguments, is it possible we’re taking Tesco’s latest PR stunt a little too seriously?
Harmless fun
It’s worth pointing out that the sandwich was launched as part of Tesco’s ongoing 30th birthday celebrations for Clubcard, which have already seen the supermarket dish out £30 vouchers for staff and host a 1990s-inspired club night at the Vinyl Factory, London. Taking the celebration in-store is an effective way to communicate the festivities to shoppers en masse.
Tesco’s sandwich also builds on the proliferation of the ‘birthday cake’ flavour in UK fmcg launches over recent months. Mr Kipling added Birthday Cake tarts, complete with fondant icing and rainbow sprinkles, in December; Yazoo launched a Birthday Cake milkshake under its Inspirations range in March; and Sides expanded its ice cream range with Marshmallow Cake in May.
And there’s no denying it’s a canny PR stunt. M&S’s strawberry sandwich made national headlines last month – with social media videos, taste reviews, VAT debates and even global food trend analysis – so Tesco will have anticipated a similar viral reaction to its sarnie.
The Grocer understands the sandwich has been in development for nine months, but the buzz around M&S’s launch might have convinced Tesco to pull the trigger a little faster than planned…
Public health fiasco
These products are unapologetically indulgent. However, they sit squarely in the ’treat’ category. By contrast, some commentators have taken issue with the fact that Tesco’s sandwich is positioned as a ‘main’ in the supermarket’s meal deal, despite the fact that it features a red label for sugar, containing 31.5g sugars per portion. Government guidance outlines that adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars (sugars added to food or drinks) per day.
The NPD is also high in saturated fat, containing 8.4g, or 42% of the reference intake. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it weighs in at 515 calories – 26% of the reference intake for adults.
You could also argue that the on-pack messaging – which reads “get it while you can” – encourages shoppers to make unhealthy, impulsive choices. However, the fact that Tesco isn’t planning to add this as a permanent part of its range also suggests it recognises the sandwich isn’t a sustainable component of a healthy diet.
Commenting on the sweet sandwiches on LinkedIn, Mitch Lee, senior national account manager for Pack’d, said: “I wouldn’t fancy either as my main meal, but could see both making a fun change for dessert or a snack.”
Retail business consultant Mark Murrin pointed out that Tesco’s sandwich was: “Not great with the sugar levels, washed down in the meal deal with a full-fat Coke and a bag of crisps.”
It’s also not had the greatest reception. While the M&S strawberry sandwich was a resounding success, the Tesco version has had decidedly mixed reviews. The sugary creation is a far cry from the supermarket’s top-selling sandwiches: Chicken Club, Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple and Chicken Triple. It’s almost as if British shoppers agree: birthday cake should come once a year.
So while Tesco’s Birthday Cake sandwich won’t be winning any awards for nutrition any time soon, those worried about its impact on public health can rest assured that British shoppers won’t be rushing to make it a regular part of their diet.
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