The great Christmas sandwich taste test! FEMAIL tries more than 40 of the high street’s festive feasts and vegan-friendly sarnies for 2021 (and a VERY surprising variety comes out on top)
- FEMAIL tried over 40 Christmas sandwiches from UK supermarkets and cafes
- Top of the list was Costa’s Vegan Turkee, Cranberry & Stuffing Bloomer Toastie
- Worst off was Co-op’s Heat at Home Hog Roast Christmas Market Baguette
You no longer need to wait until December 25th to indulge in delicious Christmas dinner – with the high street offering a huge array of festive feasts in the form of holiday sandwiches.
From a turkey and trimmings toastie, a classic French brie and cranberry baguette or an every-growing vegan roast sarnie, high street retailers offer a plethora of festive favourites.
But with so many on offer – how do you know which is worth splashing out on and which should remain on the shelf this year?
FEMAIL’s Bridie Pearson-Jones with help of some very hungry colleagues, tried out more than 40 of the UK’s high street offerings, to discover which offerings will get you into the Christmas spirit, and the ones that are more of a festive flop.
The best festive sandwiches on the high street for 2021
Costa, Vegan Turkee, Cranberry & Stuffing Bloomer Toastie
£3.75
This was absolutely delicious.
If I had done a taste test, there is no way I would be able to tell this wasn’t meaty, and I definitely never would have guessed it was vegan!
It has loads of delicious filling, tucked into a tasty bloomer. Taste-wise I think this is superior to the meaty option I tried.
I would definitely recommend. – Chris Bridger-Linning
Rating: 
The Costa vegan sandwich was praised for having ‘loads of delicious filling’ and ‘superior to the meat’
Marks & Spencer Turkey Feast
£3.30
For me, this is what all other Christmas sandwiches should aspire to.
No frills or gimmicks, just classic ingredients with an even distribution of meat and sauce. While no supermarket product will ever rival a real Boxing Day leftover sandwich, this one comes as close as you can hope for.
The fillings are generous with ample turkey, bacon, stuffing and cranberry sauce. A real Christmas cracker! – Jack Newman
Rating:
Marks & Spencer Turkey Feast, £3.30 got a five-star review thanks to its generous fillings and delicious cranberry sauce
Merry Vegan Vegetable Morrisons
£2.50
Rating:
The Merry Vegan Vegetable from Morrisons is the type of sarnie that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside – it then offers a kiss on the forehead when you discover it’s under 400kcals.
The sage and onion bread is incredibly moreish, but the vegetable fritter topped with a generous layer of red cabbage was the piece de resistance. Finally, a vegan sandwich that doesn’t taste vegan – HALLEUJAH. – Kaya Terry
Rating:
The sage and onion bread is incredibly moreish, but the vegetable fritter topped with a generous layer of red cabbage was the piece de resistance
Aldi Eat & Go Deep Filled Turkey Feast, £1.69 was praised by Charlotte for it’s fried onion and malted bread
Aldi Eat & Go Deep Filled Turkey Feast, £1.69
This delicious sandwich was packed with filling.
With turkey, stuffing, cranberry chutney, bacon and fried onion on malted bread it offered everything you desire from a Christmas sandwich.
The generous filling was complemented by soft bread and overall offered a very enjoyable lunch.
I definitely would purchase again. -Charlotte Dean
Greggs Pigs Under Blankets Baguette
£3.20
A real winner this one – with sausages, crispy bacon, stuffing and lashings of cranberry sauce in a soft, warm baguette.
Unlike most shop-brought Christmas sandwiches this tastes genuinely homemade: the soft of comforting, hearty fare you’d get from your gran.
A great option to warm you up on a cold winter day. – Rory Tingle
Rating: 
Greggs Pigs Under Blankets Baguette is a great option to warm you up on a cold winter day with a four star rating
Aldi Butter Basted Turkey with Pigs under Blankets
£2.29
This is everything you would want from a Christmas sandwich; pillowy bread with a pigs in blanket, turkey and stuffing filling.
