Is Tesco now the worst meal deal on offer?
Posted by DavidC_is_me@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 577 comments
Up to £3.90, and they seem to have changed the sandwiches - maybe a different provider - so the ones that used to be okay like prawn mayo or BLT are now totally rank.
Presumably this to push people into the £5 "premium" offer - for which the sandwiches look quite nice - but clear off I'm not paying a fiver for a supermarket meal deal.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
No. Asda is pick 3 get the cheapest free, and unless you buy three snacks, it's more expensive than £3.90.
£3.90 aint bad when you consider it's now £2 for steak bake at greggs.
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Was in Morrisons yesterday around 6pm and Got 2 steak bakes for £1.25 from the deli counter.
I’ve been on this earth a long time and have only just found out they do the last minute discounts when the deli counters are about to close even though the supermarket is open till 10pm.
Quintless@reddit
morrisons used to be the best you could get salad bar as a main, hot sausage roll as a snack and an actual coconut with straw as your drink. Used to be an absolute bargain
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
I’ve only recently been introduced to Morrisons and I genuinely think they try to stick to their principle of sourcing good food. The fresh food counters have impressed me but their fruit and veg is the best of all supermarkets for me because it’s not just good, it also stays fresh for ages. Pastry isn’t something I eat much of but I enjoyed those steak bakes as much as the price I paid for them.
I’d love to try that coconut. Do they not do it anymore?
Quintless@reddit
You may have seen them in supermarkets they’re just green coconuts with the top cut off and a straw attached that you push through. If they still do them it will most likely only be in bigger city branches. Sadly most morrisons in town centres don’t have salad bars, the one in Manchester piccadilly square is an exception
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Happy to report I found them, with more than a little help from the lovely staff. Will be trying out something new today.
Quintless@reddit
they’re still in the meal deal ?!
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Afraid not. £2 each but I have to say worth it. I’ve only managed to eat half a coconut, the rest will go into some recipe, but the coconut water is lovely straight out the fridge. I would never have come across these had you not mentioned them.
The way they’re stocked makes them difficult to even see, far less find.
Think I’ll find the feedback button and ask about the meal deal coming back.
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Thanks, I happen to know a Morrisons that does have a salad bar so I’ll be looking for it tomorrow when I go for my fish Friday.
Ok_Case_247@reddit
We used to be a country
marrangutang@reddit
Morrisons baked goods are the nuts… even when they £2.50 they so worth it
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Having now tasted them, can’t help but agree. I’ll be trying to visit Morrisons around 6pm a bit more often.
Ok-Butterscotch4486@reddit
Depends what you value and whether you are buying just for today or stocking up for the week.
If you don't actually care about getting 4 carrot sticks and a sugary drink, the ability to get three sandwiches for the price of two seems better than the usual format.
LiamJonsano@reddit
Surely bulk buying meal deals isn’t a thing? At that point what’s stopping you buying a loaf of bread and some fillings and a pack of 6 crisps for the same price as one day
deadblankspacehole@reddit
Meal deals sandwiches arrive dry and stale and go out of date the next day, that's why no one buys meal deals in advance for the week
Yes that's right Reddit, I said NO ONE BUYS A WEEK OF MEAL DEALS IN ADVANCE
No one, "literally no one", that's what I'm saying
Now tell me how your uncles mate did it, or your cousin freezes the bits and builds them back together each day after unfreezing them or how the dates don't matter and it's great value to buy a week's worth
Forsaken_Educator_36@reddit
Not a meal deal story, but a former work colleague used to make a weeks' worth of cheese sandwiches, freeze them, then defrost one under his desk lamp each morning.
OverDue_Habit159@reddit
Every time you buy a Big Mac you set one ingredient aside. Then at the end of the week you have a free Big Mac. And you love it even more because you made it with your own hands.
unclaimed_username2@reddit
My uncle's best friend knows a guy who went to school with someone who worked with a bloke who was talking to a doctor who treated a dude who said he did building work for a man who's brother played golf with someone who doesn't buy meal deals in bulk.
TheZZ9@reddit
The asda meal deal items include things like the Ginsters Cornish pasties, which last way longer than a couple of days in a fridge (and are great microwaved for one minute) and things like the Starbucks iced coffees where you can get three for the price of two.
illarionds@reddit
A week in advance, obviously not.
