M&S launches strawberry and cream DIP as Wimbledon fever takes hold – and infamous dessert sandwich is back (with Dubai-style makeover!)
M&S has added to its ‘picky bits’ selection with a new range of dessert dips – inspired by Wimbledon and the infamous Dubai chocolate bars – landing in stores today.
Ahead of National Picky Bits Day on Saturday, the retailer is introducing a Strawberry & Cream Dip and a Chocolate & Pistachio dip to add to its collection of bitesize foods.
The sweet dips come as M&S Food brings back its Collection Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich for £2.80 – which divided palates (yet flew off shelves) last summer.
In addition to the classic dessert sandwich, the Wimbledon-inspired product has also had the Dubai treatment, as the supermarket also introduces the Chocolate, Strawberry and Pistachio Sandwich, costing £3.50.
As the first-to-market dips are introduced to supermarket shelves, customers can enjoy the £3.25 Strawberry and Cream Dip, comprised of Greek-style yoghurt topped with strawberry compote – for which the retailer recommends biscuits or salty pretzels as accompaniments.
For those with an even sweeter tooth, the Chocolate & Pistachio Dip, costing £3.75 and inspired by the viral Dubai flavour pairing, consists of Belgian chocolate ganache marbled with 100% pistachio butter.
The dip launches are part of the retailer’s summer ‘picky bits’ range, which M&S began rolling out in the spring.
M&S Food has revealed a series of sweet, summery dips as dessert options for a ‘picky tea’ ahead of National Picky Bits Day this Saturday
It also comes as the UK basks in the sun amid a heatwave which is predicted to break the record for June temperatures – and, according to M&S, this may drive up demand for a ‘picky’ meal at dinner time.
In April the retailer released research which suggested 43 per cent of Britons indulged in a ‘picky tea’ once a week during the summer as they desire lighter meals.
More than 70 per cent of the retailer’s customers said cheese and crisps are key elements of the ‘picky tea’ – which influenced M&S’s new range.
But the supermarket aims to cater for all traditional ‘courses’ including dessert with its new dips, hoping to provide a sweet ending to the ‘picky bits’ meal.
As the sweet sandwich takes to the shelves, it’s surely set to divide shoppers for another summer.
In addition to M&S’s Strawberry & Creme Sandwich, the supermarket has introduced a Chocolate Strawberry and Pistachio Creme Sandwich for those with an extra sweet tooth
The Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme sandwich is returning to M&S shelves this season – just in time for Wimbledon
The product was first introduced in the summer of 2025 and is filled with fruit and light whipped cream cheese, served on fluffy sweetened bread. It is inspired by Japanese ‘sweet sandos’, also known as fruit sandwiches.
The east Asian nation’s fruit sandwiches originated when fruit shops opened near major train stations and business districts in the early 1900s.
As these businesses grew, many began to open cafes to allow the public to access luxury fruits at a reasonable price by incorporating them into dishes such as parfaits, shortcakes and sandwiches.
To appeal to British audiences, the retailer opted for the classic strawberries and cream flavour combination, which has long been associated with the Wimbledon Championships.
The retailer has also introduced the Chocolate & Pistachio dip as an even sweeter option in its picky bits range
The snack’s origins at the tournament date back to the late 1800s when British strawberries were considered a luxury item for upper-class spectators to eat.
As the fruit reaches peak ripeness in late June/early July, it was harvested quickly for consumers to eat there and then, before it became overripe.
Upon the launch of the sandwich last year, shoppers posted their verdicts of the sandwich on social media.
One person rated it a ‘100000/10’ and said it was the ‘best sandwich ever’ while commenting on M&S’ Instagram account.
The Daily Mail’s taste test of the sandwich determined it was ‘more like a dessert than a sarnie’ and gave the product three out of five stars.
However, the cream cheese-based filling divided some customers who felt the sandwich was not as sweet as they’d imagined it to be.
But M&S reckons it has the answer for those sweet-toothed shoppers; in the form of its Chocolate, Strawberry and Pistachio Sandwich.
The new product made from sweetened bread that has been enriched with cocoa and is filled with a layer of pistachio creme, Fairtrade Belgian dark chocolate sauce and sliced British strawberries.
