‘Tis the season for festive feasting as Christmas sandwiches have officially hit the shelves – and this year there’s more choice than ever.
Purists might be shocked to discover that turkey and stuffing butties are no longer the star of the show, as supermarkets have pivoted to weird and wonderful flavour combinations in a fierce battle for the top spot. Think pistachio and porchetta, Currywurst or beef and potato – yes, spuds in your sarnie. It’s safe to say the rule book has truly been ripped up for 2024.
With that said, we’ve not neglected the classics in our hunt for this year’s perfect sandwich, as we munched through plenty of turkey, brie and cranberry and pigs in blankets throughout our review. To save you getting overwhelmed by the vast array of choice come lunchtime, we ate 30 Christmas sandwiches from all the leading supermarkets to find this year’s winners.
From the likes of Tesco, M&S, Sainsburys, Asda, Starbucks, Pret and many more, here’s what they recommend… with some surprising standouts.
M&S Surf and Turf Brioche Rolls – £6.25
What’s in it? A duo of brioche rolls. One houses lobster and prawns coated in a marie rose sauce, while the other is packed with roast beef and Dijon mustard.
These seriously posh rolls look so inviting and I couldn’t wait to try them. The soft brioche makes a nice change from classic bread that can often be dry in a supermarket sandwich. And they are quite literally brimming with filling which makes M&S’ offering even more of a showstopper. Surf and Turf doesn’t exactly scream Christmas, but I love the fresh take on the classic prawn cocktail and beef roast dinner. The lobster was quite fishy so it might not be for you if that’s not your jam, but I loved how fresh the high-quality ingredients taste. The mustard tied in well with the beef and the sweetness of the bread, but wasn’t too overpowering. Top marks for creativity and punchy flavour.
Look – 10/10
Taste – 10/10
Festive factor – 6/10
M&S Christmas Sando – £4.50
What’s in it? Breaded chicken, ginger pickled red cabbage, gochujang mayonnaise, sweet cranberry chutney and fresh spinach.
A festive take on the traditional Japanese Katsu Sando, this sandwich really pushes the boundaries with unusual flavour profiles. Out of everything we tried, it has the most wow-factor in the box and I couldn’t wait to dive in. The breaded chicken is slathered with a generous dollop of sauce made from gochujang, a savoury, sweet and spicy condiment popular in Korean cuisine. I love the idea of adding a hint of spice and the zingy mayo was delicious, but it doesn’t feel very festive. The sandwich was tasty overall but the pickled red cabbage was very overpowering, which was a let down.
Look – 10/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 4/10
Aldi Plant Menu Limited Edition Vegan Festive Feast Sandwich – £1.99
What’s in it? An extremely colourful sandwich option for a vegan Christmas sandwich.
Even though this sandwich looked great, I can’t say it tasted as good as I’d hoped. While the parsnip is giving the same texture as falafel, it is quite dry. It also includes raisins which I am not a huge fan of. However it has a lovely cranberry chutney and fried onions which I did enjoy.
Look – 7/10
Taste – 3/10
Festive factor – 8/10
Morrisons The Best Slow Cooked Beef & Roast Potato – £4
What’s in it? Beef slices with slices of roasted thyme potatoes, caramelised red onion and a gravy mayo.
The bread was thick and soft, as was the beef. I was slightly apprehensive having never eaten potato in a sandwich before but I was seriously impressed. It was like a whole roast dinner wrapped into a sandwich. The filling to sauce ratio was top tier and the beef wasn’t dry like turkey often can be. I would definitely recommend it this one – but you’ll need to be hungry as it’s a big butty!
Look – 8/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 7/10
Morrisons Brie & Cranberry Christmas Sandwich – £3
What’s in it? Thick slices of brie with a generous layer of cranberry sauce in wholemeal bread.
This is a classic for a reason. The brie is creamy and strong and the cranberry sauce is seriously rich, which ensures the sandwich isn’t dry. I really enjoyed this as the flavours are a lot stronger than some of the other brie and cranberry contenders which were a little bland.
Look – 8/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 10/10
Greggs Festive Flatbread – £3.50
What’s in it? A flatbread packed with chicken and bacon, sage and onion stuffing, mayo and a tangy cranberry and red onion relish.
This to me is the gift that keeps on giving. The flatbread makes for a nice change to boring old malted bread, but the classic flavour profiles are still there thanks to the deliciously herby stuffing and cranberry relish. It’s an absolutely delightful sandwich, but be warned: there’s heaps of sauce so things might get sloppy.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Greggs Christmas Lunch Baguette – £3.80
What’s in it? The classic Christmas sandwich combined in a baguette – the Greggs way.
This baguette is full of chicken, bacon, sage and onion stuffing with a layer of melted cheese and cranberry and red onion relish. All of that is topped off with onion gravy, but unfortunately I couldn’t really taste it. The classic festive flavours are there but the bread to filling ratio was way off and it definitely needs more sauce.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 6/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Asda – Boxing Day Sandwich – £2.50
What’s in it? The classic Boxing Day feast – some people argue it’s nicer than the Christmas Dinner, and Asda have made sure they had their take in the dish.