A couple of days in advance? Sometimes.
atropax@reddit
I’d easily have 3 sandwiches of different fillings throughout the day. To buy a loaf of bread and three different fillings would cost way more than 3for2 asda sandwiches. And you have to do the work.
LiamJonsano@reddit
That’s a lot of bread brother
Ok-Butterscotch4486@reddit
People who are time poor.
Also if you actually buy multiple fillings I doubt you'd end up getting a cheaper result unless you're going to make 10 identical wraps.
ZookeepergameOk2759@reddit
No ones that “time poor” that they haven’t got the three minutes it takes to make a sandwich,dress it up however you want but it’s laziness plain and simple.
Organic_Chemist9678@reddit
I doubt anybody is so poor they can't spend 20 seconds making a sandwich. Let's call it a minute if you are particularly fussy.
ItsTheOneWithThe@reddit
They maybe are in a situation where they have a fridge but not a kitchen to use at work.
deadblankspacehole@reddit
Yes, excellent point, let me add two more speculations
They could also have a bag hanging out the window to keep it cool but no knives
They could borrow a cool box but had to give it back
Any more?
ItsTheOneWithThe@reddit
They are in a thrupple who all work on a boat at a fish farm, it's to shakey to use a knife.
deadblankspacehole@reddit
That is an excellent example of someone who can't make a sandwich, like literally not possible because of the shaking and I guess the dynamics of the relationship between them on a small boat things get tense and they can't always rely on the others two jump out and hold the boat steady while the one left one uses the knife
Can't believe I missed that one out, nice one
ItsTheOneWithThe@reddit
Also very offensive to open a can of Tuna in front o the fishies.
StandFreeAndy@reddit
Justin Timberlake would disagree
Organic_Chemist9678@reddit
For sure. If the alternative to buying the sandwich is death then go for it. You probably spend longer picking the sandwich though.
Expensive-Pear-3112@reddit
Time poor lmao. Can't make a sandwich
Ok-Butterscotch4486@reddit
So...why does anyone buy any supermarket sandwich if they could just as easily rustle up a sandwich before they leave home?
csgosometimez@reddit
Buying 2 sandwiches makes sense though? One for me, one for you? Or if just me, save the other one for the train journey home.
Ok-Train5382@reddit
I’d assume laziness
GlitchingGecko@reddit
Supermarket sandwiches aren't great to start with, who wants to buy one two days in advance? Plus at that point, you might as well buy a loaf of bread and a couple tubs of sandwich filler. Only cost you a £5 and you'd have enough for more than a weeks worth of sandwiches.
Greedy-Copy3629@reddit
Sometimes you get a stale sandwich for next to nothing, way less than it'd cost to make it yourself.
I'm willing to eat a stale sammich if I'm saving money
mrdibby@reddit
3 Asda sandwiches for £6-7, or 1 sandwich for £2-2.30 is basically the same as any other meal deal is getting you
TheZZ9@reddit
But if you buy three sandwiches at £2.30 it will cost you £4.60, which is £1.53 each.
imminentmailing463@reddit
Twice the price of a steak bake seems to me pretty bad value considering what you get.
ProfessionalCowbhoy@reddit
How so?
I get a large can of monster worth about £1.50 on its own.
Snacks you have those chicken bites, a chicken breast, peperami, etc.
Then you can get something like the tandoori chicken rice and salad bowl as your main all for £3.60
Please explain how 2 steak bakes beats the above
imminentmailing463@reddit
Two steak bakes sounds a more enjoyable lunch than that to me. Not that I would ever buy two steak bakes.
ProfessionalCowbhoy@reddit
Lol steak bake better than tandoori chicken, rice and salad and a chicken breast and a drink of your choice.
