M&S slammed for overpricing after selling two slices of bread for £4.50

Shoppers have slammed the retailer over the pricing of its Pan de Cristal, a traditional Catalan bread product that retails for up to £4.50 for just two slices.

The high street retailer faces mounting pressure to explain the cost of the Spanish speciality bread, which the company markets as "a light, crisp bread perfect for toasting and topping with our crushed tomato bread topper."

Stuart Machin, chief executive of M&S, recently highlighted the product as among his preferred new launches on LinkedIn.

The controversy intensifies as the suggested tomato topping, a blend of tomatoes, olive oil and salt, adds another £2.65 to the total cost.

Shoppers have taken to social media platforms to express their disbelief at the pricing.

One TikTok user questioned in a video: "What in the hell is this £4 half piece of baguette about?"

The frustration extends to price comparisons with Spain, where the bread originates. "The joke is, you get this in Spain for €2 [£1.80]," commented another social media user.

Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign has called on M&S to provide justification for the pricing, particularly "given the economies of the enormous scale at which even supposedly 'artisan' supermarket loaves are manufactured."

He noted that whilst such prices might be necessary for small independent bakeries to survive financially, the same reasoning may not apply to major supermarket chains.

The pricing structure reveals a stark contrast with M&S's standard offerings. At £2.50 per 100 grams, the Pan de Cristal represents an extraordinary premium compared to the retailer's regular white bread, which sells for merely 9p per 100 grams.

This makes the Spanish speciality more than 25 times costlier than conventional loaves when calculated by weight.

The Pan de Cristal even surpasses luxury items in the store's inventory on a per-weight basis, including Sicilian Nocellara Del Belice olive oil and preserved cherries in kirsch.

These pricing revelations emerge against a backdrop of renewed cost-of-living concerns, with grocery inflation reaching 4.7 per cent in the four weeks leading to 2 November compared to the previous year.

M&S has mounted a defence of its pricing strategy, emphasising that the company provides "a broad range of products at different price points," including budget options such as 75p loaves and 80p half-baguettes.

A company spokesperson characterised the Pan de Cristal as a product intended for "a starter or as part of a tapas style meal," highlighting its popularity with 75,000 units sold since introduction and weekly sales exceeding 5,000 during summer months.

The retailer maintains that consumers increasingly prefer enjoying "restaurant-quality" dining experiences at home rather than eating out, positioning the product as authentic Spanish fare crafted with premium ingredients from Catalonia and extra virgin olive oil.

The Treasury has said tackling food inflation is a “priority”. In a speech this month, Rachel Reeves promised she would “bear down” on inflation in her Budget.