Shoppers across the UK have been left confused as cress, a once-common kitchen staple tied to school-day memories, appears to have vanished from supermarket shelves. The edible plant, known for its tiny green leaves and peppery taste, was a fixture in salads, sandwiches like egg and cress, and as a garnish. Many recall growing cress in eggshells with faces drawn on them during childhood.
Reddit Users Question Cress Availability
One shopper took to Reddit to ask: "What happened to cress? Can't find it anywhere in the supermarkets, not in the pre-made sandwiches either. You used to see it everywhere, now I don't reckon I've seen any in years." The post sparked a wave of responses, with users sharing their own struggles and theories.
A Reddit user joked: "You don't buy cress, you grow it on damp cotton wool in an eggshell with a face drawn on it." Another noted a potential comeback: "This year though, at least in my neck of the woods, it's been making a comeback. Still not as prevalent as once it was, but for the first time for quite a while - I can now regularly get it again in the 'Big Sainsbury's'."
Nostalgia and Growing Tips
One user shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp message with a photo of them holding a tub of cress, captioned "f***ing love a bit of cress," adding: "You can tell how excited I was..." Another advised: "Buy a packet of seeds and grow it on some cotton wool or kitchen roll. If you grow fenugreek seeds you get curry flavoured shoots that go great in chicken butties."
Some noted a change in taste: "I certainly remember cress tasting more strong and mustardy when I was a kid than buying an egg and cress sandwich these days," said one user. Another added: "Yeah well I'm old af so I noticed the difference in taste from being a child whose Mum was a massive cress user... It stopped tasting like peppery cress. It was still ok on an egg butty but not the same."
Educational Supply Remains Constant
One parent noted that schools still provide cress: "My kid has come home with s***loads from nursery and school consistently for the last 7 years. No need to buy it, the education system seemingly has a constant supply." Despite this, the scarcity in supermarkets continues to baffle shoppers who remember cress as a ubiquitous item.
