As a wholefood chef, testing supermarket ham and cheese sandwiches was a tough assignment, with animal welfare, provenance, and processing as top concerns. Unfortunately, transparency is lacking: many products claim British pork without real traceability, and higher welfare claims often lack certification. The best options are merely acceptable, not exceptional.
Most sandwiches use reformed ham bulked with phosphates and water, though higher-quality ones feature real ham or shredded ham hock. Every product contains additives, and while some are genuinely tasty, many are just filler. The plea to supermarkets: please butter the bread, not just use mayonnaise!
Best Overall: M&S Honey-Roast Ham & Cheddar Cheese — £3.25
Light brown oatmeal and malted barley bread with a double layer of ham and cheddar, one side spread with soft cheese, the other with mayo. The only product with clear welfare standards and fewest additives (three). Contains palm oil.
Best Bargain: Aldi Specially Selected Ayrshire Cured Ham Hock with Farmhouse Cheddar — £2.79
A thick, square-cut doorstep with malted bread, shredded ham hock, cheddar, spinach, mayo, and sweet chutney. Meaty and good value, but no welfare data beyond British pork, and contains additives.
The Rest:
Waitrose Oak-Smoked Ham & Cheddar Cheese — £3.30 – Sturdy malted bread with multiple layers of powerfully smoked formed ham, one slice of mature cheddar, and lots of mayo. Seven additives, no welfare certification.
Morrisons the Best Ham Hock & Farmhouse Cheddar — £4.25 – Thick malted wheat bread stuffed with pulled ham hock, cheddar, spinach, mayo, and apple and pear chutney. Nice handmade feel, but no welfare details and five additives.
Tesco Smoked Ham & Mature Cheddar — £2.75 – Classic malted bread with a good amount of beechwood-smoked formed ham, a thin slice of cheese, and hint of mustard. Six additives and palm oil; no welfare info.
Asda Oak-Smoked Ham and Cheese — £2.75 – Standard bread with liberal cheddar, medium smoked ham, and mayo. Moist texture but subtle smokiness and dry bread. Several additives, no welfare details.
Morrisons Smoked Ham & Cheese — £3.00 – Utilitarian, sparsely filled with subtly smoked formed ham, mature cheddar, and thin mayo. Five additives, zero welfare info.
Sainsbury's Smoked Ham & Cheddar — £3.10 – Malted bread with wafer-thin ham, good slice of medium cheddar, and mayo. Four additives, no welfare details.
Co-op Ham & Cheese Sandwich — £3.45 – Fresh malted bread with oak-smoked ham, mature cheddar, and thin mayo. Overpriced and underwhelming, with six additives.
Unearthed Spanish Serrano Ham & Cheese Rosca — £4.50 – [Details not provided in raw content]