Sheffield shopper left speechless as Sainsbury’s offers Henderson's Relish substitute

A horrified customer has shared her shock after the grocery giant tried to pass off a bottle of Lea & Perrins as an acceptable replacement for its obviously vastly superior northern rival.

Anna James, of Wadsley, shared a photo of the order form showing the unacceptable substition, writing: “The indescribable has happened this morning. For once I am speechless - this could easily cause a riot.”

MasterChef judge makes unforgivable comment after Sheffield dad uses Henderson’s Relish

Clearly the 43-year-old, who had ordered the Henderson’s Relish for her mum, Denise, 76, pictured, sent the delivery woman packing with the offending substitution.

"I’m still recovering from the trauma,” joked Anna.

“I couldn’t believe it when the delivery driver told me ‘it's the same thing though, isn’t it?’. I set her straight and told her you can’t say that round here.

“Being in lockdown, my Sainsbury’s delivery is the highlight of my week and I like to play the substitutions game.

A celebration of Sheffield's iconic Henderson's Relish in pictures

"Sometimes it works quite well like the other week when I’d ordered a single salmon fillet and got a double pack instead, with Sainsbury’s paying the difference, but this time I got burned.”

The recipe for Henderson’s Relish, which has been made in the city for more than 100 years, remains a closely guarded secret.

But while it may resemble Worcestershire sauce in colour and texture, any self-respecting Sheffielder will tell you there is no comparison when it comes to flavour.

One major difference is that Worcestershire sauce is made using anchovies while Henderson’s is vegan.