I found the guy who lives in a council house
imminentmailing463@reddit
Incorrect. But well done for being a dick just because someone has different tastes to you.
tebigong@reddit
If you shop tactically it’s a good deal - the iced coffee in Tesco is £3 or in the meal deal
Greedy-Copy3629@reddit
Had a look this morning in tesco, everything in the meal deal was ridiculously over prices vs similar products elsewhere in the shop.
therealbighairy1@reddit
My daughter and I used to try and maximise the actual cost of the meal deal before the discount was used. I think she managed to get it up to seven quid once, before the meal deal discount brought it back down to three pounds.
gt94sss2@reddit
In my view the prices for the individual items in a meal deal are deliberately overpriced so that a "meal deal" seems better value
TheUnholymess@reddit
Yeah, Tesco have been pulling this crap for years and yet people still lap it up and fawn over how "good a deal" it is compared to buying the items individually. Also the Sainsbury's meal deal offers much better quality products (including hot things) for a slightly lower price. After I realised that, I literally haven't set foot in a Tesco since!
20nuggetsharebox@reddit
1000%. Noone is paying the full £3 for a 250ml coffee, when a 1L Starbucks carton is cheaper.
richardjohn@reddit
We had a leaderboard for the most saved on a Boots meal deal at a place I used to work.
Innocent smoothie, a share bag of Malteasers and a treble sandwich could easily hit £8 and this was 15 years ago!
Cobra-_-_@reddit
Perhaps try Boots...today my meal deal was approaching £8 and i wasn't really trying (Delicious Katsu Chicken rice bowl, Brownie and fresh OJ)
Think I could get near £9 if value maximisation was my goal 🤣
Plus you get the points which usually equate to a freebie by the end of the month!!
Greedy-Copy3629@reddit
Tesco sells 1ltr cartons of iced coffee for £2.20.
Im guessing maybe the smaller ones are priced deliberately high to make the meal deal look better?
Negative-Net-4416@reddit
Agreed. A regular sized hot Costa Express (over £3) is also in the meal deal.
20nuggetsharebox@reddit
They do this on purpose. They know no-one will pay that price, but it makes people feel they're getting a bargain with a meal deal.
4ever_lost@reddit
Used to go to the main drink section and get the large red bull cans as they were on meal deal but not in the fridge
GlitchingGecko@reddit
Only if you're managing to get a snack and a drink for the other £2.
imminentmailing463@reddit
Value isn't just about price, imo. A steak bake, whilst nothing amazing, it's so much better than anything you get in a meal deal. The fact you could get a steak bake, snack and drink for not that much more than £3.90 for a supermarket meal deal makes that meal deal seem very bad value to me.
ImOnRedditt@reddit
I just get two bakes. Don’t need crisps and a drink when I can get a chicken bake and steak bake
Ho-Nomo@reddit
You can ask them to put the ham and cheese baguette in the oven for a couple of minutes and its fantastic!
GrumpyGuillemot@reddit
But ... VAT?!
CaterpillarLoud8071@reddit
Did someone say sausage rolls thrice plus one?
FacetedFeline@reddit
yes sausage roll thrice please sir and bean slice with the cheese and the sausage
brothererrr@reddit
do you do bake of steak?
King_Hobbes@reddit
This man Greggs
the-holy-one23@reddit
But that’s never enough.. so a drink and crisps, maybe a cookie too!
jay_bee_95@reddit
I go pasty, sausage roll, doughnut if I'm at Gregg's, around 4 quid so about the same cost as a meal deal but infinitely nicer and more filling. I tend to do this when I'm in the office, we have soft drinks there so lack of drink compared to meal deal doesn't bother me.
jambox888@reddit
Do you actually work for Greggs? Look at the nutritional information:
Per 100g
Energy kcal 300kcal Fat 19g of which Saturates 9.4g Carbohydrate 22g Protein 10g Salt 1g
That is fucking junk bruv, don't eat that.
imminentmailing463@reddit
Not sure why you're sending me the nutritional information, I didn't say a steak bake is healthy?
jambox888@reddit
Do you eat them for the taste??
imminentmailing463@reddit
A steak bake tastes significantly better than a meal deal sandwich.
jambox888@reddit
I'd far rather have a Waitrose or M&S sandwich, do agree that Tesco ones are a bit shit tho
But you're better off with some brown bread than what is basically a lump of cheap fat and flour with a few tiny chunks of meat swimming in slime.
Vanilla_EveryTime@reddit
Depends what’s between the bread. M&S especially need watching when you look at what’s in their food. Tastes great, very rich in ingredients but also the salt and fat. That’s why it tastes so good.
