Sandwich Quest wasn't really supposed to be about mass produced motorway service station fodder. That wasn't the plan. The intention was to seek out and report upon the finest filled breads the North (and maybe the Midlands) has to offer. Well that's still the plan, but I quite enjoy whinging on about the rubbish stuff too, so here's a bit of both.
Rest assured I have some better sandwiches stored up for next time. I really do, honest.
Salmon, cucumber and watercress on oatmeal bread, Marks and Sparks, everywhere
I'm lucky enough to have begun my life on the open road (i.e. job that involves loads of travel) after the arrival of Marks and Spencer's Simply Food at motorway services. They are a lifesaver, in occasionally genuinely quite good but often crushingly mediocre form. Before they arrived it must have been nigh on impossible to avoid scurvy if you didn't remember to fetch a pack up, given that the non-M and S options consisted solely of the major fast food players and those utterly shite hot food counters.
Rest assured I have some better sandwiches stored up for next time. I really do, honest.
Salmon, cucumber and watercress on oatmeal bread, Marks and Sparks, everywhere
I'm lucky enough to have begun my life on the open road (i.e. job that involves loads of travel) after the arrival of Marks and Spencer's Simply Food at motorway services. They are a lifesaver, in occasionally genuinely quite good but often crushingly mediocre form. Before they arrived it must have been nigh on impossible to avoid scurvy if you didn't remember to fetch a pack up, given that the non-M and S options consisted solely of the major fast food players and those utterly shite hot food counters.
That was a very roundabout way of saying that I eat M and S sandwiches far too often. I quite like this poached salmon one, the filling is decent enough, but two things grate. One; the bread is pappy rubbish, and two; they harp on about their exclusive to M & S Lochmuir salmon. Of course it's exclusive to M and S, they invented it. It's their own bloody trademark. It's like Mars showing off about their exclusive to Mars Mars bars. Twats.
Bread 4/10
Core filling 7/10
Secondary filling 2/5
Sauces/condiments 3/5
Value 2/5
Service 2/5
S-Factor 5/10
Total 25/50
Strange burger thing, Subway, everywhere
Ok, ok, I know I'm really scraping the barrel with this one. I admit it, sometimes I eat at Subway. I know it has a weird smell and all the meats will probably give you colon disease in later life, but surely there's some nutritional value in all that salad. It has to be a better garage option than a Ginster's pasty doesn't it?
I'd normally keep it simple with a turkey and ham, but this time I was lured into a special, the name escapes me but it was essentially an elongated burger. Imagine a microwaved Danepak beef grill on a salad roll. Yummy. Extra jalapenos were vital.
Bread 3/10
Core filling 2/10
Secondary filling 3/5
Sauces/condiments 3/5
Value 2/5
Service 3/5
S-Factor 3/10
Total 19/50
Tuna and rocket pesto on granary roll, Pickles and Potter, Leeds
Back on track with something a little higher in quality. I'm trying to find the best sandwich places in central Leeds and thus far it's proving tricky to find anywhere that's consistently first rate. I don't think Pickles and Potter is that place, sadly.
Their tuna and pesto sandwich was just a but run of the mill for the £3.70 price tag. The bread was very good but other than that it barely stood out from a £2 tuna mayo.
Bread 7/10
Core filling 5/10
Secondary filling 2/5
Sauces/condiments 3/5
Value 2/5
Service 3/5
S-Factor 6/10
Total 28/50
Filet-o-Fish, McDonald's, everywhere
Behold this and believe me when I tell you it is actually food. Not a toy rendered in plastic for a child's play kitchen, but actual food. Shiny.
For some reason you only get half a cheese slice in one of these. Seems a bit cheap. There's not a great deal of fish in the filet either, and god knows what it actually is? Pollock? Cod? Coley? Vietnamese river fish? Not a clue. The bread needs burger grease to make it viable.
Bread 2/10
Core filling 4/10
Secondary filling 1/5
Sauces/condiments 2/5
Value 2/5
Service 3/5
S-Factor 5/10
Total 19/50
2 comments:
Mate the only sandwich to order from Pickles and Potters is the rare roast beef with yorkshire blue cheese!
My favourite sandwich in the whole of the UK is still the Salt Beef, Dill Pickle and English Mustard bagel from Beigel Bake on Brick Lane.
Open 24 hours a day but ALWAYS has a queue. The original and best.
I've actually had that sanger from the Headingley branch when it was still open. It would have been great but was ruined by the inclusion of some overly sweet chutney (or relish or something).
With you on beigel bake! I was actually there at lunchtime on my New Year London trip, but was too full from breakfast to get one. Big mistake.
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