M&S Food have unveiled a new 'lockdown treat' within its bakery section - a pretzel and croissant hybrid known as a 'cretzel'.

According to the supermarket, the cretzel combines the perfect chewy bite of a pretzel with the luxurious buttery, flaky pastry of a croissant - making it an ideal breakfast treat.

The cretzels are oven baked in store and topped in the traditional lye coating, before being finished with a sprinkling of sea salt.

How to eat a cretzel

Cretzels can be enjoyed with butter or as a lunchtime dish, filled with savoury options such as ham and cheese.

M&S Bakery product developer Kirsty Rowley said: "We are continually challenging ourselves to invent the next big thing in our bakery. 

"Inspired by our customers love of the sweet and salty flavour combination (we see it in the popularity of our sweet and salty popcorn) we bring them the cretzel.

"The cretzel combines those contrasting flavours and is really versatile, great on its own, with a coffee at breakfast or delicious with a filling for lunch.

"We know our customers love a hybrid, we have had everything from a chouxnut to a cruffin and most recently the yumnut.  We think the creztel will be a big hit with our customers”.

The M&S Cretzel is available pre-bagged in stores now, priced at £1.

Shopping at M&S amid lockdown

M&S Foodhalls are currently open, and are receiving daily deliveries from suppliers. Shelves are being stocked every day, so customers can stagger their shopping trips.

To help keep all customers and colleagues healthy, M&S stores have implemented additional social distancing measures – more information can be found here.

Local store opening times can be found here, including special opening hours for older or vulnerable customers, as well as NHS, health and social care workers.