Anyway, a steak bake now and again won’t do much harm. It’s a change from a boring sandwich. I’d rather do my own than have the meal deal ones.
imminentmailing463@reddit
Strong disagree. Those sandwiches for me are only absolutely last resort when nothing else is available. I find eating one quite a depressing experience. I'd pick a steak bake over one of those every time, without a second of hesitation.
BoxAggravating7760@reddit
I bet you’re fat and unattractive though
smd1815@reddit
What the fuck
Tof12345@reddit
Which is easily possible.
AvatarIII@reddit
Also steak bakes are hot which means they incur VAT.
RabidHamsterSlayer@reddit
“Fresh from the oven” not hot. Unless you eat in.
captainhazreborn@reddit
No, they don't, only if you sit in. Greggs pasties are cooked food, not hot food, so no VAT applicable. Warm stuff in the cabinet is VATable though, wedges etc
more_beans_mrtaggart@reddit
I’ve yet to have anything hot and fresh at Greggs.
AvatarIII@reddit
they got rid of that sit in/take away VAT exemption years ago.
I actually didn't realise Steak Bakes were not served hot any more, apparently they stopped serving them hot to avoid VAT
captainhazreborn@reddit
https://www.greggs.co.uk/faqs/
VAT on Sit In. No VAT on baked goods taken away. They just cook them and let them cool, that's how they do it, no marketing food as hot, just 'freshly baked'
snotface1181@reddit
Could just get two steak bakes for 10p more now you are suitably fed
NibblyPig@reddit
I've never understood asdas pricing, as a regular meal deal connoisseur I've never touched them because it'd cost way more
Extreme-Sandwich-762@reddit
They’re desperately trying to recoup the mistake they made before it changed. For a whole year the meal deal basically stated any 3 for £3, so without fail I would get 3 mains every time and it would still discount to £3. They must have lost so much money over that year
unclaimed_username2@reddit
I think another factor is that ASDA doesn't really have convenience stores like Tesco Metro. So, they don't compete in the "lunch break" game.
SpareUmbrella@reddit
They have at least one. A shell garage near me has had their shop change to an "ASDA Convenience".
VooDooBooBooBear@reddit
Yeah, asda have "Asda Express" stores now, all part of petrol stations owned by EG UK.
AlrightTrig@reddit
It can't honestly cost them that much more than a quid to make them tbh.
TheZZ9@reddit
I find the opposite. I buy three cans of Coke and get one free, so that works out at 66p per can.
Or two £2.50 sandwiches and a large iced Starbucks that is also £2.50 and it works out at £1.67 each.
Feelincheekyson@reddit
I honestly don’t think Asda is that bad, if you get a sandwich, a ginsters and a drink it’s just over £5
CK2398@reddit
Buy three sandwiches and a multipack of crisps for £7 good for three days. Used to work near one so didn't need the drink
NibblyPig@reddit
But then you just get a sandwich lol what if you are hungry
CK2398@reddit
Then you don't get the deal???
NibblyPig@reddit
Exactly, the deal is no good if you're just hungry and want to spend approx £3.80 on a sandwich snack and drink. I can't imagine many people want to buy three sandwiches for three days, at that point just go to the deli and buy a loaf of bread.
VooDooBooBooBear@reddit
Yeah but atleast with Asfa I can actually choose what I want. Most "snacks" to me are shite, I'd much prefer two drinks and a samwhich so it's nice to have the choice .
dualdee@reddit
Oh, you can actually do that and still get the deal? It only occurred to me recently that it might not have to be main+drink+snack, but I've never tried.
MrUnitedKingdom@reddit
Co-op meal deal £, big ole’ all-day breakfast sandwich, Ginsters pasty or sausage roll as a snack, and a large can on Monster or Red bull for drink! Buy that lot at a petrol station and you are not getting change out of a tenner!
Neil2250@reddit
In the space of a couple years in my job-a-walking-distance-from-greggs, sausage rolls went from 80p to 1.25.
I don't know where to focus my anger.
FabricatedTool@reddit
I remember when you could get 4 for £1.20.
Fledeye@reddit
You still can in a Greggs Outlet.
FabricatedTool@reddit
Id get fat if I lived near one of those. When you add in bus fare from Manchester it's not really cost effective.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
They're 1.50 now.
