It’s that time of year again folks!
Supermarket and lunch chains are swapping ham and cheese for brie and bacon, as they stock the shelves with Christmas sarnies galore.
Each year the selection gets bigger and bigger and when you’re in a rush on your lunch break, trying to pick between them all can feel like an arduous task.
But fear not, the team at Metro have made the decision a little easier for you in the run up to December, as we’ve tried a bunch of them in a bid to find the best.
Now you won’t have to chew your way through soggy bread, sad spinach leaves and scraps of turkey.
For this taste test, we picked two sandwiches from each of the major supermarkets and high street retailers: One classic Christmas sandwich, and one that’s new and exciting for 2025.
We’ve given each one a rating out of five and shared a breakdown of what’s in it.
Some of our top rated might surprise you — and there was one offering that scored a measly 1/5.
So without further ado, here are our honest reviews…
A quick look
Tesco Finest Turkey BLT, £4.25
What’s in it? A returning item that first launched in 2024, this sandwich is a ‘transatlantic take’ on a classic and features pastrami-style turkey, maple-cured bacon, Emmental cheese, and gherkin mayo, all served on rye and caraway bread.
What we thought: If there’s one thing Americans know how to do, it’s make a sandwich and this is combines some of the best – a BLT and a Turkey Swiss. The combination is an absolute winner, although, admittedly, maybe not the most festive of all flavours. It’s only really Christmassy because it’s got turkey and the maple-cured bacon and cheese make it rather indulgent. But someone who has never been the biggest fan of Christmas sandwiches, I’m really not mad about it. It’s a cracking sandwich, that’s got just the right amount of everything inside and the flavours are fantastic – peppery, smoky and a little sweet, with tang from the pickle mayo.
This is one of the best supermarket sandwiches I’ve ever had, by a long shot.
Verdict: 5/5
Tesco Finest Brie and Bacon Brioche Bagel, £4.50
What’s in it? This one is brand new for Christmas 2025 and sees a soft brioche bagel filled with brie, rashers of applewood smoked maple-cured bacon, finished with a cranberry and chilli chutney and spinach and rocket.
What we thought: Sorry Tesco, just because something is round and has a hole in the middle, it doesn’t mean you should call it a bagel. The bread is too soft and sweet. It’s not bad at all, it’s a very nice brioche – it’s just not a bagel.
Ok, now that little rant is out of the way, onto the rest of the sarnie… The fillings are classic and pair well together, and the chutney has a subtle kick of spice to it, which elevates the whole thing. I imagine it would taste even better if it was popped under the grill for a few minutes, so the brie is wonderfully melty. Overall, this one isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a solid option if you love a brie and cranberry sandwich at this time of year.
Verdict: 4/5
Pret
Pret’s Veggie Christmas Flatbread
What’s in it? A new option for 2025, according to Pret, this flatbread features: ‘roasted butternut squash, peppery rocket with chestnut & herb stuffing. Served with a spoonful of sage mayo, pistachios and crispy onion.’
What we thought: At Christmas, I’m eating at least 17 pigs in blankets, so I wasn’t convinced a veggie offering could bring the festive vibes. But dare I say it was my favourite of the two from Pret. The butternut squash is tasty, but it’s the stuffing that’s the standout here: crunchy, without being too dry, just the right amount of sweet thanks to the cranberry, and packed full of flavour. The so-called ‘crispy’ onion is anything but, but it tastes good, nonetheless. The whole flatbread is giving ‘delicious nut roast’ that Mary Berry would be proud of. I’m not a massive rocket fan, and there’s a generous layer, but the other flavours were (thankfully) enough to overpower it.
Verdict: 5/5, no notes.
Porchetta & Sage Baguette, £5.50
What’s in it? Slices of Porchetta, a traditional Italian meat, typically infused with herbs and spices. Pret’s version has been ‘rubbed in an apple and rosemary seasoning’, layered on top of sage mayo, hard Italian cheese, dried cranberries, shredded apple and spinach.
What we thought: To look at, the Porchetta Baguette is a bit, well, weird. Thick cut ham and parmesan cheese, but with a layer of greenery, grated apple and fat cranberries thrown around on top. It doesn’t exactly look appetising, but I perhaps judged it a bit too harshly. I liked the Porchetta with it’s herby crust, and the apple is obviously a winning flavour combo – however, I’d have preferred a sauce rather than pieces of crunchy apple. It was just an odd texture combo. The layer of spinach was too thick, and again seemed odd with the thick ham. It could have not been there, and I wouldn’t have missed it. I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to Pret for another one – stick to the reliable chicken caesar and bacon instead.
Verdict: 2/5. Just fine.
Subway
Ultimate Festive Sub
What’s in it? Rotisserie style chicken, bacon, sage & onion stuffing, American-style cheese and rich cranberry sauce – available on new stuffing topped bread.
What we thought: My first impression is that the sandwich looks wet, which isn’t something you ever want a sandwich to be. This was because of the cranberry sauce, which had the most unusual consistency, it was far too liquidy and slimy, and looked incredibly unappetising. But the sub smelled heavenly though, so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.
I honestly think this would be a 5/5 if it weren’t for the cranberry sauce, which had a really artificial taste. The rest of the sub was solid, the chicken had nice flavour, the stuffing and the stuffing bread made it feel festive AF and the melted cheese added the indulgence you’d expect from this time of year. Order this without the sauce and you’ll be golden.
Verdict: 4/5
Sainsbury’s
Ho Ho Half and Half, £3.25
What’s in it: One sandwich is pigs under blankets (AKA sausage and bacon) with cranberry chutney and mayonnaise on malted bread, while the other is brie and cranberry chutney with spinach on malted bread.
What we thought: The meat option was solid, with nice herby sausages and salty bacon offset by a tangy – yet not too sweet – chutney. My main gripe here is the amount of filling, as multiple bites yielded bread and sauce only. As for the brie, I wasn’t a fan – I’m not a major brie lover anyway, so maybe cheese fanatics will see this as a plus point, but it was quite overpowering, while wet spinach (and therefore slightly soggy bread) didn’t help.
Verdict: 2/5
Festive Turkey Sandwich
What’s in it? Sliced succulent turkey breast, with herby sage and onion stuffing, tangy cranberry sauce, hickory-smoked bacon & rich turkey gravy on soft cranberry bread.
What we thought: I didn’t think I’d like the cranberry bread, as I was worried it would be like a scone stuffed with too many currants, but it was actually really nice and gave the sandwich a hint of sweetness, without being overpowering.
