If you think there’s no place for fruit on pizza, look away now. However, if you’re a fan, then M&S is truly doing the lord’s work with its new take on the Hawaiian.
The British high street giant, home of the Sunny Side Up Whips, the Dippy Egg Cookie Cup and artist in residence Colin the Caterpillar, is absolutely trying to make pineapple happen this season with the Hot Honey Hawaiian Pizza.
The most reviled of all pizza toppings (pineapple + ham = hmmh?) is getting some extra ingredients to amp up the flavour or make it more palatable – you decide.
First of all, the pineapple used on M&S’s version has had a glow-up: it’s caramelised chilli pineapple now, which does sound delicious. Meanwhile, jalapeños and a hot honey sauce join the ‘more is more, less is a bore’ pizza party. And if that wasn’t exhausting enough, the dough is 30-hour slow-fermented. They’re really trying to rehabilitate the Hawaiian.
How does M&S describe this culinary lightning bulb moment? They’re calling it: ‘The sassiest flavour combo on the high street.’ Whether shoppers want a plate full of sass is up for debate, but the Hot Honey Hawaiian is part of the ‘swicy’ and ‘fricy’ trend. Now those words may look incredibly ugly, but for those not in the know, they mean sweet and spicy and (going out on a limb here) fruit and spicy.
M&S says: ‘It’s a next-level mix of sweet and savoury, crisp and doughy, fruity and spicy.’ (Why not croughy, though?)
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M&S is also calling the Hot Honey Hawaiian ‘limited-edition’ – so, like a Pumpkin Spice Latte and Creme Eggs, it’s a mayfly moment in the food industry. Whether it will be back remains to be seen. So, run, don’t walk etc etc, depending on your tolerance for such sacrilege/deliciousness. The Hot Honey Hawaiian Pizza is in M&S Foodhalls now.
Do say: Swicy AND fricy? Sounds nicey.
Don’t say: Honey, I think I’ll have a margherita instead.
Simon is Good Housekeeping’s Content Strategy Director working on content across all platforms. He was previously Lifestyle Digital Director working across GH, Red, Prima and Delish and previously Deputy Editor and Community Content Editor at metro.co.uk.