It felt festive from the moment you opened the packet due to the sage aroma from the stuffing.
The pigs in blankets were a stand out factor. My only complaint is there could have been more cranberry sauce. – Connie Rusk
Rating:
This is everything you would want from a Christmas sandwich; pillowy bread with a pigs in blanket, turkey and stuffing filling, say Connie of the Butter Basted Turkey with Pigs under Blankets
Costa Turkey & The Trimmings Classic Toastie
From £3.65
I don’t know what’s ‘classically Christmas’ about a cheese toastie and I’m in two minds over whether it’s a good thing. It’s packed with delicious filling – turkey, bacon, stuffing – so definitely indulgent.
It’s a non-traditional classic, but a classic nonetheless. I would have another straight away. – Chris Bridger-Linning
Rating:
Chris said the Costa Turkey & The Trimmings Classic Toastie was a non-traditional classic
Tesco Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sub
£2.75
After Morrisons’ pigs in blankets baguette left me underwhelmed, I have a cheerier story to tell on its rival Tesco’s turkey, stuffing and cranberry white soft sub, which fared much better.
As billed, the sub was indeed soft and the filling was nice a juicy with good sized turkey chunks.
Tasty, filling and decent value at £2.75. A winner, winner turkey dinner! – Dan Holbrook
Rating:
Tasty, filling and decent value at £2.75. A winner, winner turkey dinner! – Dan Holbrook
More expensive than the sub at £2.80, it was good quality and tasty with again decent sized pieces of meat.
Tesco Turkey & Trimmings
£2.80
Also from Tesco, I went for the turkey and trimmings wholemeal bread sandwich with sage and onion stuffing.
More expensive than the sub at £2.80, it was good quality and tasty with again decent sized pieces of meat.
It seemed to have a healthy dollop of mayonnaise which gave it some texture and meant that the filling (unlike Morrisons) wasn’t too dry and sand-papery.
All in all this was another festive treat! – Dan Holbrook
Rating:
Morrisons Cheeseboard Sandwich
£2.50
This festive treat is as delicious as it sounds and will delight any cheese lover out there. The blue cheese is creamy and rich, and marries itself well with the other ingredient.
The Wensleydale crumbs go very well with the sweet plum and chutney. As far as Christmas sandwiches do, this one will light up any lunch break. – Claire Toureille
Rating:
The Wensleydale crumbs go very well with the sweet plum and chutney on the Morrisons Cheeseboard Sandwich
PAUL Christmas Turkey Sandwich
£4.95
A real winner this one, with a generous amount of filling in a pleasingly chewy, rustic-style baguette studded with cranberries.
Paul prides itself on fresh preparation and it really shows, with juicy turkey and proper bacon rather than the rubbery, artificial stuff you get in some shop-brought sandwiches. Topping it off is a good slather of relish which keeps everything moist without soaking through the bread. – Rory Tingle
Rating:
Rory loved Paul’s Christmas sandwich, praising its ‘juicy turkey’ and ‘proper bacon’
Paul Stuffed with Stuffing Sandwich
£4.65
A veggie delight! Gorgeous, thick crusty sage and onion bread with a delicious sweet potato and chestnut stuffing, vegan pâté, and grilled carrots and salad.
In true festive style, it’s all topped with cranberry sauce.
While you can tell this is well made, it felt like it was missing a touch of umani, or the protein that might be given with turkey.
The stuffing itself is crispy and satisfying, but I could do without the carrot, which made it a little tricky to eat because it slipped and slid everywhere.
All in all a great sandwich sure to please plant-based pals and carnivores alike. – Bridie Pearson – Jones
Rating:
All in all a great sandwich sure to please plant-based pals and carnivores alike. – Bridie Pearson – Jones
Starbucks A Toastie To Be Thankful For
£4.49
The Toastie to be Thankful for includes shredded ham hock, sliced turkey and a sprout, potato, cabbage and leek hash in sourdough bread – just like Boxing Day Bubble & Squeak with a touch of cheesy bread.
