We love a Christmas sandwich and always welcome new flavours hitting the shelves each year. So what does 2019 have in store for us?
One of the first to land on our desks was from Morrisons – and it’s a divisive one. The supermarket has launched “the mince pie sandwich” – a sweet and savoury combination that had us reeling in delight and equal displeasure.
The sandwich is filled with a mince pie-inspired chutney, creamy cheddar cheese, crumbly Wensleydale, and sits inside a fruity panettone style bread roll.
In a press release, Morrisons called it the “mince pie Christmas sandwich”, but its name on the packaging is “Wensleydale and spiced fruit chutney.” (Just, FYI).
The fruity combination costs £3 and is available now at Morrisons until 24 December. So how does it taste? Here are our honest reviews.
“I wasn’t prepared to like it, but I loved it.”
Amy Packham, assistant life editor
“I absolutely love mince pies, but the thought of having the filling in a sandwich made me feel sick. And sadly, when the sandwich arrived, it didn’t look appetising, either – but I was willing to give it a go. And I’m so glad I did.
“It has a tasty bun, with a delicious thick cheese and sweet fruity filling. It doesn’t have a strong mince pie taste – I got a few snippets of it as I ate it – but it was still good. There was mayo in there, too, which sounds a bit weird, but I couldn’t really taste it. I wasn’t prepared to like it, but I loved it.”
“The only sour note was the mayo.”
Nancy Groves, head of life
“Mince pies I can take or leave, but I’m all for a cheese-based Christmas sandwich – the various brie and grape versions in Pret and M&S are my go-to choice over turkey and stuffing. The big mistake with this one was opening it up before I tried it. Rarely have I seen a more unappetising sight: a sweaty slice of cheese smeared with white sauce and mince that looked more spag bol than spiced fruit.
“When I took a bite, however, it wasn’t all bad – the spices came through and the only sour note was the mayo. Normally I love some in a sandwich, but it overpowered the Wensleydale, which let’s be honest, Gromit, isn’t hard. Mild as it may be, I still want my cheesy festive fix.”
“It’s a bit like a hot cross bun.”
Tasha Hinde, life reporter
“I had low expectations of this because it looked absolutely rank, but in the end I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t judge a book (bun) by its cover, and all that. At first it tasted a bit like a hot cross bun because of the sweet brioche bun, then I got more of a mince pie flavour, thanks to the chutney.
“The cheese is pretty bland, which actually works really well because you don’t want a knockout pongy cheese with your sweet mincemeat chutney. Would I buy it? Yes, I would.”
“This sandwich can get in the bin.”
Lucy Pasha-Robinson, opinion editor
“There’s only one way to describe this sandwich, and it’s as an abomination. No one’s tastebuds are ready for rich, sweetly spiced mincemeat, cheddar cheese and, of all things, mayonnaise.
“My HuffPost colleagues who enjoyed the combination, and I mean this with the utmost respect, need to take a long, hard look at themselves. This sandwich can get in the bin.”