Ed Sheeran’s Unique Promotion: Signing Autographs with Hot Sauce

On Tuesday, Ed Sheeran delighted fans with a quirky promotion at a supermarket near London. The event, held at a Sainsbury’s in St. Albans, saw Sheeran not only handing out pizza but also signing autographs using his own hot sauce, “Tingly Ted’s.”

Sheeran teased the surprise appearance through his Instagram story, creating buzz and drawing fans to the event. Social media footage captured the excitement of fans waiting outside the store, many of whom were initially unaware of the celebrity visit. One surprised shopper tweeted, “Only popped into @Sainsburys for some milk!” while another shared their astonishment at encountering Sheeran during their routine grocery trip.

The store manager, Satwinder Hayre, expressed the store’s excitement about the event, noting, “We were delighted that Ed Sheeran made a surprise visit to our store today to show off his Tingly Ted’s hot sauces; it certainly gave our customers shivers!”

The unusual promotion was designed to highlight the versatility of Sheeran’s hot sauce, as shown in a video posted by Tingly Ted’s on Instagram. During the event, Sheeran signed various items with his hot sauce, including a block of cheese, a melon, and even a vinyl record of his album “X.”

The signed items quickly attracted attention online, with some appearing on auction sites. Notably, one seller listed a kitchen roll signed with hot sauce, preserved in resin, on eBay.

Sheeran’s foray into the food industry with Tingly Ted’s reflects a broader trend of celebrities launching their own food and beverage products. Sheeran, who has a passion for ketchup and hot sauce—evidenced by his Heinz tomato ketchup tattoo—created Tingly Ted’s to fulfill his dream of crafting “the ketchup of hot sauces.”

This move follows a growing trend of celebrities entering the food and drink market. For instance, Kim Kardashian’s private equity firm recently invested in truffle-infused sauces, Blake Lively has introduced a range of non-alcoholic mixers, Tom Hanks markets ‘Hanx’ coffee, and Kylie Jenner launched canned vodka sodas earlier this year.

Sheeran’s hot sauce promotion not only drew attention but also showcased his personal touch and creative marketing strategy, leaving a memorable impression on fans and shoppers alike.