Neil2250@reddit
thankfully not where I am.
Impossible-Invite689@reddit
If you want to vent at Gregg's you can do what I like to do and any time anyone mentions it you can point out that the heir of Gregg's is a filthy pedo who diddled young boys: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-39443585
Neil2250@reddit
you're ruining the fact i'm wearing primark's own gregg's underwear right now.
Impossible-Invite689@reddit
Yeah I bet he'd have loved that
unclaimed_username2@reddit
The ASDA is only good if you want to buy drinks. Then it's actually just a 3 for 2 deal.
ImpalaGala@reddit
Two pound for a steak bake? Fuck me. What is this world coming to?!
XInsects@reddit
I spat my tea too.
Whoknew966886@reddit
If you are buying for 3 people, it could work. You just need to make three separate transactions. 1 for the sandwiches, 1 for the snacks and 1 for the drinks.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
... Why would you be buying three people's meal deals?
Meth_Hardy@reddit
When did you last try this?
It used to be like this, so I'd grab 3 sandwiches and be set for 3 days. But they changed it to "select 3 items: main, snack and drink - cheapest is free". Which makes it a terrible deal.
TheZZ9@reddit
No, it is three of anything. I often buy three cans of Coke at £1 each and pay £2, so 66p each. Unless they have changed it in only some stores it is still three of anything in my local asda.
UnexpectedRanting@reddit
It’s still buy 3 get cheapest free
Nartyn@reddit
It's okay if you want a cheaper options.
Like I quite often get an egg sandwich, cawston press and a pork pie or fruit or something, cheapest free would save me more than sainsbury
But I don't go to asda so
CaptainPedge@reddit
Today. It's very much buy 3 get 1 free
snowavess@reddit
I work at Asda. It's not like that where I work
GlitchingGecko@reddit
It's like that currently, I walked past it a couple days ago.
Supermarket sandwiches are crap to start with, who wants one two days old?
Just buy a loaf of bread and two pots of sandwich filler for a £5 and make them fresh each morning.
BritshFartFoundation@reddit
I guess its okay if all you're after is a sandwich and a drink to wash it down and wouldve bought it anyway, so you just get a free snack for later
TheZZ9@reddit
I like the Asda deal as well. You can buy three cans of Coke and get one free. Or three sandwiches and get one free. The trick is never to buy two higher priced items and then one cheap one. You might as well get something nearer the price of the other two since it will cost you nothing either way.
If you want a bunch of higher cost items and some cheaper items ring all the expensive ones through, pay and then ring the three cheaper ones through and pay. That way you get a more expensive item as one of the free items.
UnexpectedRanting@reddit
I like Asda’s offer because I can buy 2 sub rolls or wraps + a drink and that’ll last me all day because 1 sandwich restriction in the meal isnt enough for me
NutterzUK@reddit
What’s going on? A steak bake was 55p?!
SantosFurie89@reddit
Buying 3x sandwiches is the only way that deal works, and even then. I don't count it as an option tbh because of that.
Sainsbury's was my worst, unless I had very me code. Sandwich choice aweful.. Just ham.
Tesco used to be the best, but seen price creeping. Not tried it recently, but I've noticed a lot of supermarket own food seems to have done similar to what op said, cheaper recipe or different supplier
Negative-Net-4416@reddit
The ASDA deal isn't very good nor particularly clear / easy to maximise when buying lunch for one. It frustrates me. Nearly everyone wants a sandwich, sides and drinks. So the cheap item is the only saving.
Buying for 3 people works better, getting 3 sandwiches & combining it with multi packs of crisps and multi packs of drinks from elsewhere in the store. But it's still a pain.
I prefer the main+side+drink deals.
LyKosa91@reddit
I hadn't got an asda meal deal in years before this summer. That won't be a mistake I'll be making again, fucking waitrose would have been cheaper.
jjtnc@reddit
Came here to say asda is awful
Warfinho@reddit
At Asda garage it’s £3.75 for the meal deal and the main I get is £3.75 (chicken fajita triple wrap), so I basically get the snack and drink for free…
Particular-War-8153@reddit
Yeah it's crap
Nels8192@reddit
Not even £3.90 anyway, everyone and their mums has a clubcard. It’s £3.60, and when compared to all other’s members pricing that puts it second cheapest to co-op, who aren’t exactly offering great range for 10p less anyway.
liamo376573@reddit
New Gregg's in garage near us charges £2.50 for steak bakes.
snowavess@reddit
I just got 2 tuna mayos and a pepsi for £3.10
Biglolnoob@reddit
ASDA is the worst. By the time you've picked a "nice" sandwich, snack and drink, it's £5 - £6 quid. Something that you used to get from any other meal deal for £4ish.
