9 hours ago
13
This was a really tough test for me, as a wholefood chef who cares deeply about quality. In this instance, animal welfare, provenance and processing were my main concerns, and there’s disappointingly little transparency on display. Some products claim to use British pork, a term that in itself has little, if any, meaning, not least in terms of traceability, sustainability or welfare; others boast of higher welfare standards without any certification. This week’s best bargain and best overall are therefore merely acceptable, rather than exceptional.
Most of the sandwiches feature reformed ham, which is bulked out with phosphates and water, but some higher-quality ones are made with real ham – that is, sliced meat without added water; some of the best are made with shredded ham hock. Every single product contains additives, however. As for flavour, most are good enough only to fill a hole, but a few are genuinely tasty: moist, flavourful and fresh. And please butter your bread, supermarkets! Mayonnaise is not a substitute.
The best supermarket ham and cheese sandwiches
Best overall:
M&S honey-roast ham & cheddar cheese
★★★☆☆
Light brown oatmeal and malted barley bread neatly filled with a double layer of ham and cheddar, with one side spread with soft cheese and the other with mayo. The only product in the test with clear welfare standards and the fewest additives (three). Contains palm oil.
Best bargain:
Aldi Specially Selected Ayrshire cured ham hock with farmhouse cheddar
★★☆☆☆
A thick, square-cut doorstep made with malted bread filled with shredded ham hock, cheddar, spinach, mayo and sweet chutney. Meaty and relatively good value. No animal welfare data, other than it’s made with British pork, and it contains additives.
And the rest …
Waitrose oak-smoked ham & cheddar cheese
★★★☆☆
A sturdy malted bread sandwich filled with multiple layers of powerfully smoked British formed ham, one slice of mature cheddar and a surfeit of mayo. Seven additives, plus no welfare certification.
Morrisons the Best ham hock & farmhouse cheddar
★★☆☆☆
A thick, malted wheat bread doorstep stuffed with pulled ham hock, cheddar, spinach, mayonnaise and apple and pear chutney. A nice, handmade feel and balanced flavour, but no animal welfare details and five additives.
Tesco smoked ham & mature cheddar
★★☆☆☆
A classic, malted bread sandwich filled with a good amount of formed ham smoked over beechwood, which imparts a mild, sweet and nutty flavour. It’s soft, moist and has a generous slathering of mayonnaise, a thin slice of cheese and a hint of mustard. Contains six additives and palm oil; no animal welfare information.
Asda oak-smoked ham and cheese
★☆☆☆☆
Standard malted brown bread filled with a liberal amount of cheddar, medium oak-smoked formed ham and mayo. A good, firm bite and moist texture, but only subtle smokiness and tiringly dry bread. Contains several additives, and no welfare details.
Morrisons smoked ham & cheese
★☆☆☆☆
A utilitarian, sparsely filled malted bread sandwich with a few layers of subtly oak-smoked formed ham, mature cheddar and a thin smear of mayo. Five additives, and zero welfare information.
Sainsbury’s smoked ham & cheddar
★☆☆☆☆
Malted brown bread filled with a decent amount of wafer-thin formed ham and a good slice of medium mature cheddar, all moistened with mayonnaise. Contains four additives and, again, no animal welfare details.
Co-op ham & cheese sandwich
★☆☆☆☆
Fresh malted bread generously filled with British oak-smoked formed ham, mature cheddar and a thin spread of mayonnaise. Overpriced, underwhelming and six additives.
Unearthed Spanish serrano ham & cheese rosca
☆☆☆☆☆
A doughnut-shaped, cook-at-home pan de cristal “sourdough” containing multiple additives and a scant amount of ham, smoked bacon, cheese and tomato sauce. An elaborately awful and costly product that is all but inedible. No animal welfare data, five additives.
For more, read the best supermarket breakfast teabags
