Last year, Marks & Spencer caused a major stir with the unveiling of its Red Diamond Strawberry & Crème Sandwich. Inspired by Japan’s famous convenience store fruit sandos, the sweet treat flew off shelves, racking up 75,000 sales in just five days.
Yet, the reception was deeply divisive. For every shopper on Instagram crowning it ‘the best sandwich ever’, others recoiled at the concept of sweet, spongy bread and whipped cream cheese standing in for lunch. Rival supermarkets rushed to jump on the bandwagon, either duplicating the trend or mocking it entirely - most notably Aldi, with its cheeky spoof £2.80 'Carrot & Crème' sandwich.
Nobody was more outraged than HMRC, who promptly eyed M&S for a 20% VAT bill. The tax authority argued that the creation was effectively a strawberries and cream confectionery item hiding between two bits of bread. M&S stood its ground, insisting it was a sandwich and therefore entitled to zero-rated tax status. It was a whole thing.
Undeterred by the taxman, M&S has doubled down for the 2026 summer season with the Chocolate, Strawberry & Pistachio Creme Sandwich. Priced at £3.50 for a half sandwich, the retailer is upping the ante by blending Wimbledon’s classic fruit-and-cream obsession with the viral, Dubai chocolate trend.
The launch coincides with a wave of limited edition drops ahead of the supermarket's annual, self-proclaimed National Picky Bits Day on 27 June. Among the newcomers are a Strawberry & Cream Velvety Dip (£3.25) and a Chocolate & Pistachio Velvety Dip (£3.75), reinforcing two of this summer’s most dominant flavour profiles.
Can you still get the original M&S strawberry sandwich?
Yes. M&S is officially bringing back the OG Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich, priced at £2.80 for a single half-sandwich.
Did M&S and HMRC settle their 2025 tax dispute?
Currently, there is no public record of a formal resolution between M&S and HMRC over the original strawberry sandwich classification. Additionally, M&S has not declared whether the 20% luxury VAT is baked into the pricing of either 2026 sandwich. With two sweet sandos now gracing the chilled aisles, M&S shows no sign of backing down from a potential tax fight. We'll be watching the legal courts just as closely as the tennis courts this summer.
Looking to cool off this summer? From drool-worthy gelato to smooth soft serve, to totally outrageous ice cream sandwiches, here's where you'll find London's best ice creams.
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