A lovely extra was the bread itself – topped with mozzarella, bechemal and cheddar. I could really tell this was from Starbucks as it really gave the flavour profile of one of their paninis – all with a festive twist.
The name made me think it might be more American – focusing on Thanksgiving food rather than Christmas – and it certainly had a touch of US sweetness with an overwhelming cranberry sauce making the whole thing a little saccrine.
All in all a good toastie which could definitely be nice to snack on with a coffee on a cosy winter morning – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Rating:
All in all a good toastie which could definitely be nice to snack on with a coffee on a cosy winter morning – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Starbucks Turkee & Trimmings Toastie (vegan)
£4.25
Another vegan treat! I was really excite to try this soya turkey with potato, leek, cabbage and sprout hash and coconut mozzarella.
But like its real meat alternative it was overwhelmingly cranberry-based.
Still gets points for thick tasty – and perfectly toasted bread – and a good tasty turkey alternative. – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Rating:
Still gets points for thick tasty – and perfectly toasted bread – and a good tasty turkey alternative. – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Aldi Plant Menu Vegan Feast Sandwich
£1.69
Fancying something a little lighter than the traditional meat-based festive sandwich for lunch, I plumped for Aldi’s vegan take, which packs a parsnip fritter, shredded apple, crispy cabbage and sultanas between cranberry and poppy seed bread with fried onions and spinach in the mix too.
How did it taste?
The parsnip fritter, the main event, was really good – like falafel in texture and taste. The sweetness of the cranberry, apple and raisins gave it a festive kick and the bread was super soft – and stuffed to the brim too – no scrimping here. A surprise yuletide hit. – Jo Tweedy
Rating:
The parsnip fritter, the main event, was really good – like falafel in texture and taste – Jo Tweedy
Waitrose No Lobster Marie Rose Roll
£3
Calling this ‘lobster’ is a big stretch – nonetheless it was very very tasty.
The Marie Rose sauce and sautéed mushrooms was very moreish, so much so I almost consumed the whole thing in one bite.
With the added green of cucumber and rocket it really packed a punched. The best part was the sweet brioche role which perfectly complemented the tangy filling.
Did it feel festive? Not really – if anything it felt like summer flavours. But I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Rating:
Did it feel festive? Not really – if anything it felt like summer flavours. But I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Boots Shapers Turkey, Cranberry & Stuffing
£3
As a die-hard fan of the Boots Shapers sandwich, this one didn’t disappoint. Packed with meat and stuffing, this proves to be the perfect pre-Christmas treat.
My only complaint would be there is slightly too much cranberry sauce, but still worth the (small number of) calories! – Laura Fox
Rating:
My only complaint would be there is slightly too much cranberry sauce, but still worth the (small number of) calories! – Laura Fox
Starbucks Blitzen’s Blue Cheese & Chutney Toastie
From £2.99
A tasty lunch on the go – but the blue cheese is very strong, not one to go for unless you’re a big cheese fan.
It was completely filled to the brim with Blue Stilton cheese, grated mozzarella soft cheese, cheddar, and Emmental and the apple chutney gave it a delicious sweet kick.
An absolute cheese lovers dream! For me personally the blue cheese was a little too strong, but I’m sure others would adore it. It’s essentially a cheeseboard in a sandwich.
Rating: 
It was completely filled to the brim with Blue Stilton cheese, grated mozzarella soft cheese, cheddar, and Emmental and the apple chutney gave it a delicious sweet kick.
The perfect balance of soft cheese with the tang of cranberry – with an added layer of spinach which stops the cranberry from being too sharp or sweet.
Tesco Brie & Cranberry
£2.50
Brie & Cranberry is the best option at Christmas in my opinion, and this was a very worthy sandwich and a bargain price.
The perfect balance of soft cheese with the tang of cranberry – with an added layer of spinach which stops the cranberry from being too sharp or sweet.
My only issue is the malted bread was thin and a touch flimsy.
On a good sourdough this would have been a real winner!
Rating:
Morrison’s French Brie and Cranberry
£2.40
Rating:
The creamy brie combined brilliantly with the tangy pop of the cranberry sauce to create a delightful mix of sweet and savoury.
