With Brits beginning to prepare their shopping lists ahead of Christmas, one festive staple sure to be on most household’s lists is Camembert. According to Google Trends data, searches for camembert peak annually between the 24th-30th December proving Britain is gearing up for Christmas and New Year in a very tasteful way!
Jumping ahead of the trend, Asda, who has seen YOY camembert sales growth of 114%, has launched a new range of Exceptional camembert products for a trendy twist on classic comfort foods that are perfect for snacking, hosting and enjoying with loved ones.
In a supermarket first, Asda has combined two of the nation’s favourite festive treats – camembert and pork pies! Bringing a festive edge to traditional pork pies, the Exceptional Melt in the Middle Camembert & Pork Pie (£9), which can be served both hot and cold, is crafted with a rich, oozing, French camembert wheel centre and a perfectly seasoned blend of succulent British outdoor bred pork, mouthwatering British gammon and British smoked bacon, bound with herbs and spices.
Julie Harris-Hughes, Asda’s product development manager for Pies, comments “Taking inspiration from high end, trendy London restaurants, the melt-in-the-middle camembert pork pie is a flavour fusion of everything Britain loves; cheese and pork pies, wrapped up in a truly indulgent rich hot water crust pastry that is lovingly hand finished with pastry stars. When heated, the cheese oozes from the centre perfectly complimenting the juicy flavour of the premium pork cuts. Each bite brings unrivalled comfort and joy. We invest a lot of time into bringing customers innovative, trends-led products and that is what we have focused on with the indulgent camembert range.”
For those who are true camembert enthusiasts, Asda has also launched the Exceptional Pigs in Blankets Camembert Wreath (£6.50, serves 6) an ideal showstopper for hosting, sure to impress guests. With a wheel of creamy French camembert topped with rosemary sprigs at its centre, pork cocktail sausages hand-wrapped in a dry cure oak smoked streaky bacon surround it, completing the wreath look. This ultimate grazing centrepiece comes with a sachet of hot honey for drizzling, for those who want to add hit of fiery sweetness.
Furthermore, the Exceptional Camembert & Chutney Pastry (£9) consists of a whole French camembert wheel delicately placed inside an all-butter pastry case and topped with rosemary and hot honey syrup. Designed to be eaten hot, the oozing centrepiece is another option for sharing and for added flavour, the camembert has a layer of fig, whisky and honey chutney; Asda’s signature flavour this Christmas.
These hero products from the camembert range play into the British iconic cuisine trend identified in Asda’s Trend Book 2024/25. More and more, customers are looking for and choosing comfort food with a gourmet upgrade. These fuss-free options simply need to be popped in the oven to create gooey middles and oozing centres when cut open, therefore guaranteed to satisfy and delight.
Going beyond pies and pastry, the iconic festive cheese flavour profile is even at the centre of Asda’s latest addition to its range of Christmas crisps. The Extra Special Roasted Camembert and Garlic Flavour (£1) has already started creating a stir on social. This post on @newfoodsuk has already had 1.6K comments including, “Omg I would sacrifice all my organs for a bag of these” “Gamechanger!” and “these sound kinda amazing.”
The Camembert Crisps are available online and in-store now and the rest of the camembert range will be available in-store and online from 5th December.
