
I tried the new M&S strawberry sandwich – it's delicious & different but you'll only buy it once
BERRY TWIST I tried the new M&S strawberry sandwich – it's delicious & different but you'll only buy it once
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M&S has unveiled its first-ever dessert sandwich, the Red Diamond Strawberries & Creme Sandwich, and it's already causing a stir among food lovers.
Priced at £2.80, this limited-edition sweet treat combines British summer nostalgia with a touch of Japanese culinary influence, but does it live up to expectations?
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Fabulous report Leanne Hall taste tested Marks & Spencer's latest sandwich
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The Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme is Limited Edition
Credit: Supplied
The sandwich is made using M&S's exclusive Collection British Red Diamond Strawberries, which are known for their sweetness and juiciness, paired with whipped cream cheese and crème fraîche.
Inspired by Japan's viral cream-filled sandwiches, often spotted in trendy patisseries, M&S has reimagined the concept with a British twist, reminiscent of the iconic strawberries and cream served at Wimbledon.
M&S has a long history of sandwich innovation, having introduced freshly made sandwiches in the 1920s and revolutionising the UK high street with pre-packed sandwiches in the 1980s.
Since then, the retailer has sold over four billion sandwiches, making this latest launch a bold new addition to its portfolio.
But is the dessert sandwich a summer sensation or simply a novelty?
Fabulous reporter Leanne Hall decided to put the new creation to the test.
'This new addition to the M&S summer food collection is one you won't want to miss,' Leanne said.
'It seems the British retailer has taken inspiration from Japan's viral cream-filled sandwiches and Wimbledon's signature dish, strawberries and cream, to create the perfect summer snack.
'The concept may seem strange, but it works.'
Leanne was initially sceptical about the cream filling, which combines soft cream cheese and crème fraîche, rather than the whipped cream traditionally used in Japanese fruit sandwiches.
I've found the perfect summer top from M&S, and I'm even more excited now I can finally shop there online again
'I was hesitant at first,' she admitted, 'but the two worked well together. It had the luxurious texture of clotted cream, which added a richness to the sandwich.'
The strawberries were the standout element.
'They were excellent - they had a great bite, weren't soggy, and were packed with flavour,' Leanne said.
However, the bread proved to be divisive.
'While it did have a sweetness to it, the texture was too bready, and the crusts felt too hard for the soft filling,' she noted.
Despite these minor drawbacks, Leanne believes the dessert sandwich is worth trying.
'For those who love a limited-edition treat - or even a Müller Corner strawberry yoghurt - this is worth a go, especially when enjoying the hot weather in the park.'
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TikTokers have also been giving their reviews online
Credit: Supplied
M&S's strawberry sandwich is currently trending on TikTok as many foodies rush to the stores to get their hands on one.
Some have praised it for being a great "sweet treat" however, others aren't too pleased that you "only receive half of one sandwich."
Someone else stated that it was a "crazy thought to know that someone else in the UK currently has the other half to this sandwich."