A fluffy and light ciabatta meant this was also a great festive option to get away from heavier seasonal bites. – Dan Sales
A fluffy and light ciabatta meant this was also a great festive option to get away from heavier seasonal bites
Morrisons Turkey Lunch Sandwich
£2.50
This classic turkey breast sandwich has cranberry chutney, smoked bacon, pork, sage and onion stuffing and seasoned mayonnaise served on malted bread
It was like being transported to a moment of Boxing Day inspiration when leftover turkey and cheese from Dec 25 is thrown between two bits of bread and complimented perfectly by a healthy dose of mustard. – Toby Meyjes
Rating:
It was like being transported to a moment of Boxing Day inspiration when leftover turkey and cheese from Dec 25 is thrown between two bits of bread and complimented perfectly by a healthy dose of mustard. – Toby Meyjes
Morrisons Market Street The Best King Prawn Cocktail Ciabatta
£2.75
I expect King Prawns to be effectively small lobsters. These are, at best, Prince-sized. Or, if we’re being harsh, not that far from regular garden-variety prawns.
Nonetheless, the trick to a good sandwich is to keep it simple, and Morrisons have delivered.
Soft, chewy ciabatta and crisp lettuce with a tangy, flavourful sauce – who wouldn’t forgive a less-than-regal prawn in an otherwise delicious combination? – Henry Martin
Rating:
Soft, chewy ciabatta and crisp lettuce with a tangy, flavourful sauce – who wouldn’t forgive a less-than-regal prawn in an otherwise delicious combination? – Henry Martin
An exceptional ratio of smoked salmon to egg, the bread was so soft and made for the perfect canvas to the flavours delivered by the truffle sauce – Holly Staffor
Waitrose Smoked Salmon and Soft Cheese
£3.30
An exceptional ratio of smoked salmon to egg, the bread was so soft and made for the perfect canvas to the flavours delivered by the truffle sauce.
Who said festive food has to be always decadent and rich; this sandwich offers the perfect palate refresher for when you want something light without compromising on style and flavour. – Hollly Stafford
Rating:
Tesco California inspired Vegan Christmas wrap
£3
As a vegan, I am not a huge fan of anything that imitates meat, and the pea and wheat protein was giving me chicken vibes.
However, it wasn’t too intrusive and had lots of flavour. The vibrant pesto vegan mayo was the showstopper in this wrap for me, it was the perfect combination of cool and smoky. T
he lettuce was super crunchy, and tomato wrap itself was soft and tasty.
I wouldn’t have said this was a Christmas wrap as I didn’t get a festive vibe from it.
It almost tasted like a Caesar salad with a bit of smoke in it. Not Christmassy at all but lovely all the same.
I am a big fan of the Wicked brand so expect nothing less from them
I would say to improve it, ditch that pea and wheat protein which reminds me of chicken and replace it with something Christmassy. – Amie-Beth Steadman
Rating:
I would say to improve it, ditch that pea and wheat protein which reminds me of chicken and replace it with something Christmassy. – Amie-Beth Steadman
Morrisons Pigs Under Blankets
£2.50
This was a decent offering and had all the ingredients for a great festive bite.
The sausage was well spiced and the cranberry chutney matched it and the bacon well, although more chutney would have been even better – Dan Sales
Rating:
The sausage was well spiced and the cranberry chutney matched it and the bacon well, although more chutney would have been even better – Dan Sales
Morrisons Boxing Day Turkey Curry
£2.50
A decent riff on a Boxing Day classic here, with the salty crunch of the pickled onions contrasting nicely with the smooth, mellow coronation sauce.
The carrot and spinach tastes relatively fresh – rare for a supermarket sandwich – as does the soft tortilla wrap.
The mystery is what happened to the crispy fried onions mentioned on the box – they appear to have gone missing in action – Rory Tingle
Rating:
Morrisons Boxing Day Turkey Curry, £2.50. Rory said: ‘The carrot and spinach tastes relatively fresh – rare for a supermarket sandwich – as does the soft tortilla wrap’
Aldi Eat & Go Turkey Feast Wrap
£1.99
This was a great lunch option for any fans of wraps. It was moist enough (not always easy with turkey) and had a great range of all the Christmas flavours packed in for good measure.
