The quest for the perfect high-street Christmas sandwich is an annual ritual for many Brits. This year, the task of separating the festive feast from the flop fell to Max Halley, the owner of Max's Sandwich Shop in north London and a self-proclaimed sandwich messiah. Armed with his personal mantra of hot versus cold, sweet versus sour, and crunchy versus soft, Halley embarked on a thorough taste test of the 2025 offerings from major supermarkets and chains.
The Sandwich Guru's Festive Criteria
With over a decade of professional sandwich-making experience, Halley approached the tasting with a critical yet open mind. He wasn't expecting mass-produced packages to perfectly achieve the contrasts of his shop's creations, but he looked for evidence of thoughtful construction. Key points on his checklist included festive innovation beyond the usual red cabbage and spinach, interesting ingredients in mayonnaises, and any attempt at crunch. He also awarded bonus points for charitable initiatives or standout packaging.
"I have a liberal attitude to mayonnaise," Halley noted, setting the tone for a review that prized flavour and texture above all else. His scores are relative to this specific festive batch, not to all sandwiches ever made.
The Top Tier: Sandwich Royalty
Two products achieved the coveted top score of five out of five. The surprise champion was Aldi's Yorkshire Pudding Wrap, which requires home baking. Halley praised its ambitious spirit, featuring three types of meat and an accompanying pot of gravy for dunking. "It feels genuinely redolent of a leftovers sandwich," he said, admiring its innovation despite acknowledging it was a bit dry.
Sharing the top spot was Pret's Porchetta and Sage Baguette. Halley found the porchetta a welcome change from standard turkey, with shredded apple providing freshness and chewy cranberries adding a slight acidity. He declared it "a notch above the rest of the high-street retailers."
The Solid Contenders and Festive Flops
Several sandwiches earned a respectable four out of five. Aldi's Beef Wellington Bloomer impressed with a good sweet-and-sour mix from balsamic onion chutney and Dijon mayo. Pret's Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll was a simple but tasty offering with a good balance of flavours, while their Roast Butternut Squash, Chestnut Stuffing and Pistachio Wrap was praised for its herby filling, though let down by a dry wrap.
Further down the rankings, opinions soured. M&S's Ho Ho Ho-ney Mustard Ham Hock scored three, criticised for being a "not particularly good" ham and cheese sandwich. The Co-op's Beef and Truffle Wellington also got a three, its "genuinely glamorous" truffle smell undone by a mushy texture.
The clear loser of the test was Sainsbury's Mince Pie Wrap, which received a scathing half a point. Halley described it as a "clickbait abomination," calling it disgusting, insanely sweet, and creepy-looking. "The only plus is that it does smell like a mince pie," he conceded.
The Verdict on Festive Flavours
Halley's comprehensive review highlights a mixed bag for Christmas 2025. While some retailers like Aldi and Pret are pushing boundaries with interesting concepts and quality ingredients, others are falling back on safe, often mushy, formulas. The prevalence of red cabbage and spinach as filler came under fire, and a widespread lack of crunch and freshness was noted.
For those seeking a truly festive bite, the message is clear: innovation and contrast win. Whether it's the audacity of a Yorkshire pudding wrap or the refined flavours of a porchetta baguette, the best sandwiches this year are those that dare to be different.
