Sainsbury’s has been serving up some unexpected festive treats lately. This week, we told you about its £20 mince pie advent calendar (we’re counting down the days until we can get our hands on it!). Then came its controversial chocolate and mascarpone-filled pasta, which certainly got people talking.
Now there’s another love-it-or-hate-it idea on the menu: the supermarket’s first-ever Apple Crumble Sandwich.
Launching on 1 November, it layers crisp green apple, apple compote and crunchy granola crumble between slices of soft brioche. Crème fraîche, soft cheese and sticky salted caramel bring it all together. It’s basically apple crumble in sandwich form – and a very different take on the usual Christmas turkey filling.
How does it compare to M&S’s strawberry sando?
M&S’s viral summer sandwich paired soft white bread with strawberries, chocolate and pistachio cream. Sainsbury’s version is a much more autumnal affair, swapping the berries for slices of surprisingly crunchy apple, with granola for added texture, plus salted caramel for a richer, dessert-like finish. It comes in a single, which having tried it, feels about right. This product is definitely better treated as dessert, rather than a replacement for your regular ham and cheese. We’re filing this one under: fun!
And while this is Sainsbury’s first Apple Crumble Sandwich, it’s not the supermarket’s first foray into sweet festive sarnies. Last year, its Mince Pie Wrap caused a stir with its own pudding-inspired filling.
The new sandwich costs £1.85 on its own, or you can pick it up as the side in Sainsbury’s £3.95 standard meal deal or more premium £5.50 Plus deal, which includes a wider choice of mains. Either way, it’s a tempting excuse to swap your usual lunchtime packet of crisps for something a little more festive.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