No-Reflection7604@reddit
Only use this deal for drinks. I've learned the hard way how rubbish the sandwiches and wraps are. They are hands down the worst you could buy. They put the minimum blandest filling possible they can get away with. Avoid like the plague.
GlitchingGecko@reddit
Asda in a nutshell that is.
knight-under-stars@reddit
ASDA is the worst, buy 2 get one free. Plus ASDA meal deal food is pretty crap.
Tesco is mid tier, they have great variety and the quality is good enough for the price. They need to bring back the prawn triple though.
Co-Op is probably the best value, you can get a full sized Cornish Pasty as the snack.
Waitrose while pricey at £5 is bloody god tier as far as meal deals go. Their sushi is the best of all the supermarkets too and you can get it for both main and snack which means a whole load of sushi for £5.
AussieHxC@reddit
Yeah absolutely love the Waitrose meal deal, those posh salad bowls they do are lovely and the sushi is fantastic for the price.
I'd suggest that Sainsbury's beats them in value for money though as you can (or used to be able to) get a bottle of huel as your drink choice.
knight-under-stars@reddit
I'd rather eat mud than Huel.
AussieHxC@reddit
Hah that is fair. The bottled stuff isn't that bad tbh, far better than anything made at home from the powder.
Pretty good for keeping you going on a long day.
dm_me-your-butthole@reddit
it's really not hard to make nice huel at home, i have been having it for breakfast for years. just use a blender
OopsWhoopsieDaisy@reddit
Sadly they also pay Reddit to bypass the fact people have blocked them to force them to see their ads still. Very scummy.
Resonance_one@reddit
Iced caramel coffee Huel is god tier, imo.
dodgrile@reddit
You can get Huel (well, just the chocolate one for some reason) as part of the meal deal in Waitrose as well. I don't know why you _would_, but you can
AussieHxC@reddit
Yes but as the main and not the drink. Although Sainsbo's seems to have closed this loophole off now.
boudicas_shield@reddit
I love the Waitrose salmon poke bowl; it's probably the one supermarket lunch option I will get as a wee treat because I genuinely enjoy it, rather than just picking the best available option as a convenience, if that makes sense.
AussieHxC@reddit
I'm just going to have to assume it's really tasty because it's always sold out and I've actually never tried it.
spine_slorper@reddit
Huel is now a premium (£5) main at Sainsburys :'(
AussieHxC@reddit
Makes sense tbh. It was an absolute steal when it counted as the drink
wirral_guy@reddit
ASDA lost it when they were bought by the venture capitalists. At least when they were owned by Walmart they tried to be value for money (and the quickest to drop fuel prices), now they charge premium prices for below average quality.
redsquizza@reddit
💯
They've lost market share and, in the sector, even a 1% market share drop is considered troubling, they've lost more than that.
Because they've got such a massive debt burden compared to their competitors they cannot drop prices to compete and they also do not have extra money to refurbish stores. Asda will survive but no longer thrive. They might even be low enough market share for Sainsburys to put in an offer for them without it being blocked by the regulator.
All because some paper multi millionaires wanted Asda's petrol stations to add to their empire which I think they have actually hived off already, so they don't really care what happens to Asda.
OrbDemon@reddit
Yep, the whole thing seems like a ridiculous transaction - with no benefit to the consumer at all.
Expect Morrisons might go the same way now it’s owned by private equity - already seeming less investment in the stores.
redsquizza@reddit
All these private equity takeovers rarely result in a better result for the company in the long term.
