Tesco brings back 80s Christmas treat as thrilled shoppers say ‘I don’t care how much – I’m buying it’
TESCO has brought back an iconic Christmas treat from the 80s, with shoppers claiming “I don’t care how much – I’m buying it”.
The retro dessert, returning to supermarket shelves after a four-decade hiatus, is on sale for £10.
An alternative to traditional Christmas fruit cake, the Tunis Cake is a Madeira sponge, spread with a thick layer of chocolate.
It’s decorated with vanilla-flavoured icing in vibrant pink and orange colours, along with a trio of marzipan fruit.
After news spread of the long-awaited return, social media users rushed to share their excitement.
One particularly elated customer thought nothing of the £10 price tag, saying: “OMG I am buying this I don’t care! These always make me think of Nanny.”
Another echoed: “My mum brought for Christmas. Glad it’s back. Happy memories.”
Others described the nostalgic treat as “immense” and “a blast from the past”.
The Tunis Cake was a festive staple in the 80s, but its origins actually stretch all the way back to Edwardian times.
It was popularised in the 1930s, when Scottish bakery Macfarlane Lang’s put in British stores for the first time.
The company then merged with biscuit giant McVities, who continued churning out the cake until the 1980s.
Tesco‘s modern version is produced by bakery Say it with Cake.
It comes as another nostalgic product – by Cadbury’s – was also spotted at B&M stores this month.
Fans had feared the Fuse Bar had gone extinct years ago, before it reappeared in a miniature grab-bag version in the budget store.
One said: “I can’t believe the fuse is back! Its about time.”
Another wrote on Facebook: “Wow fuse! Need to get them haven’t seen them in a long time.”
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.