This year Asda swapped out the turkey for chicken, and I have to say I think I prefer chicken as it’s not as dry. It also contains coleslaw, and balsamic onion chutney. I was hoping for a creamy hit with the coleslaw to balance out all of the flavours, but it’s very overpowering and doesn’t bode well with the onion chutney.
Look – 7/10
Taste – 5/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Asda Hog Roast Sandwich – £3
What’s in it? A classic hog roast sandwich with Bramley apple sauce, seasoned mayo, stuffing and fried onions.
Hats off to Asda for stuffing this sarnie with plenty of apple sauce – it’s definitely not dry. But the compliments end there as this sandwich isn’t anything special. The seasoned mayo and stuffing did give it a little more of a festive feel, however.
Look – 4/10
Taste – 5/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Caffe Nero – Italian Porchetta Focaccia – £6.90
What’s in it? A rosemary focaccia stuffed with porchetta, salsa verde, provolone cheese and caramelised onions.
While this one is pretty pricey, it’s absolutely delicious. The salsa verde is strong but it’s the star of the show, and makes a nice change from classic cranberry sauce or seasoned mayo. It’s a fun take on the classic Christmas sarnie without veering too far into flavours that just don’t work. When served hot, the caramelised onions work very well.
Look – 8/10
Taste – 10/10
Festive factor – 7/10
Caffe Nero – Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini – £6.90
What’s in it? A classic panini with sliced of brie, bacon and cranberry.
After the huge success of the porchetta focaccia I was expecting big things, but sadly I can’t say I was as impressed. There isn’t much bacon in this panini and the brie is a little bland, however the cranberry sauce packs a punch and adds much-needed juiciness.
Look –7/10
Taste – 6/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Costa Coffee – Pigs under blankets toastie – £5.80
What’s in it? Pigs in blankets toastie topped with a layer of melted cheese on top.
This toastie is for anyone who loves a classic festive sandwich but wants to push the boat out ever-so slightly. There’s a good layer of caramelised onion chutney inside and the melted cheese on top adds a decadant richness. This is my favourite take on Pigs in Blankets.
Look –8/10
Taste – 9/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Costa Coffee – Brie and bacon panini – £6.20
What’s in it? Another classic, the brie and bacon panini with cranberry sauce.
You can’t go far wrong with this staple, but it really lacks filling. The panini is quite large but sadly there’s only two slices of thin bacon inside and one sausage cut in half. If there was more filling this would have been delicious.
Look –8/10
Taste – 4/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Tesco Ho-Ho-Hog Wrap – £3.25
What’s in it? Pulled pork with a garlic and fennel seasoning, rosemary and turkey gravy mayonnaise, cabbage and apple slaw mix and spinach in a plain tortilla wrap.
This doesn’t scream Christmas to me, but I like the idea of doing something a bit different. Everyone loves a hog roast, so I had high expectations for this one. I felt it could have been more generous on the fillings, and the packaging could be more festive. I love the pulled pork as it’s not dry like turkey can be.
Look – 5/10
Taste – 6/10
Festive factor – 3/10
Tesco Cracking Currywurst Sub – £3.00
What’s in it? Sausage, spiced ketchup and smoky caramelised onions in a white sub roll.
Tesco seem to be going for a bit of a unique approach to Christmas sarnies this festive season, and I have to say their lineup is quite impressive. This take on a currywurst from a traditional German Christmas market definitely delivers on flavour, but it could have been a bit more generous on the filling. If you love curry sauce, this is definitely one for you.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 8/10
Sainsbury Taste the Difference Festive Porchetta Sandwich – £4.50
What’s in it? Porchetta, cranberry stuffing, gravy mayonnaise, fresh apollo lettuce and a sweet cranberry sauce between onion bread.
The gravy mayonnaise is definitely the star of the show here, and I like the idea of including cranberry not only in the stuffing, but also in the sauce. The bright Taste the Difference packaging also makes it stand out on the shelf.
Look – 9/10
Taste – 9/10
Festive factor – 7/10
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference A Very Veggie Christmas – £4.25
What’s in it? Roasted butternut, Brussels sprouts and chestnut stuffing, mulled wine spiced pickled red cabbage and onion, feta, soft cheese, basil pesto and mayonnaise and red onion in a tortilla wrap.
I have to say, Sainsbury’s went all out with this veggie option. This is the only Christmas sandwich that incorporated mulled wine and Brussels sprouts – a very bold move that surprisingly works.
Look – 8/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 10/10
Co-op Turkey Feast Sandwich – £3.25
What’s in it? Turkey with pork, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, smoked bacon and mayonnaise on malted bread.
The Co-op has stuck to tradition with this one, but it works. It tastes exactly like a delicious bite of all your favourite festive trimmings wrapped into one and the turkey was surprisingly moist.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 8/10
Co-op Pigs Under Blankets Sandwich – £3.25
What’s in it? Pork sausage, mayonnaise, balsamic onion chutney, smoked bacon and fried onions on malted bread.