Once I got to the bottom I was met with a large chunk of dry bread but I find that’s often the case with shop bought wraps so it’s not a specific fault of this particular sarnie.
I definitely pick this one up if I fancied a festive snack! – Jessica Summers
Rating:
This was a great lunch option for any fans of wraps, Jessica said, adding it was moist enough
The bread was subpar and if I hadn’t smashed two big bottles of sparkling water throughout the day I would have had a terrible dry mouth. – Barney Riley
Tesco, Turkey & Trimmings Christmas Sandwich
£2.89
Without even having to open the Tesco: Turkey & Trimmings Christmas sandwich I feel I’m in for a treat from the sheer weight of it.
However, my excitement was short-lived after opening it up to reveal one over-stuffed and girthy butty next to skeletal meagre excuse of a sandwich.
I take on the tiny butty first and it’s gone in less than 25 seconds. The flavours were good but the cranberry sauce was lacking. Granted getting that fine balance is not an easy task.
The turkey was OK, better than expected but not very good, the one saving grace for this meat was that it wasn’t DRY.
The sausage and bacon were standard, but hit the spot as they usually do.
I only realised there was sage and onion stuffing after I scranned the lot, take from that what you will.
The bread was subpar and if I hadn’t smashed two big bottles of sparkling water throughout the day I would have had a terrible dry mouth. – Barney Riley
Tesco’s festive ‘Yule Hog wrap’ was rather indistinguishable from the duck version… owing to a relatively generous sprinkling of sugar
Rating:
Tesco Yule Hog Wrap
£3.75
Rating:
I’ve had my fair share of wraps over the years, often plumping for a classic duck and hoisin, or something of the chicken Caesar persuasion.
Tesco’s festive ‘Yule Hog wrap’ was rather indistinguishable from the duck version… owing to a relatively generous sprinkling of sugar.
The tortilla bread itself had somewhat hardened near the edges, but overall moistness was acceptable. Not unpleasant, on the whole, but I’ll stick to the classics. – Neville Wison
Morrisons Market Street The Best Triple Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagel
£2.75
It’s rare that I’d say this, but there’s no skimping on the salmon with this one – so hats off to Morrisons.
A good half an inch of the stuff helps elevate an otherwise dry bagel from the relegation places of the Christmas sandwich league to a solid middle table finisher. An Everton, for example… Rory Tingle
Rating:
Rory said the smoked salmon bagel was a solid, middle of the road sandwich, but not outstanding
PAUL Boxing Day Ham Hock Sandwich
£4.45
The turmeric baguette added little to the flavour and only served to give the sandwich a garish yellow hue which was a little unsettling at first.
When all the components combined, it was a pleasant sandwich but too often the piccalilli overpowered the cheddar which was barely noticeable.
Not one I’d rush to buy again and it didn’t put a festive spring in my step but the quality of the ham did shine through. On the whole, a satisfactory, if slightly underwhelming, offering. – Jack Newman
Rating:
The turmeric baguette added little to the flavour and only served to give the sandwich a garish yellow hue which was a little unsettling at first.
Sainsbury’s – Smoked Salmon and Dill Cream Cheese
£2.75
This festive offering is a touch on the dry side and could benefit from an extra layer of smoked salmon.
The addition of dill into the cream cheese is a good touch though. A perfectly acceptable sandwich, but nothing to write home about. – Rory Tingle
Rating: 
This festive offering is a touch on the dry side and could benefit from an extra layer of smoked salmon
Waitrose – The Club
£3.50
This sandwich is stuffed with turkey, ham, and emmental on malted bread with sherry and onion chutney.
As a personal preference the bread to filling ratio was all off. While it’s a staple of the classic club to have three pieces of bread. I felt there wasn’t enough moist filling to compensate.
