Costa's British Beef & Stilton

6.6/10

Between two slices of multi-seed batch bread was a very sweet festive sandwich. The British topside beef was a disappointing start to the sandwich, it had no taste at all, and was cut so thin its texture was barely noticeable. But the stilton cheese made up for this disappointment. Its taste was not extremely strong, like most stilton’s, so it did not overpower the other ingredients. It also had a fairly strong substance, so when bitten into it kept its shape and did not crumble. The caramelised onion chutney went very well alongside the stilton. It was relatively sweet, which helped calm down the vibrant tastes of the stilton, as well the red onion and hint of black pepper added an essence of spice to the medley. Finally, the rocket leaves added the final kick to the mixture. Its crunchy texture and mouth-watering spice took my taste buds to another world.

On the whole, this sandwich would be more ideal for someone who is looking for a cheese and chutney based sandwich rather than a meaty one, due to the fact the beef was not noticeable, whilst the stilton and onion chutney made it’s a rather tasty snack.

Marks & Spencer's Turkey Feast

5.4/10

Between two slices of malted brown bread was a not so merry Christmas sandwich. The marinated roast British turkey tasted very overcooked, dry and gave quite a bit of resistance when trying to bite into it. Whatever it was marinated in was not at all noticeable when tasting it. The texture of the smoked British bacon was very rubbery, as well being very tasteless, and was impossible to tear apart without bringing the whole lot out, which caused other fillings of the sandwich to fall out all over the place. Obviously Britain is not the place to get your sandwich meat. Also, its rubbery texture meant that it took quite some time to chew on before swallowing. The next Scrooge of an ingredient was the very tasteless pork and chestnut stuffing. This had not been spread across the sandwich at all, instead was clumped right in the middle, which made the centre of the sandwich very dense and difficult to eat around. Then came the spiced cranberry chutney. This did not have the substance of standard chutney, it was very thin and watery which seeped into the bread, causing the sandwich to be soggy. As well it did not taste spiced at all, and was very sweet, and tasted more of strawberry jam.   

On the whole, I would not recommend this Grinch sandwich to anyone looking for a festive snack, you will just be full of Christmas disappointment, and wish the ghost of Christmas future would have warned you before buying it. Although some money got donated towards homeless shelters when purchasing this sandwich, so that gave me some satisfaction. 

Tesco Fully Loaded Chicken and Bacon Club

7.7/10

Between two slices of malted brown bread, and a cheeky white slice, this club sandwich was very worthwhile and filling. The succulent chicken breast was well portioned and was so tender that it easily broke away when tearing your teeth into it. The sweetcure bacon was fairly dry, however its taste made up for that as it was bursting with flavour, and added a pinch of salt to the sandwich. The tomato ketchup relish went very well with the two meat fillings as it was fairly sweet, yet its relish side added a kick of spice drawing out the natural flavours out of the chicken and bacon. On the other side of the cheeky white slice of bread was the salad. The fact that it kept the meat on one side and salad on the other worked very well, it was as though the white slice was the border of two sandwich filling countries. The tomato added extra juiciness to the mixture, and the salad added that crunch one enjoys in a sandwich. As well in salad country was a slice of cheddar cheese which again added extra flavour and texture, and along with the mustard mayo, it added more spice and flavour to the sandwich. All these filling mixed together made one magnificent tasting sandwich.

On the whole this sandwich is very worth the buy, as it was very filling as a snack, as well as the rich flavours within will satisfy your taste buds, and makes you long for it in the future. 

Tesco Egg & Cress Triple

6.8/10

Between two slices of wheatgerm, the filling of this egg and cress sandwich was fairly eggcelent. The hard boiled egg tasted very fresh as the texture was quite firm and it did not appear soggy. However, the amount of egg was a disappointment. Judging by the ingredients only one hard boiled egg had been used, and the way it had been mashed was into such small pieces its presence a barely noticeable. The salad cress on the other hand was very cracking. There was plenty of it, and it was very fresh and crisp bringing a sense of crunch to the sandwich. As well as it being very flavoursome  this brought a hint of pepper to the flavour  The mayonnaise gave off mixed emotions. There was a sour taste to it which I could not quite decide if suited the sandwich. Though it brought the ingredients together, blending their flavours  and prevented the sandwich from being dry. The fact that it was a triple benefitted the sandwich, as it is a fairly bland choice, the extra half fulfills your hunger giving you an impression of satisfaction. On the whole, this sandwich wasn't anything eggsquisite but it satisfied ones need when looking for a fulfilling snack, and would satisfy your hunger.

