From picky bits to baked goods, Marks & Spencer rarely misses when they launch a new item in the Food Hall.
The Dippy Egg Hot Cross Buns sold out almost instantly at Easter and the new picky bits selection for summer is causing an absolute stir, especially those Marmite and Cheese Sausage Rolls.
However, the latest item to hit the shelves at the supermarket will likely provoke a slightly different reaction from shoppers, possibly causing a few eyebrows to raise.
That’s because the retailer has just added a brand new drink to its Eat Well range, known as Punishment Juice.
The quirky product is made from a mixture of vegetables and spirulina (a blue-green algae) and it looks like it is too. The liquid inside the bottle is such a dark green colour that it almost looks black.
For those curious, the full ingredients list includes Cucumber Juice, Spinach Juice, Celery Juice, Lime Juice, Kale Juice, Aloe Vera Juice, Mint Juice, Parsley Juice, Spirulina Powder, Hemp Poder, Concentrated Spirulina and Chlorella Powder.
The drink, which serves as one of your five-a-day, is available to buy now in more than 400 stores and costs £3.25 for a 250ml bottle.
According to M&S, the drink is ‘delicious and healthy’, but given the name choice, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was anything but.
The retailer told Metro that ‘Punishment Juice’ was just intended to be ‘disruptive’ and is actually just a joke as some people might think that with so many fruits and veggies packed in, it will be too healthy to taste nice.
A spokesperson said: ‘At M&S, we take innovation and quality extremely seriously. We’re always looking at how we can improve the quality of our products and launch new lines that customers can’t get anywhere else.
‘Our new cold-pressed juice sounds almost too good to be true and that’s why we’ve called it Punishment Juice.’
But not everyone thinks the new drink is quite so clever.
Registered dietician and nutritionist, Laura Clark, tells Metro: ‘In a world where we are overwhelmed with wellness noise and are finding it tougher than ever to decipher the right nutrition path for us as individuals, I’m not sure the product “Punishment Juice” adds anything but confusion into the mix.
‘These words, no matter how ironic, should never be attached to food.’
And Aleks Jagiello, a Doctify rated registered dietitian also had some concerns.
She said: ‘It’s undeniably clever marketing in that we’re all talking about it, the name itself sparks curiosity and in a crowded market of green juices and smoothies, a name like Punishment Juice stands out.’
Aleks went on to share how younger, marketing-savvy consumers might find it ‘funny, ironic and memorable’ and claimed she appreciated the effort to make healthy eating a hot topic in pop culture.
However, she did point out that the branding ‘could backfire’ if people misinterpret it.
‘Not everyone will get the humour or appreciate it. For some, the word “punishment” has a harsh connotation that isn’t exactly appetising.
‘There’s a fine line between edgy and off-putting. Especially for M&S’s core shoppers, who might be more family-oriented or older than the typical energy drink or craft beer demographic, the joke could fall flat or even discourage sales.’
The expert adds that framing a product as a punishment for indulgence could also inadvertantly promote unhealthy attitudes towards food.
‘It suggests a cycle of “be bad, then atone with juice,” which isn’t the balanced approach we advocate. We’d rather people enjoy treats in moderation without guilt, and incorporate veggies consistently, not as a crash-course corrective.
‘I worry that if someone takes “Punishment Juice” seriously as a detox or penance, it might reinforce guilt-driven eating patterns. The concept of “offsetting” indulgence by punitive measures walks into the territory of disordered eating thoughts.
‘I’m sure M&S meant it lightly, but it’s something to be mindful of.’
However, she did note that it wasn’t all bad and there were positives to Punishment Juice, even hailing the drink an ‘impressive concept’ because of its formulation.
She added: ‘Most commercial juices (especially fruit-based ones) are high in natural sugars. For example, a small 150ml glass of orange or apple juice packs around 12g of sugar (about 20g in a 250ml serving). In contrast, Punishment Juice is predominantly veggies and algae, so it likely contains only a couple of grams of naturally occurring sugars. That’s great news for those watching their sugar intake or anyone who finds typical fruit smoothies too sweet.
‘And the inclusion of spirulina, chlorella, and hemp adds a bit of plant protein (spirulina and hemp are both protein-rich), which is why M&S can tout it as a “source of protein.” Admittedly, the protein amount will be modest, perhaps only a few grams, but it’s a nice bonus since most juices have virtually none.’
What does Punishment Juice actually taste like?
Metro’s specialist food writer, Courtney Pochin, gave the new Punishment Juice a try and it’s fair to say, she wasn’t a fan.
She said: ‘M&S, I adore you, but this juice is disgusting.
‘I know you’re trying to be funny, but I think the joke might be on you because drinking this does actually feel like a punishment – one that I definitely didn’t deserve.
‘I think all the algae in it is at fault – the drink contains three kinds, so not only does it look like someone has scooped plants out of a pond in their back garden and blended them up, it tastes like it too.
‘And I’m sorry to report that it’s not something that gets better the more you drink. It’s just incredibly briney.
‘The only positive thing about it was the smell, as the juice has a strong cucumber and mint scent, which is pleasnt and refreshing. The flavour itself is anything but though.’
Courtney added: ‘If this had been sold in shot size, it might have been an easier pill to swallow, going down in one. But 250mls is too much.
‘I couldn’t manage three sips, let alone the whole bottle.
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