Heston Blumenthal may have out-Blumenthaled himself with his latest avant-garde Christmas creation.
The chef, known for his remarkably unusual dishes, has created a banana and bacon trifle, which will go on sale in Waitrose later this week.
The dessert includes layers of banana, caramel, chocolate and rum is topped with smoky bacon bits.
Blumenthal created the pudding based on childhood memories.
“When I was a kid, I remember eating a bacon and banana sandwich during one of my holidays. I loved how you wouldn’t normally think of putting those two flavours together but they just worked so well,” he said.
“I can’t wait to hear about people’s reactions when they see and taste this fantastic dessert at their Christmas dinner table - it’ll definitely be a talking point.”
The trifle layers include a caramelised banana compote, topped with rum-soaked chocolate sponge, a layer of buttery, salted caramel sauce, chocolate shavings, a creamy vanilla custard with a smoky bacon flavoured cream and sprinkles of gold cocoa nibs.
The trifle also comes with a sachet of bacon pieces for customers to add themselves.
According to Waitrose, retro desserts have seen a surge in popularity recently, with sales of trifles up 34% at the store compared to last year.
Family favourites like profiteroles have seen makeovers at the supermarket, including savoury ingredients and modern twists.
Aileen Wood, Waitrose dessert buyer said: “We’ve loved working with Heston to create a truly special trifle with a real sense of humour. His range of products at Waitrose often works with classic dishes he loved as a child, and this trifle is no exception.
“The bacon twist works incredibly well with the rest of the ingredients and fits perfectly into Heston’s innovative range of Christmas sweet treats.”
The trifle will initially launch in Waitrose shops as part of a meal deal, where it will be available in two packs of mini trifles (£3.99).
The minis are intended for customers to try before they buy the larger version to entertain their guests at Christmas. The large trifle will be available from 1 December (£12.99/793g).