Another classic done right. The packaging lacks some festive cheer, but the filling was generous and the lashings of mayonnaise and balsamic onion chutney ensures the sandwich isn’t dry. The sausage meat tastes very high quality too.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 4/10
Subway V.I.Brie SubMelt – £6.89
What’s in it? Bacon, brie, American style cheese, peppers, caramelised red onions, and sweet onion sauce on Italian white bread.
This was a favourite from Subway last year and customers are glad to see it back on the menu. Brie is a staple at Christmas, and I love the idea of having it warm in the cold, winter months. The chain also offers a Halal option featuring turkey bacon, making it a good all-rounder. It is definitely more on the pricey side, but can be turned into a meal deal for better savings.
Look – 6/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 6/10
Pret Christmas Lunch Baguette – £5.50
What’s in it? Thick slices of turkey with port and orange cranberry sauce, herby pork stuffing and rocket. Serviced on a white baguette with mayonnaise and crispy onions.
The Christmas lunch baguette from Pret is exactly what it says on the tin. The filling to bread ratio is perfect and all of the ingredients taste wonderfully fresh. A good option for those wanting something a bit more hearty and filling. But be warned, it’s expensive.
Look – 9/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Pret Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll – £4.99
What’s in it? Pork sausages wrapped in streaky bacon, served in a hot ciabatta roll with a rich layer of caramelised onion chutney and a dab of mustard mayonnaise.
Pret have a pretty impressive line-up this Christmas, and it’s hard to try them all. But this pigs in blankets roll was a must-try, and it did not disappoint. If you love this side on your Christmas dinner, you’ll love this roll.
Look – 8/10
Taste – 8/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Waitrose Merry Club’mas Sandwich – £4.50
What’s in it? A sandwich made with chicken, seasoned mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, beechwood smoked bacon, spinach, umami onions, and chilli relish on malted bread.
If you love bread, this is the one for you. It has three different slices within each sarnie, which is somewhat overpowering. But I love the idea of having so many different flavours going on at once, and it’s also included in their £5 meal deal.
Look – 7/10
Taste – 5/10
Festive factor – 8/10
Starbucks Festive Feast Panini – £5.95
What’s in it? Sliced chicken breast and smoky bacon on a layer of turkey gravy, pork, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry chutney with cheddar cheese in a ciabatta.
Starbucks has stuck to tradition with this one, with all your favourite trimmings in one place. Paninis are often a hit year-round, and this one definitely adds a festive twist on your favourite. It boasts plenty of filling.
Look – 7/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Starbucks Pigs Under Blanket Panini – £5.90
What’s in it? Pork sausages on a layer of caramelised onion, mustard and stuffing, with smoky bacon and Cheddar cheese in a rustic ciabatta.
Starbucks seems to have stuck to a similar theme this festive season, with plenty of classics on offer, including this pigs under blankets panini. This could have done with a bit more filling, but the classic flavours are there singing and dancing.
Look – 5/10
Taste – 6/10
Festive factor – 6/10
Lidl Turkey Feast Sandwich – £1.99
What’s in it? Turkey breast, pork, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, and beechwood smoked streaky bacon with fried onions and mayonnaise served on malted bread.
Lidl has been very generous with the filling in this one, with thick layers of turkey and stuffing making it perfect for those wanting something more hearty to snack on. For a budget option, I’m seriously impressed.
Look – 8/10
Taste – 7/10
Festive factor – 9/10
Lidl Brie and Cranberry Sandwich – £1.85
What’s in it? Brie, cranberry sauce, spinach and mayonnaise on malted bread.
Another classic from Lidl, encompassing two of the arguably best British Christmas flavours. The spinach is a nice addition to break up the brie flavour. And another complete bargain.
Look – 7/10
Taste – 6/10
Festive factor – 8/10
Best and worst Christmas sandwiches for 2024 – our verdict
We’re very impressed by this year’s selection and the unique flavours thrown into the mix. There are also plenty of budget friendly options, as well as more expensive choices for those wanting to splash out.
Our joint favourite has to be M&S’ Surf and Turf – it’s fun, creative and utterly delicious. Neither of us have seen a supermarket sandwich like this before, and the addition of the brioche bun made it feel very luxurious.
Coming in at second is Morrisons’ Beef and Potato sandwich – another dark horse in a sea of classic turkey and stuffing options. It’s not something we’d instantly pick up on first glance but we’re very glad we did. The potato makes it feel very comforting, almost like a British roast in a sandwich, which is perfect for the cold winter season.
In third place is Sainsbury’s A Very Veggie Christmas. This was definitely the most festive of the bunch, incorporating not only mulled wine but also Brussels sprouts which was a very bold move. This deserves to be in the top five purely for its dedication to the festive season.
Fourth place is Caffe Nero’s Italian Festive Porchetta Focaccia, another curveball. We loved the Italian twist on this one, and the focaccia bread was delicious on its own. It also incorporated salsa verde, a more unique approach compared to the more popular cranberry sauce.
And finally fifth place goes to the Pret Christmas Lunch Baguette. We had to throw a classic into the top five, and out of them all, this one really stood out thanks to its generous filling and white baguette. But we also have to give a shout-out to Pret’s Christmas packaging this year, keeping it very classic and aesthetically pleasing.