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Scottish Sun
27 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
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Meanwhile, The Original Factory Shop in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, has also been earmarked for closure. The store announced the closure in a similar Facebook post and said: 'We'll soon be closing the store and would like to take this time to thank all of our customers at Mexborough store. "We have loved serving you and being part of the local community.' They added: 'We hope you will pop in to see us before we close.' The news comes after The Original Factory Shop announced it is shutting three more locations. The shop in Caldicot, Wales, closed for good last week. The store in Market Drayton, Shropshire will also shut its doors for the last time on September 20. Plus The Original Factory Shop in Nairn, Scotland, has also been earmarked for closure. Meanwhile, at least four The Original Factory stores closed last month. Among them was the shop in Staveley, Chesterfield, which shut its doors for good on July 12. 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Scottish Sun
42 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
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Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CUT-PRICE car rentals might be hard to resist but some bargain bucket deals are allegedly taking tourists for a ride. Angry British holidaymakers reeled in by prices as low as £7 accuse Croatian-based Carwiz of bullying sales tactics, fabricating damage, verbal abuse and even assault. 8 Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: 'F*** off" Credit: Darren Fletcher 8 Carwiz operates in 450 locations worldwide, with franchises across Europe, Asia and as far away as Miami Credit: LinkedIn Online reviews of the firm's franchises seen by The Sun allege staff have forged documents, up-sold unnecessary insurance, and taken unauthorised payments from credit cards. Meanwhile 36-year-old Londoner Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: 'F*** off.' Simone, who works for a tech firm, told The Sun: 'I know there are reputable companies out there, but clearly I went for one that isn't. 'The stress I felt in that Carwiz office and for days afterwards was off the scale. 'I won't be renting a car from them or anyone else ever again.' Carwiz operates in 450 locations worldwide, with franchises across Europe, Asia and as far away as Miami. The firm's latest franchise opened last month at London Heathrow, and the company claims to offer a "premium service, affordability, and a little bit of magic". But customers we spoke to branded Carwiz's franchises a racket. Simone claimed she was stunned when Nicole found a £7.68 deal on travel site with a hire firm operating a Carwiz franchise in Bucharest. 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Byron was able to recover the lost cash by claiming on insurance. He is now collecting customers' experiences of Carwiz to submit a joint complaint to the European Consumer Commission. He added: 'I rent cars several times a year and I'm not the kind of person to duck out of responsibility. I have no problem with paying for damage I've caused, and have done so in the past. 'In this case I was completely blameless. I thought perhaps it was just an issue with this one office and I'd been unlucky, but when I looked at the reviews for Carwiz it seemed to be happening all over Europe. "'They should be investigated." 'We didn't even use the car' 8 Tim Hunt and his fiancée Rachel Sim claim they didn't even use their hire car on holiday because taxis were so cheap Credit: Supplied Council enforcement officer Tim Hunt, 51, and fiance Rachel Sim, 44, from Barry, South Wales, also picked up a rental from an office operating Carwiz's Bucharest franchise on April 14 this year. They ended up leaving the white Mercedes in their hotel car park for the entirety of their four-day trip - but were still charged over £1,100 for marks on the paintwork Tim says were already there. 'Taxis were so cheap in Romania, we didn't even use the car!' Tim said. When Rachel challenged the rep, he twice barked at her to "Get the the f*** out" of the office, which she recorded on camera. Tim alleged Rachel was also kicked in the shin. Taxis were so cheap in Romania, we didn't even use the car! Tim Hunt His card was charged £1,109 on April 22 after his return to the UK, and he was forced to claim on damage waiver insurance to recover the cash. 'It's almost like admitting you've done something wrong,' Tim said. 'And they're still getting the money. I was fuming!' He left angry reviews of Carwiz on LinkedIn and was subsequently messaged by the company's CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, who threatened to sue him. Tim said: 'I told him to crack on. In the meantime, I've been in touch with to request they stop using Carwiz.' Tripadvisor reviews reveal other holidaymakers claiming to have almost identical experiences at Carwiz franchises in numerous locations, including Athens, Sicily, and Gdansk. 