   

Delicious Turkey Feast – With Turkey, Bacon & Cranberry Sauce

2/10

Between two slices of malted bread, this Christmas themed sandwich brought all the elements of a post Christmas dinner sarnie. The way in which the turkey had been cut into larger, uneven chunks was as if it were to imitate the left over carvings from the feast, which brought authenticity to the sandwich, as well it being juicy and tender. It may have been the cranberry sauce which maintained this juiciness, which, at first, I doubted would have been fitting in a sandwich but it sweetness, mixed with the other fillings, brought an extra sense of flavour and excitement to this seasonal treat. As well, the sweetcured bacon prevented the sandwich from becoming too sweet by adding an essence of salt to the concoction, and its chewy texture gave a bit more resistance when sinking your teeth into it, making you work for this treat.

I always find a bit of veg makes a good sandwich into a great one, and the standard lettuce or cucumber would not have really suited this sandwich. Instead they chose to use spinach, which was a very fine choice. Its softness made itself invisible to the touch, when biting into it, but it brought a lot of flavour into the sandwich which suited the meat very well, and even adding a bit of spice. However, overall it was the pork, sage and onion stuffing which brought this sandwich together as a whole. It was rich in flavour, with the onion and sage bringing new elements of taste to the sandwich. As well, it made a form of sandwich glue holding the whole thing together, and prevented all the ingredients from falling on your lap.

On the whole, this sandwich brought many a Christmas joy to this sandwich lover, as it made the joys of a post Christmas dinner sandwich come early, and had all the ingredients and taste one could wish for.

However, you may be wondering why this glorious sandwich only scored 2 out of 10. This was because as I was taking in my final bite I noticed a very odd texture within the sandwich. When I managed to separate this from the rest of it, I went to pull it out and discovered it was a long black hair, which did not belong to me, nor was it listed in the ingredients, which instantly put me off the sandwich, otherwise it would have scored an 8.3. So please enjoy this sandwich if you choose to buy it, as this may have been a one off added hair. 

Boots Delicious Simply Chicken Mayo

Rating: 8.2/10

Between two slices of malted bread, this very simple yet extremely satisfying sandwich more than fulfilled this sandwich lover’s taste for loaf! To begin with the amount of chicken which was used was more than enough to satisfy ones hunger. The size in which it was cut was perfect, not too big that you would take the majority of it out with one swift bite, and not too small that you wouldn’t even feel yourself bite into that tender meat. The quality of the chicken was just so perfect as well, it was so tender and succulent that you did not struggle to sink your teeth into it and did not crumble when bitten into. Moving onto the creamy mayo. This was also portioned very well. There was quite a lot of it, so you were not left with a dry sarnie, but they did not over do it that you were left with a sloppy mess. The hint of crushed black pepper is what, from my tasting, made this sandwich perfect. The faint taste of it in there brought so much extra flavour and would make your mouth water on instant tasting of it. But, for me, the thing that made this sandwich was the price. It had been reduced to only 50p, so from this I assumed it would have tasted quite dry and used up as it was reaching its end, but the wonder my taste buds received when biting into it made me enjoy it ever so much more. I would then strongly advise anyone on the search for some form of chicken mayo sandwich to head straight to boots, as it does what is said on the box, Delicious Simply Chicken Mayo.

Tesco's Tandoori Chicken Sandwich

Rating: 4.9/10

Between to slices of malted brown bread, the Tesco’s tandoori chicken sandwich was a huge disappointment. Going in for the first bite, expecting a rich in spice taste, bursting with flavour, I was given very dull dry sandwich. To begin with, the tandoori chicken was very dry and crumbled when it was bitten into. It also lacked in flavour, sure it had the standard shade of orange one would expect of tandoori chicken, but that spicy, tomato and yoghurt like taste was just not there. The yoghurt and mint dressing was also on a very unsatisfactory level. There was a very small smear on only one slice of bread, so it’s very weak taste was rarely tasted, and allowed the sandwich to be as dry as it was. Again, another disappointment was the tomato and red peppers. There was very few of them and they had been cut up into very small slices, which again created a lack of taste toward the sandwich, and brought no sense of juiciness. The one thing the sandwich did not lack in was coriander, but this only brought more displeasure towards it. As there was so much of it, the strong flavour of them overpowered everything else, and afterwards I found myself having to pick them out of my teeth. On the whole the Tesco’s tandoori chicken sandwich was a huge disappointment. If you are looking for a sandwich that is more exotic and has a taste of spice and full in flavour, I would advise to steer away from this one.

