The British sandwich industry has once again proved that it is adept at bringing Christmas cheer to the High Street well in advance of the festivities getting underway.
Indeed, Christmas sandwiches have become as iconic as the high street decorations and the Christmas coffee cups, a sure indicator that the festive season is upon us.
This year sandwich makers have once again shown their ingenuity in creating a range of tantalising seasonal flavours to suit all tastes.
This year the British Sandwich Association sent a team out to look at the offerings and they found plenty to enjoy.
One of the first to hit the High Street this year was Boots, which launched their Christmas range in October
While traditional turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce remains the most popular filling there are some fascinating twists to some of the recipes this year, such as a Yorkshire pudding carrier and alternative fruity accompaniments.
There are also some interesting twists to ranges this year. For example, Dunelm Mill have added a bubble and squeak sandwich to their Christmas range while Pret’s addition of pistachio nuts and rocket to their Christmas sandwiches adds an interesting additional texture.
There are also lots of options for vegetarians and vegans this year. M&S have, for example, created a meatless “No Turkey Feast” using soya protein that has been scientifically developed to replicate turkey in terms of taste and texture.
The addition of a gluten free option in most ranges is also a welcoming sign of the times.
And for those that want to enjoy a traditional Christmas feast in its full glory, there are some triple options available that go the full distance, such as Asda’s, Christmas Triple Sandwich which replicates the three-course Christmas dinner with a prawn sandwich to start, a Turkey sandwich for main and a cheese sandwich for the cheeseboard option.
As the British Sandwich and Food to Go Association, our test was more to look at what the Christmas offering is this year rather than to make judgements – and with over 50 sandwiches to choose from, we found plenty to choose from and plenty of evidence that our industry continues to drive innovation.
The following is a full list of the options we found:
- Aldi -Turkey Feast
- Aldi -Ham Hock
- Aldi - Brie and cranberry
- Asda - Christmas Triple Sandwich
- Asda - Gluten Free Turkey & Stuffing
- Asda - Turkey with trimmings
- Asda - Brie and cranberry
- Asda - Turkey & Trimmings Wrap
- Boots - Turkey & stuffing, ham hock & plum chutney, Cheddar & red onion
- Boots - Parsnip fritter and butternut squash
- Costa - Turkey Feast
- Costa - Brie Bacon and Cranberry
- Costa - Cheeseboard panini
- Costa - Pigs under blankets
- Costa - Gold Turkey & Emmental Brioche bun
- Dunelm - Turkey stuffing and cranberry
- Dunelm - Bubble and Squeak
- Dunelm - Brie and bacon
- Dunelm - Ham Hock
- Greggs - Pigs under blankets baguette
- Greggs - Cheese & Chutney
- Greggs - Christmas Lunch
- M&S - Turkey & Pigs in Blankets
- M&S - Aberdeen Angus Beef & Red Onion Chutney
- M&S - Three Bird Roast
- M&S - ‘No Turkey’ Feast
- M&S - Brie & Grape
- M&S - Prawn & Smoked Salmon
- Morrisons - Turkey Lunch
- Paul - Sandwich dinde de noel
- Paul - tis the season sandwich
- Paul - the festive hock feast
- Paul - Christmas salad
- Pret - Very Merry Christmas Lunch Sandwich
- Pret - Christmas Lunch Sandwich
- Pret - Veggie Christmas Lunch Sandwich
- Pret- Brie pistacio and cranberry
- Sainsburys - Smoked salmon & cream cheese
- Sainsburys - Turkey bacon & cranberry
- Sainsburys - Turkey & Pigs under blankets
- Starbucks - Turkey Feast Panini
- Starbucks - Turkey, Ham & Cheese Toastie
- Starbucks - Brie & cranberry focaccia
- Tesco - Turkey and Trimmings reduced calories
- Tesco - Gluten Free Turkey and trimmings
- Tesco Finest - Turkey Feast
- Tesco - Gin Hot Smoked Salmon Bagel
- Waitrose - Turkey, Stuffing and Bacon
- Waitrose - Christmas Gluten Free Turkey, Stuffing & Bacon
- Waitrose - Smoked salmon and soft cheese
- Waitrose - Prawn smoked salmon and beetroot relish
- Waitrose - Pigs under blankets
- Waitrose - Duck with bitter orange and juniper relish
-ENDS-