Heinz’s new ‘Christmas dinner in a can’ sells out within hours of launching

Heinz has launched a Christmas Dinner canned soup, complete with turkey and all the trimmings – but the limited edition tin sold out within hours of launching on Monday.

The Christmas Dinner Big Soup contains “big chunks” of turkey, pigs in blankets, Brussels sprouts, stuffing balls and potatoes, with a gravy and cranberry sauce.

The brand only produced 500 cans of the seasonal soup, but hinted it could roll it out in greater numbers next year.

In a survey for Heinz, Opinium found that 36 per cent of those who celebrate Christmas prefer the traditional dinner to any other meal.

Nearly half (42 per cent) of the 2,027 UK adults surveyed said they would eat it more often if it did not take so long to cook, and 36 per cent would have it more if it was not so expensive.

The first cans of soup, which cost £1.50, went on sale on Heinz’s website on Monday. But at the time of writing, the Christmas Dinner Big Soup has been marked as sold out.

Heinz’s new soup flavour comes as farming and meat industry bosses warned last week that there could be a shortage of turkeys produced in the UK for Christmas.

Graeme Dear, chairman of the British Poultry Council, told the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that there is a “likelihood” there will be a shortage of the traditional Christmas bird, and the industry may have to import it from Europe.

Anke von Hanstein, brand manager for Heinz Soups, said: “We are so excited for the lucky 500 people to try this sensational seasonal addition to Heinz’s Big Soup family.

“It is made for those with a big love for hearty festive flavours and tastes just perfect with a slice of warm crusty bread. Any soup that includes pigs in blankets and roasties is a winner in our eyes.

“And if these lucky few who managed to get their hands on it love it as much as we do, Heinz Christmas Dinner Big Soup might be back next year, bigger and better. Watch this space.”