Pret A Manger Wild Crayfish & Rocket

Rating: 7.6/10

Between two slices of malted wholegrain bread, this succulent, flavoursome wild crayfish and rocket sandwich made a sensational impact on this sandwich fanatic’s taste buds. The crayfish were very chunky, well portioned, and tasted fresh enough to have been caught that they. When biting into them there was a slight crunch giving the sandwich an extra sense of texture. The rocket also tasted very fresh, it was crisp and cool, and the flavour that it gave off made ones mouth water. Yet it also had quite a kick to it adding a element of spice to the sandwich. The free range mayo is what brought the sandwich together as a whole. It was what prevented the sandwich from being dry, and helped bring the taste of the crayfish and rocket together. Also, there was a hint of lemon juice in there, again bringing a slight kick to the taste, and also help draw out the flavour of the crayfish even more. The one thing that let the sandwich down was its price. It just felt as though there was not enough there for the amount that was paid, but one should expect that when eating in such a chain of coffee shops. On the whole, the wild crayfish and rocket sandwich was very satisfying in taste and fulfilment, and would advise anyone who enjoys sandwiches such as prawn mayo to give this one a try.

Tesco Chicken, Chorizo & Chipotle Mayo

Rating: 5.2/10

Between two very thin, and slightly moist, slices of sundried tomato bread, this Tesco’s chicken, chorizo and chipotle mayo sandwich did not satisfy this first time tasting. As well as the very thin moist bread, the filling itself was very unsatisfying. The chicken was very dry and flavourless, as if had been overcooked and then left to fester. As well as the spinach, which was also very flavourless and quite withered as if it had been left in the heat for too long. Mixed emotions were felt about the chipotle mayo, it brought a strong flavour to the sandwich, yet it lacked the kick that my taste buds we on the hunt for, this being the medium spice that the packet clearly stated, this false advertisement did not please the taste buds. This leads to the missing tomato and green peppers. The ingredients state that they were meant to be in there, but they were not, what’s up with that Tesco? However, what managed to turn this sandwich from a terrible one to a fairly bad one was firstly the chorizo. The chorizo was well portioned and of perfect taste, so that it did not make the sandwich too acidic and hefty in the meat area. As well as, the pleasant surprise I got when I stumbled across the pinto beans. There were not a lot of them, which was good as a sandwich is no place for a bean, yet the nice surprise I received when biting into them gave the sandwich a bit more texture and flavour. On the whole, the Tesco’s chicken, chorizo and chipotle mayo sandwich was not an ideal choice when in need of a snack due to its lack of flavour, the poor quality and amount of filling (as you can see from the photo below the sandwich doesn't even fill the box), and the fact it did not do what it said on the packet. 

Tesco Handmade Ploughman's

Rating: 8.6/10

Between two slices of malted brown bread, the filling of the Tesco’s Ploughman’s sandwich brings an enchanting sensation to your taste buds. The way in which the sandwich is perfectly layered, with firstly a layer of pickle which is so sweet, yet also slightly sour, brings the key flavour to this sandwich making your mouth water for what is next. This is then a layer of crisp lettuce, which was perfectly chilled, giving the sandwich its texture and that almighty crunch as you sink your teeth into it. Next up is the key ingredient to the Ploughman’s, the cheddar cheese. The slice within was cut to the ideal size for a sandwich, not too thin, yet not too thick, so the flavour does not overwhelm all the other ingredients. The flavour of the cheddar itself is fairly strong, enough to satisfy a fellow cheese fans lust for that cheesy dairy goodness. Beneath the layer of cheddar cheese are a few slices tomatoes. The use of tomatoes in a sandwich can be very dangerous, as tomatoes can turn a great sandwich into a poor moist sandwich. But yet again the Tesco’s Ploughman’s succeeds, the few small slices of tomatoes are just enough to add some juiciness and extra flavouring to the sandwich without making it too moist. The final layer is a coat of mayonnaise bringing a sense of coolness to the sandwich, which calms down ones taste buds so you can handle to full glorious taste without overwhelming them. On the whole Tesco have made this classic sandwich into a mouth watering, delicious snack, which would satisfy any customer on the hunt for a snack in the cheese and pickle area.