The bread was softish and the overall flavour was okay. I would have preferred a pig in blanket instead of the ham if I had a choice, but the sherry and onion chutney was a nice Christmas touch. – Charlotte Dean
Rating:
The bread was softish and the overall flavour was okay. I would have preferred a pig in blanket instead of the ham if I had a choice, but the sherry and onion chutney was a nice Christmas touch. – Charlotte Dean
Boots Christmas Brie and Cranberry
£3
My top thought with this sandwich is it could have done with more of everything.
It could have used a bit more Brie, a ton more cranberry and a good bunch of Spinach leaves.
The sandwich itself was quite dry, and at points the flavour of cranberry was distinctly absent.
I was completely unaware there were any spinach leaves inside until one fell out onto my lap.
When you read the ingredients list on the back, it claims that the cranberry actually contained some port too. I must confess I never tasted that.
This is definitely one made by Scrooge, rather than Santa. – Luke Andrews
Rating:
This is definitely one made by Scrooge, rather than Santa. – Luke Andrews
Waitrose Brie & Cranberry
£3
It seems hard to go wrong with a simple brie and cranberry – but this missed the mark.
There was simply not enough cheese, meaning the spinach had the strongest taste in the whole sarnie!
The lack of ingredients and balance really let down what could have been a tasty treat – Bridie Pearson-Jones
Rating:
Tesco Smoked Ham & Wensleydale with Pear & Fig Chutney
£2.50
A reasonably festive number for just £2.50. The Wensleydale – one of the Christmassiest cheeses – is the dominant flavour, much to my relief.
I could have done without the pear and fig chutney, but I do generally believe that fruit should be kept out of cheese. They’re completely different flavours.
Anyway, the sandwich was fine. If you’re hoping for a ham-heavy snack then give it a miss – there wasn’t that much. – Henry Martim
Rating:
There was simply not enough cheese in the Waitrose offering, meaning the spinach had the strongest taste in the whole sarnie (left). Tesco’s Smoked Ham & Wensleydale with Pear & Fig Chutney was not meaty enough for our tester’s taste (right)
Morrisons Pulled Turkey Baguette
£2.40
I enjoyed this hearty sandwich, which offers a more substantial alternative to the festive classic thanks to large and well-baked baguette.
But the dry texture proved to be a disappointment due to the lack of cranberry sauce and tasteless spinach, as well as the so-called ‘pulled turkey’ being more sliced than shredded. – Laura Fox
Rating:
Our tester said the Morrisons baguette was dry due to a lack of cranberry sauce, and was more like shredded pieces of turkey than juicy pulled meat
Pigs in Blanket Baguette, Morrisons, £2.40
Rating:
Nothing says Christmas like pigs in blankets but I’m afraid Morrisons’ mini sausages wrapped in bacon with spinach and a hint of cranberry sauce didn’t quite get me in the festive spirit.
I didn’t hate it… but it was a little on the dry side for my liking. Close, but no cigar
Couldn’t taste the gravy, the bread was too dry and the parsnip strips looked more like dried noodles – though the cranberry chutney was nice and sweet. Not exactly Christmas lunch in a bun, and hardly ‘ultimate’. More frightening than festive. – Jack Wright
Asda’s Turkey & Trimmings
£2.18
Couldn’t taste the gravy, the bread was too dry and the parsnip strips looked more like dried noodles – though the cranberry chutney was nice and sweet.
Not exactly Christmas lunch in a bun, and hardly ‘ultimate’. More frightening than festive. – Jack Wright
Rating: 
CO-OP’s Heat at Home Hog Roast Christmas Market Baguette
£3.00
I was excited to try this one being a lover of pigs in blankets, but the pigs lacked blankets and the flavour wasn’t quite up to scratch either.
The stuffing was the tastiest part, but overall the bread to filling ratio was way off.
There was only a smattering of cranberry sauce which left it feeling unpleasantly dry – Jessica Summers
Rating:
The stuffing was the tastiest part but overall the bread to filling ratio was way off and there was only a smattering of cranberry sauce which left it feeling uncomfortably dry. – Jessica Summers
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