Expand Your Understanding.
Published loading...Updated

I Had to Turn up Hours Early for My Lunch at M&S

  • Marks and Spencer introduced a special summer treat for 2025—a limited-edition dessert sandwich featuring their signature Red Diamond strawberries combined with cream, inspired by Japanese sweet sandwich trends and launched to coincide with Wimbledon.
  • The sandwich’s unusual sweet, finger-food format raises VAT classification issues, reflecting complexities from 1980s legislation on sweetened prepared foods eaten by hand.
  • The product sparked controversy on social media over its £2.80 price for half a sandwich, with users debating its value and HMRC’s legal position on its classification.
  • VAT experts highlight inconsistent rules for food products, noting the M&S item may join a 'curious canon' of case law while HMRC reportedly disputes its sandwich status.
  • This dispute could prompt further HMRC review and legal action, exemplifying ongoing challenges in applying VAT to innovative food products like M&S’s strawberry and cream sandwich.
Insights by Ground AI
Does this summary seem wrong?

31 Articles

All
Left
Center
23
Right
Malvern GazetteMalvern Gazette
+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Center

M&S strawberry sandwich customers are fuming 'it’s only half a sandwich'

Marks & Spencer customers are angry that the summer's viral Wimbledon Red Diamond Strawberries & Creme Sandwich is only a half sandwich

·Great Malvern, United Kingdom
Read Full Article
bicesteradvertiser.netbicesteradvertiser.net
+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Center

M&S in HMRC row over viral strawberry and cream sandwich

Marks & Spencer is causing a stir with its Wimbledon inspired Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich, not least for tax inspectors at HMRC

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 100% of the sources are Center
100% Center
Factuality

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

supermarketnews.co.nz broke the news in on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Sources are mostly out of (0)

You have read 1 out of your 5 free daily articles.

Join millions of well-informed readers who use Ground to compare coverage, check their news blindspots, and challenge their worldview.