8 Tim was fuming when his card was charged £1,109 on April 22 after his return to the UK, and he was forced to claim on damage waiver insurance to recover the cash Credit: Supplied 8 Tim left angry reviews of Carwiz on LinkedIn and was subsequently messaged by the company's CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, who threatened to sue him Credit: Supplied It's the same story on Trustpilot, where Carwiz has racked up almost 200 1-star reviews. Tourists complain of being stung in Croatia, Katowice and Crete. A recent survey by consumer advice experts Which revealed a shocking 42 per cent of car renters have been hit by bogus damage claims. They said the issue is 'well known' in the industry and advised taking full damage waiver insurance, inspecting the car inside and out and taking photos. Any damage report should also be photographed, they say. They also suggest demanding evidence of the damage and how repairs are calculated before escalating your complaint. The European Car Rental Conciliation Service can help resolve cross-border disputes. However, only participating companies are bound by the scheme and they tend to be bigger players such as Avis, Enterprise and Hertz. The Sun's Travel Editor shares her top tips for hiring a car abroad IT'S easy for rip-off car hire merchants to try to ruin your holiday. They can charge you a fortune to repair scratches and bumps, extortionate re-fuelling costs and ridiculous fees for insurance with their bullying tactics. But there are four easy ways to avoid being duped and your dream getaway becoming a holiday from hell. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot, reporting from Camp du Domaine, in Southern France, shares her top tips that will save you a fortune. Reputable hire companies If the price seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true. When you look at these rip-off merchants that we're seeing increasingly, people have used them because the price was so cheap. Look for reliable, established brands. Go for one of the big brands; it may cost you a little bit more, but in the long run it will work out much better. Insurance rip-off Next, look at exactly what you get included in the price. I never take the excess car insurance from the car hire provider. I always book my own. I've got an annual policy. It's much cheaper. You can buy excess car hire polices in the UK; they are effectively like travel insurance but they protect your car. Should you have an accident, it protects the no claims bonus, and they are very good value. They are accepted by every reputable car hire company; if they try to convince you that you can't use it and you have to buy theirs, that is wrong. There are some very high pressure selling techniques around at the moment, trying to up-sell you various different things. You have to be strong. You don't need to take a policy out, you've taken an excess care hire policy out in the UK. You could also get yourself an annual, or even a two-week excess waiver policy from a specific company in the UK, too. Document dents The one thing you must do when they hand over the keys to the car is make sure that you take as much video and photographic evidence as possible before you leave. Very often they will give you a form where you're meant to mark little crosses where you see dents, scratches and other problems. But do take photos and videos yourself; it's much more important because it's timestamped and means you have incontrovertible evidence to counter any claims, should they come about. It's really important, if you do see any damage on the car when you pick it up, to make sure you have alerted the hire company. You could say to them: "Look, I've noted this damage. Here's my photo of it. I'm going to be returning it with the same damage on the car, because this was here before I hired the car.' Fill up yourself The fuelling policy that your car hire comes with is really important, too. Make sure you choose to refuel yourself and a 'full to full' option. Don't leave it up to the car company to refuel your car at the end of your trip, because that means they are deciding what the price is. It gives you the opportunity to find a cheaper petrol station. Make sure you fill the car up - if you're having to drive five or 10 miles to get back to the care hire company, that's acceptable. We're seeing exactly the same with electric cars now. It's really important that you're in control of where you are recharging because the prices can vary drastically. Book smart Another top tip is make sure you book your hire car with a credit card, because it will give you much more protection than a debit card. But also it means the company will take your deposit, which they hold, from your credit card rather than out your spending money. A spokesperson for Carwiz told The Sun: "At CARWIZ, we categorically distance ourselves from any suggestion that unethical or aggressive practices are in any way part of our business model. "These are isolated incidents that in no way reflect the values, standards, or expectations that we support as a global brand. "We sincerely regret that the potentially injured client did not contact us immediately after the unfortunate event, in order to immediately determine all the circumstances, because it is our goal to prevent all such and possible future unpleasant situations. "Our franchise partner in Bucharest is operating another rental brand alongside CARWIZ from the same physical location. In several cases, vehicles and services appear to have been issued under a different brand identity, while still being processed within a CARWIZ-branded environment, including signage, uniforms, and physical premises. We fully understand how, from the customer's point of view, this leads to the perception that the service is being provided directly by CARWIZ. When staff in CARWIZ uniforms hand over a vehicle from a CARWIZ-branded office, the distinction between brands is understandably blurred, even if the booking, payment, and contract technically fall under a separate company or brand entity. "We are currently conducting a formal internal review and will take the necessary measures to eliminate all forms of dual-branding at CARWIZ locations in the future. "At CARWIZ International, we continuously monitor, audit, and improve our global network to uphold the standards our brand represents. We are committed to ensuring that every customer feels respected, safe, and well-served."


South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Racing tax: What is it and why is the sport going on strike
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