Marks & Spencer is hoping to cash in on the popularity of retro products as well as consumers' appetite for low-price comfort food with the launch of a jam sandwich.
The basic sandwich, comprising just strawberry jam, butter and white bread, will go on sale in M&S stores from next week, priced at 75p.
"We are delighted to be launching this national favourite," said M&S sandwich specialist Katy Patino. "It really is the ultimate comfort food at an unbeatable price - plus, it's the only place on the high street where you can get a jam sandwich. For those who haven't eaten one for years, one bite takes you straight back to your childhood."
Are Marks and Spencer losing the plot in their bid to win back customers? They may well be the only place on the high street to stock jam sandwiches but isn't that because they're so easy and cheap to make at home?
What will they think of next? Bread and Dripping perhaps? with or without salt?
Heres a letter i sent to Marks 5 years ago. So much for it being their idea.
John J Marley
Dear Marks & Spencer, 20/02/2004
After a busy days shopping in Belfast City Centre I was feeling rather peckish, so I called at one of your stores for some sustenance. A sandwich I thought- that’d do the trick. Ah, but what type of sandwich?
I’m not the ‘smoked salmon’ or ‘Prawn and Avocado’ type. Even Cheese and Ham is a bit exotic for me, but I do like a good ‘Jam’ sandwich. So I searched the shelves for your jam sandwiches but had no luck. Odd, I thought; my family was brought up on these; surely there’s a market for them. I wandered around the food aisles in vain. I located one of your young men to ask him their whereabouts. Imagine my disbelief when he revealed there were no jam sandwiches and never have been. I stood there, motionless, open mouthed, feeling my anger slowly take over my body as this most disturbing information sank in. The store manager then confirmed the bad news. Smiling he was. He then made an attempt at an apology. I got them both by their ear-lobes, spun them round and made them apologise to everyone else; loud enough so that even those at the back of the store could hear.
Please Marks & Spencer, surely there is room in your store for one of the most popular of sandwiches or is Marks & Spencer really above this humble fare? Have you removed yourselves from the taste buds of the Belfast people? Perhaps you just want the common, Belfast, jam-breathed riff-raff to go elsewhere.
It’s time to go back to our roots. The Belfast people demand a new range of sandwiches:
The Jam sandwich (or The Strawberry Preserve Sandwich if you want to ‘posh it up’ as you probably would)
The Brown Sauce sandwich
The Sugar Sandwich (The Demerara Delight)
The Salad Cream sandwich
The Beef Dripping sandwich
You could call them ‘Ma's range'. I want them in your store sharpish or i'll be back!
Yours Sincerely,
John J Marley
Anather way supermarkets want to make us lazy, 75 p for a jam sandwich?? Even if they do exist (looks like John J Marley couldn't find them in belfast) isnt this just a great example of value added with very little ingredients??
If you are into jam sandwiches, why not keep a jar of jam, a knife and a loaf of bread in your desk drawer/hand bag/glove compartment and make one when the fancy takes you. If you haven't had one since you were a child, then maybe this can be a great way to lay off the microwave dinners and remember what your mum used to cook.
Im sure this is a hoax, what idiot is going to buy a jam sandwich in the supermarket anyway?? I will check next time I pass a M&S and see if they exist, I might even give one a try...
I have not tried the Jam one but the ham sandwich in the same range(£1) is a delight. White bread, english ham and butter. Hits the spot!
The action taken to national disaster is awesome but it's a damn shame that so many people take advantage of the sad situations.
I mean everytime there is an earthquake, a flood, an oil spill - there's always a group of heartless people who rip off tax payers.
This is in response to reading that 4 of Oprah Winfreys "angels" got busted ripping off the system. Shame on them!
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/19/crimesider/entry5251471.shtml