Coles customers react to price of brand new dessert offering
Dessert lovers have been left baffled over the price of a brand new bakery item available at Coles, with some saying they 'cannot justify' the cost.
The supermarket giant released its 1.2kg Pistachio and KitKat layer cakes last month, and many rushed to their local Coles to try the new treats.
Pistachios in particular are having a moment, with a recent spike in demand for pistachio flavoured products, which has seen the price and availability of the humble nut soar.
But shoppers have kicked off about the price of the two new cake offerings, which both serve 18 people. The KitKat layer cake, with luscious chocolate layers and crispy wafer bits, has a price tag of $35. The Pistachio version, a double-layered vanilla cake filled with pistachio cream cheese buttercream and topped with crushed nuts, will set you back $40.
In comparison, a regular Coles mud cake costs $6.60 and serves eight people.
Food blogger @NectoriousPapi raved about the nutty new offering, saying he enjoyed it, with the standout being the pistachio butter cream filling.
'Absolutely beautiful, it's a great blend between pistachio and white chocolate coming through. I could just have a whole tub of the filling on its own — I don't really need the cake,' he said.
'Overall, this is very, very nice.'
The JazHandMade team also raved about the gourmet cake, saying it would 'be gone by the end of the day' between the five staff members.
'This icing is insane,' one said.
But many shoppers took to social media to comment on the price of the dessert.
'It's $40 though. I can go to a cake shop for that money,' one said.
Another added: 'Really think Pistachio products are over rated.'
'Inside is all same with other cake,' someone else chimed in.
One social media user said: 'OK now I know why we have a shortage of pistachios. I might have to buy this cake JUST to get my pistachios and throw the cake away.'
'It may look tasty and creamy, but I cannot justify $40 for that cake,' one said.
Another commented online: 'For $40 it would want to be amazing.'
'I've tasted it and sorry too offend but I found it yuck,' one critiqued.
Another added: 'I was very, very, VERY disappointed in it. If I was blindfolded, I would NOT have guessed 'pistachio' and for $40, a rip-off.'
A Coles spokesperson weighed in on the cake and the debate over the price tag.
'Our customers have been loving our new celebration cakes. Flavours like pistachio and KitKat are really trending right now and we made sure to listen closely to what customers want,' the spokesperson told news.com.au.
'We wanted to create cakes that not only taste amazing but help customers celebrate special moments – from the premium ingredients we use to the hand-finished details. It's all about giving customers a memorable dessert moment that's as share-worthy as it is delicious.'
The cake is just the latest offering in the supermarket pistachio craze, after the 'Dubai chocolate' trend took off on social media.
The thick bar, made by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the UAE city, is filled with pistachio cream and kataifi, a 'string' pastry commonly used to add a satisfying crunch to both sweet and savoury dishes.
In April, supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths responded to the increased price of pistachio nuts.
A report at the time revealed pistachio kernel prices have surged from $12 a pound (almost half a kilo) a year ago to around $16 a pound, according to Giles Hacking of global nut trader CG Hacking.
'The pistachio world is basically tapped out at the moment,' he told the Financial Times.
Thankfully, while many countries have been affected by the shortage, Australian supply has largely remained unaffected.
Coles said it had a 'great supply of pistachios available' to cope with the growing demand from customers.
'We have seen a noticeable trend in customers seeking pistachio-flavoured food items, and we are committed to offering a wide range of products in this flavour for everyone to enjoy,' a spokesperson told news.com.au.
Woolworths also said it had been unaffected.
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