A shortage of mini cucumbers has caused a bit of a pickle for Pret a Manger, forcing the sandwich chain to pull a staple sandwich from its shelves.
The jambon beurre, which features Wiltshire ham and cornichons slathered with butter on a losange roll, has disappeared in recent weeks, much to the dismay of customers.
The small pickles that give the sandwich its signature crunch cannot currently be sourced by Pret a Manger, with the chain saying the sandwiches would be missing from “most of” its shops due to supply issues.
They said in a statement: “Customers may have noticed that our jambon beurre is currently missing from shelves. This is due to a temporary shortage of cornichons.
“We’re sorry for any disappointment caused and are working hard to get this Pret favourite back in shops as soon as possible.”
Pret a Manger helped popularise the French classic in the UK, with the sandwich retailing at around £4 in most stores.
The news was first reported in the London Centric newsletter by a Londoner who noticed they could no longer find the sandwich anywhere.
Max Halley, who owns Max’s Sandwich Shop in Finsbury Park, north London, said he had heard of the problem and would be contacting his supplier to place a large order.
He told The Guardian: “I’m going to order a metric tonne of them today just in case! In a rich, fatty sandwich, such as the jambon beurre, nothing brings a bit of fun to the party like the acidic, crunchy bite of our dear friend the cornichon.
“We blend them up to make a tarragon salsa in our chicken sandwich called Et Tu Brute? Murdering the Caesar.”
Pret declined to comment further on the shortage, putting it down to “supplier issues”.
