Tesco has just added a rather controversial British food to its lunchtime meal deal line-up – as a new side option.
In addition to your choice of sandwich, pasta pot or salad for a main, you can now swap your packet of crisps for a side of what some believe to be the ‘food of the gods’.
Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about Pot Noodles.
The instant noodle snack food has been added to the supermarket’s offering, but there’s a bit of a catch – it’s only available in selected stores across the UK and it’s only one specific flavour you can get.
Customers can add the Chicken & Mushroom Pot Noodle (90g) as a snack in their meal deal, which costs £4 or £3.60 for Clubcard holders.
This side option will be offered in 50 Tesco stores nationwide. (Full list at the bottom of the story)
Speaking about the launch, Madeleine Boulton, senior brand manager at Pot Noodle said: ‘We know our fans are always looking to get the most bang for their buck, so our move into the Tesco Meal Deal as a side is our way of giving customers the ultimate “snackisfaction” and for some, the perfect hack that will ensure their meal deal sees them through the day.
‘Head down to a participating Tesco store now to get your “noo” bit on the side – we are officially the new G.O.A.T snack for lunch-timers, noodler lovers!’
Despite Pot Noodles being hailed as the ‘food of the gods’, ‘tasty’ and ‘the best’ by fans on Reddit, Tesco shoppers have been divided over the latest change to the meal deal offering.
On Facebook, a few customers slammed the snack as ‘toxic’, ‘disgusting’ and one person pointed out Tesco could have offered something ‘healthier than a packet of crisps’.
However, others were a bit more pleased about the news, with Kev Barker saying: ‘Goodness we have come a long way’, while others said ‘nice’ and ‘I love Tesco’.
The retailer has also been hitting the headlines lately after shoppers spotted a change to shelving in the chocolate aisle of one store.
In a bid to tackle the rise of shoplifting, the supermarket had put plastic covers on shelves in the confectionery aisle, which need to be slid to the side to access items. The idea is that criminals will be unable to subtly steal items when having to go through this extra step to get products off the shelves.
A clip of the shelves was shared on TikTok by @kirkpap1, and quickly went viral.
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Commenters on the video complained that those who wanted to steal will do so regardless of the new measures. User @matt_an91 wrote: ‘Tesco just making it more frustrating for genuine shoppers to purchase items. A shoplifter will just snap that cover straight off, they don’t care.’
And @b25jmd2 queried: ‘What’s the point in this exactly? Because that isn’t stopping people from stealing.’
Shoppers with mobility restrictions or impairments said they would struggle to do their shopping with these devices in place, with @geniesdream saying: ‘I’m disabled, and that would make shopping impossible, glad I don’t go to Tesco.’
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Tesco have introduced sliding security devices on a limited number of shelves as an additional security measure to help reduce theft. It’s not a universal policy though, so will only be popping in stores where the measure is deemed necessary.
Full list of Tesco locations where you can get a Pot Noodle with the meal deal:
NORTHCOTT EXTRA
DUDLEY EXTRA
PITSEA EXTRA
IRVINE RIVERWAY EXTRA
MANSFIELD JUBILEE EXTRA
ST HELENS EXTRA
BLACKPOOL CLIFTON EXTRA
BARNSLEY EXTRA
PRESCOT EXTRA
HANLEY EXTRA
WALKDEN EXTRA
SWANSEA EXTRA
CARRICKFERGS CSTL EXTRA
LONGTON EXTRA
LEICESTER EXTRA
GLASGOW SILVERBRN EXTRA
REDDITCH EXTRA
STOCKTON EXTRA
NEWCASTLE U/T EXTRA
WARRINGTON EXTRA
DURHAM EXTRA
CHESTERFIELD EXTRA
CLEETHORPES EXTRA
PETERBOROUGH EXTRA
TALBOT GREEN EXTRA
AYR EXTRA
WREXHAM EXTRA
HASTINGS EXTRA
GILLINGHAM KENT EXTRA
OLDHAM HUDRSFLD EXTRA
ASHBY DE LA ZCH EXTRA
PORT GLASGOW EXTRA
BELLSHILL EXTRA
MERTHYRT STN YARD EXT
NEWPORT SPYTTY EXTRA
DONCASTER EXTRA
LINCOLN 2 EXTRA
RUTHERGLEN EXTRA
WALSALL EXTRA
NOTTINGHAM EXPRESS
HAMMERSMITH EXPRESS
GLASGOW SAUCHL EXPRESS
HARLESDEN Superstore
NEWCASTLE ELDON EXPRESS
PERTH EXPRESS
GRAVESEND EXPRESS
REGENT STREET EXPRESS
BRISTOL EXPRESS
SWINDON EXPRESS
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