When Sweet Meets Savoury: M&S Takes a Bold Festive Gamble

Marks & Spencer has never been shy about culinary innovation, but their Christmas 2025 food-to-order range includes two products that have raised eyebrows, sparked debate, and left the nation’s food lovers genuinely divided. The unlikely hero (or villain, depending on your perspective) of this controversy? Marmite, venturing boldly into sweet territory with a Caramel Sauce infused with the iconic yeast extract, and Pecan & Salted Caramel Blondies featuring a Marmite twist.

According to reports from The Scottish Sun and The Sun in mid-September, these products sit alongside more conventional festive offerings like gingerbread cookies, peppermint bark, and peanut butter & jelly munch tins. But it’s the Marmite items that have captured attention – and for good reason.

The Products: What Exactly Are M&S Offering?

Let’s break down these intriguing additions to the Christmas lineup:

Caramel Sauce & Marmite (310g, approximately £3)

This versatile sauce is positioned as a topping or drizzle suitable for toast, waffles, pancakes, or croissants. The concept is straightforward: take the buttery richness of caramel and introduce Marmite’s savoury, umami complexity to create something that balances sweet and savoury in each spoonful.

For Marmite devotees familiar with adding a touch of the spread to caramel or chocolate recipes at home, this product makes perfect sense. The salt and umami in Marmite can enhance sweetness in the same way that salted caramel has become ubiquitous – it’s about contrast and complexity rather than pure sweetness.

Pecan & Salted Caramel Blondies with Marmite (185g, approximately £5)

These baked treats feature a blondie base (the vanilla-flavoured cousin of brownies), studded with pecans and laced with both salted caramel and Marmite. The description suggests the Marmite is layered or swirled through the mixture, presumably in moderate amounts to avoid overwhelming the other flavours.

The price point – at around £5 for 185g – positions these as a premium treat, consistent with M&S’s reputation for upmarket festive foods. It also signals that this isn’t a gimmick product; there’s genuine culinary thought behind the combination.

The Science of Sweet-Savoury Combinations

Before dismissing these products as bizarre, it’s worth understanding why combining sweet and savoury elements often works brilliantly:

Umami Enhancement: Marmite is loaded with glutamates, the compounds responsible for umami taste. Research has shown that umami can enhance sweet flavours, making them seem richer and more satisfying without adding more sugar.

Salt’s Role: We’ve all experienced how a pinch of salt improves chocolate chip cookies or caramel. Marmite contains salt alongside its complex yeast extract flavours, performing a similar function while adding additional depth.

Contrast and Complexity: Our palates respond positively to contrasts. Think of bacon with maple syrup, Parmesan with honey, or prosciutto with melon. The interplay between opposing flavour profiles creates interest and prevents flavour fatigue.

The Maillard Reaction: Marmite is a product of fermentation and contains compounds similar to those created during caramelisation and the Maillard reaction (the browning that occurs when cooking). This means it shares flavour molecules with caramel, creating a natural affinity.

Public Reaction: Love It or Hate It Strikes Again

Social media response to M&S’s Marmite-sweet experiments has been predictably divided, echoing the spread’s famous tagline. Some reactions reported include:

The Intrigued: Food adventurers excited to try something genuinely novel, particularly those who already enjoy salted caramel and other sweet-savoury combinations.

The Skeptical: Those who can’t quite wrap their heads around Marmite in a sweet context, finding the idea conceptually unappealing even if they love Marmite on toast.

The Horrified: Particularly among the “hate it” camp, for whom Marmite in any form is objectionable, let alone in desserts.

This polarisation is, of course, excellent news for M&S from a marketing perspective. The products generate conversation, media coverage, and most importantly, curiosity. Even people who claim to be horrified might find themselves buying a jar of caramel sauce or a pack of blondies “just to see what it’s like.”

Context Within the Festive Range

It’s important to note that these Marmite products are part of a much broader festive offering from M&S. The range includes returning favourites and crowd-pleasing classics alongside more experimental items. This balanced approach means that M&S can afford to take risks with products like Marmite blondies – if they don’t work for everyone, there are plenty of conventional options available.

The peanut butter & jelly munch tin mentioned alongside the Marmite items is another example of M&S testing American-inspired flavour combinations. The gingerbread and white chocolate cookies, peppermint bark, and other offerings provide the traditional festive flavours that shoppers expect. The Marmite products are about offering something different for adventurous eaters and generating buzz.

Will They Actually Taste Good?

Here’s the crucial question: setting aside novelty value and shock factor, are these products likely to be delicious?

Based on the principles of sweet-savoury pairing discussed earlier, there’s genuine reason for optimism – particularly for the caramel sauce. Used judiciously as a drizzle over pancakes or croissants, the Marmite element could provide a sophisticated depth similar to what aged balsamic vinegar or soy caramel brings to desserts.

The blondies are trickier to predict. Success will depend entirely on the quantity and placement of Marmite in the recipe. Too much, and it could overwhelm the pecans and caramel; too little, and it becomes a gimmick rather than a genuine flavour component. But M&S employs talented food developers who understand these nuances, so there’s reason to trust their judgment.

The Broader Marmite Innovation Trend

These M&S products don’t exist in isolation. They’re part of a wider pattern of Marmite brand extensions and experimental applications:

• Marmite-flavoured crisps and snacks have become established categories
• Marmite peanut butter bridges spread and snacking occasions
• Marmite mac ‘n’ cheese ready meals are hitting supermarket shelves
• Joe & Seph’s has just launched official Marmite popcorn
• Café chains are featuring Marmite toasties on autumn menus

This innovation pipeline suggests that Unilever and its retail partners are increasingly confident in Marmite’s potential beyond its traditional applications. Each experiment teaches them more about what works, which consumer segments are most receptive, and how far they can push the brand.

Should You Try Them?

If you’re a Marmite lover who already appreciates complex, umami-rich flavours and isn’t put off by sweet-savoury combinations, these M&S products are definitely worth trying. Think of them as the next evolution beyond salted caramel – a chance to experience familiar festive flavours with an unexpected twist.

If you’re Marmite-curious or neutral, the caramel sauce might be the safer entry point. Its versatility means you can control how much you use, and the application over breakfast foods might feel less challenging than committing to a whole blondie.

And if you’re firmly in the “hate it” camp? Well, these products probably aren’t going to convert you, but you might find the sheer audacity of the concept entertaining enough to warrant attention from a safe distance.

Final Verdict

M&S’s Marmite-infused sweet products represent bold, boundary-pushing product development. Whether they become festive classics or remain one-season curiosities will depend on sales figures and customer feedback. But regardless of commercial success, they’ve already achieved something valuable: they’ve reminded us that British food culture at its best is innovative, playful, and unafraid to challenge assumptions.

This Christmas, if you’re looking for something to spark conversation around the table or simply want to experience flavour combinations that genuinely surprise, the Marmite caramel sauce and blondies might just be the most interesting items in your festive food order. After all, the holidays are about embracing new experiences – even if they involve controversial yeast extract in your dessert.