How much would you pay for a jam jar?
Upmarket supermarket selling empty ones for more than full ones
Waitrose has attracted ridicule on social media after Glasgow man tweeted a picture of the chain for selling empty jam jars for ÂŁ2 - 29p more than the cost of a full one.
Waitrose shopper John Kilbride, from Glasgow, noticed that a store was simultaneously selling the luxury Bonne Maman conserve for ÂŁ1.71 and an empty jar for ÂŁ2 and put pictures of them on Twitter in a post that has been liked more than 5,000 times.
He wrote: "At Waitrose you can buy an empty jam jar for ÂŁ2 or an identical one full of jam for ÂŁ1.71. You decide...''
Some consumers defended the grocer, pointing out that the Bonne Maman was on temporary offer and the empty jar was bigger, despite their near-identical appearance complete with red gingham-patterned lids.
Others, however, suggested that the supermarket was clearly targeting "middle-class jam makers'' and joking that it was clearly the "preserve of the wealthy''.
Some shoppers commented that the product should be re-labelled as "Waitrose Bottled Fresh Air''.
A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "Our Bonne Maman conserves are on a temporary promotion and are great value for money.''
The WI advises that sterilising jars for home-made jam simply requires washing them in very hot, soapy water, rinsing well and placing them on a baking tray in the oven to dry completely.
Last year analysts Kantar Worldpanel reported a resurgence in packed lunches, with 25 to 35-year-olds the most likely to swap bread-based meals for lighter, healthier options.
It said 2015 saw seven million more packed lunches consumed in the UK than in the previous year, with many preferring to transport their meals in jars.