Cornichon shortage leaves British sandwich shops in a pickle

With their sharp flavour and crunch, pickled cucumbers are an essential component of any sandwich worth its salt.But an unexpected shortage of cornichons has caused consternation in sandwich shops across the country as cafes scramble to get their hands on jars of the small green pickles.A favourite sandwich of hungry office workers is the simple jambon beurre. A staple across the Channel, the French sandwich contains ham, a generous amount of butter, and, crucially, a sharp, crunchy cornichon to cut through the fat.Sandwich chain Pret a Manger brought it to popularity in the UK, and a jambon beurre retails for about £4 in its shops.But the sandwiches have disappeared from shelves in recent weeks as the pickles cannot be sourced by the chain, which has 500 branches in the UK.Cornichons are cherished for their acid, crunchy bite. Photograph: Imagebroker/AlamyA Pret spokesperson said the sandwiches would be missing from “most of” their shops due to an issue with their supplier.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.”The sandwich chain declined to comment or give any further information on the reason for the shortage, simply citing “supplier issues”.The news, first reported in the London Centric newsletter, has caused cornichon mania in the sandwich shops of London. 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 huge order.He said: “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.”Pickles are an incredibly important component of his doorstep sandwiches to cut through the richness in creations such as the ham egg ’n’ chips sandwich, which contains ham hock, egg and shoestring fries.The price of pickled cucumbers is likely to shoot up in coming months due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.This is because it has hiked fertiliser and energy costs, meaning the greenhouses in which they are grown are more expensive to run. Wholesale prices for some fruits and vegetables, including cucumbers, have already risen sharply.Jimmy Russo, the president of the Lea Valley Growers’ Association, said the price of gas to heat the greenhouses had surged by 90%.Supermarkets have not noticed supply problems of cornichons yet. A Waitrose spokesperson said they were still fully stocked.But retailers are keeping a close eye on the cucumber supply chain. Producers have said they may have to cut back production if gas prices remain elevated.