Ranked: Best 2022 Christmas sandwiches from ranges at Pret and Tesco to Starbucks and Aldi

From plant-based pigs under blankets to classic turkey feasts, here are the best high street sandwich offerings for 2022

(The Independent)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - the two-month period where high street stores roll out their Christmas fare and we can munch on turkey sandwiches for the rest of the year.

From turkey feasts to vegan pigs under blanket sandwiches, brie and cranberry paninis and even hog roast wonders, there’s a lot to choose from this year.

So we’ve done the hard yards for you and taste tested a selection of Christmas sandwiches from a range of high street stores so you can be armed with this knowledge when purchasing your first (or 15th) Christmas sandwich.

Without further ado, here are our picks of the best high street Christmas sandwiches for 2022, ranked from our least favourite to our most.

8. Waitrose

OK, hear me out: I think the reason Waitrose sandwiches were, in my opinion, such a let down was because my hopes were so high. I put it on par with M&S in my fancy supermarket rankings so I was expecting big things. The samples we tested were stock standard Christmas flavours: salmon and cream cheese; turkey, bacon and stuffing; pigs under blanket; and brie, cranberry and spinach. While the turkey sandwich and the pigs under blanket sandwich were exactly what you would expect, the salmon sandwich felt like it could have been more exciting, while the brie and cranberry lacked any real cranberry flavour. Overall the sandwiches were good, but uninspired. – LH

7. Tesco

If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Tesco’s Christmas sandwiches. But the turkey, stuffing and cranberry baguette was a really pleasant surprise. The supermarket has been generous with the fillings, which are really quite delicious. A true Christmas delight. Tesco also has a turkey and trimmings sandwich, but this is mostly the same flavour profile, just with malted bread instead of a baguette. However, the brie and cranberry sandwich was a let down – too much sweet cranberry and too little bland brie made for a strange dessert-like sandwich that did not tickle my tastebuds. – KN

6. Aldi

We feel slightly split towards the vegetarian options in Aldi’s Christmas sandwich selection. The brie and spiced cranberry chutney sandwich left a lot to be desired. While the brie was thickly sliced and creamy, there wasn’t quite enough of the cranberry chutney in each mouthful, making for a slightly boring bite. In contrast, the vegan festive feast outdid expectations. There was a generous amount of cranberry chutney, which perfectly complemented the spiced vegetable fritter. We especially enjoyed the addition of crispy fried onions, which added a lovely savoury crunch. – SJ

Out of all the offerings, Aldi’s sandwiches were the best value – and some of the most creative. My favourite was its turkey and trimmings toastie (£1.75), which saw turkey, bacon and stuffing inside a sandwich topped with melted cheese which turned extra gooey when heated up. The pigs under cheesy blanket sub roll was another firm favourite (can you tell I like cheese?). The turkey feast sandwich remained a solid choice, yet the turkey and pigs under blanket bloomer was a bit too bread-heavy for my liking. – LH

5. Starbucks

(Nicole Hains)

The star of Starbucks’ Christmas sandwich offering this year is most certainly its pigs under blanket roll. A new addition to its festive line up, a pillowy Vienna roll is filled with pork sausage, smoked bacon, sage and onion mayonnaise, cheese and cranberry chutney. Quite simply, it’s delicious. Other fan favourites returning for this year include the “brie and cran-merry” focaccia bread, which sees the filling fighting the focaccia to be the main star, and the “’tis the season turkey sandwich”, which is a delicious stock-standard take on a classic. – LH

4. Leon

Leon’s Bauble & Squeak wrap was a welcome change from the many Christmas sandwiches on the market this year, and one I will definitely be going back to this festive season. The baked fritter, an amalgamation of various root veg, is dressed in a caramelised onion and sage mayo which is both hearty and comforting. This is perfectly complimented by pickled red cabbage and orange zest, which gives each bite a citrusy tang. – SJ

3. Costa

I truly believe Costa is the most underrated high street coffee shop. This theory was proven right (in my very non-scientific dabblings) last week when I had one of its festive Toblerone hot chocolates. It was creamy, delicious and better than any other hot chocolate offering on the high street. As for its sandwich offerings, Costa’s Christmas menu sees the likes of a brie and cranberry toastie, vegan p’gs and blankets panini, and a turkey feast sandwich among others. The vegan p’gs and blankets panini was the best vegan high street offering I tried (and I tried a fair few) and the cranberry sauce shone through in both the brie and cranberry toastie, and the bacon, brie and cranberry panini, which is no small feat. – LH

2. Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s ranked highly on my list of Christmas sandwiches this year for one reason and one reason only: the hot smoked salmon sandwich. Part of the supermarket’s Taste the Difference range, this rye bread sandwich features smoked salmon and lemon crème fraiche with dill and capers. I’m not kidding when I say I would gladly eat this for lunch every day for the rest of the year (but with a price tag of £4.25, in this economy, I sadly would not be able to do so). Other offerings include an ultimate Christmas dinner feast sandwich (good bread to filling ratio), a vegan Boxing Day wrap (coronation mayo was divine), and a first-of-its-kind plant-based “no pigs under blanket” sandwich (just as good as the meat one). – LH

1. Pret

(Pret)

The King of Christmas sandwiches has returned. This year, Pret has brought back its fan favourites, the unrivalled brie and cranberry sandwich and the turkey Christmas lunch sandwich. But a new contender in the collection has won my heart. The hog roast toastie is a sandwich to behold. It is porky, cheesy, salty deliciousness and I would do almost anything to get my hands on another one of these bad boys ASAP. Not even exaggerating. There’s also a hog roast mac and cheese, but the toastie is superior in my opinion. Vegans and vegetarians, fear not – Pret has not forsaken you. They have introduced two new vegan-friendly sandwiches in the form of the falafel Christmas sandwich (falafel? For vegans? Groundbreaking), but it’s the vegan tofu scramble with pickled carrot in a roll that’s most interesting. Don’t sleep on it. – KN