Heinz’s Salad Cream, the sweet, tangy sauce launched in 1914, may be renamed Sandwich Cream. Research by Heinz suggests that only 14% of the condiment’s consumers use it on salad and that its name no longer “fairly represents the product’s ingredients or usage occasions”. Speaking to trade magazine The Grocer, a spokesperson said the change might also attract younger shoppers.
Heinz has form in rebranding Salad Cream: in 2000, it thought the best way to relaunch it was to have Graham Norton pour it all over Denise van Outen’s chest. She reciprocated by having Norton eat a dollop of the dressing from the end of what looked like a large kielbasa. But whether you love it or loathe it, Salad Cream is a cupboard staple – and it is more versatile than you think. Here are some ingenious uses for it.
Crisp sandwich
Spread generously between two slabs of white bread, alongside some strong cheddar. Crush in salted crisps for texture. It is also delicious in a fish finger sandwich.
Tomato salad
Nigella Lawson received no small amount of stick for her two-ingredient tomato salad recipe, but the vinegary sauce perfectly sets off the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Think it is all beneath you? Try to make your own sauce.
Pizza
The piquancy of Salad Cream cuts through any greasiness of the cheese. It works even better on cold pizza. And not just when you are hungover.
Avocado
Remove the stone and fill the hole with a dollop of the sauce for a light snack to be eaten with a spoon.
New potatoes
We are in Jersey Royal season and few things go together as well as butter and hot new potatoes. Add Salad Cream as a dipping sauce and they taste divine.
Tuna mayo
Canned tuna, mayonnaise and sweetcorn is a famous combination. Elevate it by substituting a third of the mayo for Salad Cream and adding cornichons and capers.
Fake carbonara
There is word of a 70s recipe where chopped ham is added to pasta and salad cream to make a carbonara. Uncouth, perhaps, but speedy.
Greek pie
Scoop liberally on a plate with a feta, spinach and herb filo pie for a creamy accompaniment with a bit more heft than the traditional tzatziki.
Cold baked beans
Stir into cold baked beans for a creamy, salty, sweet post-pub snack. Also fabulous with spaghetti hoops.