I think companies over a certain value should have to be listed on a stock exchange for more transparency. When they're private equity they leverage debt far over and above what stock market listed companies tolerate and for good reason as investors know a too large debt burden can be crushing, as Asda is discovering.
aden4you123342321323@reddit
The spar near me I saw now offers a small keesh? (Idk how to spell it) as a snack mental. The pasta pot are small tho
More_Ad_2765@reddit
Co-op offer me the same vouchers every week. The one day a week I get the meal deal, it's £2.50 for the BBQ Chicken pasta, Gü pot and a cherry pepsi max, outstanding!
TehDragonGuy@reddit
No the fuck it's not.
McRazz@reddit
Waitrose you can get £9-10 worth of gear for a fiver if you buy smart. As you say, the new sushi they do is awesome; prawn spicy rolls!
tomelwoody@reddit
"worth". It is all marked up for the deal to look good. Although the quality is much better, don't kid yourself.
McRazz@reddit
No doubt, but it's definitely £5 of meal deal in the 2024
Critical_Topic_1887@reddit
Mate Ginsters is NOT a good representation of a Cornish pasty ffs 😂
knight-under-stars@reddit
Can we just stick to what I've said and not make shit up please.
nl325@reddit
Tesco's main meal deal is the best, Co-Ops is meh.
Tesco's £5 meal deal is meh, Co-Ops one is actually really good though. The salami sandwich is really good.
browney321@reddit
I have to agree, i find the coop meal deal the most superior, great choice of snack but almost always go for a Ginsters, sandwiches are well filled and a choice of almost any drink
ManuPasta@reddit
Once you go M&S meal deal, you don’t go back. I don’t care if it’s £6, I’m no longer consuming chicken from Thailand
mrchab97@reddit
Tesco have the worst wraps now, they are one bite and somehow more expensive
Immorals1@reddit
Idk I find the offerings in coop incredibly underwhelming, tesco at least has a bit of seasonal variety
NedGGGG@reddit
I liked the egg and mustard mayo side. But I found their loyalty card a pain. You have to have a different loyalty cards for different Coops.
sniffsniffyummy@reddit
£4.50 for a meal deal!
rocketscientology@reddit
coop is fucking awful if you’re vegetarian as well, whereas tesco has expanded their plant kitchen range and their cheese sandwiches are a lot nicer too.
iscariots@reddit
All the Tescos near me seem to have pulled their vegan all-day breakfast sandwich and I'm heartbroken. The tofu scramble was the best thing I'd tasted in ages.
rocketscientology@reddit
it has been getting harder and harder to find and it makes me so sad!! i hope they bring it back
iscariots@reddit
Omg I'm so glad I've found a fellow vegan sandwich lover!! I really hope they haven't pulled it permanently - it's so hard to find a vegan meal deal offering that isn't a bloody 'no duck' hoisin wrap or the driest falafel wrap in the world 🥲
Kinbote808@reddit
You have a bad co-op, co-op is, by fucking light years, the best for vegetarian meals. Shit snacks, but the main meals are the best by a long way.
LondonCycling@reddit
The Plant Chef and Wicked Kitchen stuff is some of the best veggie/vegan stuff I've had. Their jalapeno burger patties are chefs kiss.
Ollie-North@reddit
I completely agree with this statement.
Although I will say the vegan meal deal options are fucking shit now.
atropax@reddit
Boots is weirdly good - vegan chicken lettuce tomato and stuff.
WHSmith used to be good but they seem to have switched to “smiths” and no longer do e.g. the bean chilli wrap
Typical-Page8418@reddit
The bean chilli wrap has disappeared from all the supermarkets in the last month. They all seem now just to do a falafel wrap. I’m guessing they have the same supplier and it got dropped as a line.
LondonCycling@reddit
Must admit it's a while since I've bought a meal deal. I used to find a lot of supermarket vegan options were some dry as fuck hummus wrap, like they'd mashed the chickpeas and forgotten the olive oil.
Ollie-North@reddit
Yeah that's basically it.
I went through a phase of getting a meal deal quite often, and was impressed at the selection even at the small Tesco near my old office. It had vegan all day breakfast, vegan duck wraps as well as the boring standard falafel and hummus that tastes like bee stings.
It's rare now I'm in a position to get a meal deal, but when I do look all I find is falafel and hummus and it sucks.
Choppernator5000@reddit
I quite like the falafel & hummus wraps. My local Tesco also does a roast veg & pesto which I'll grab in a push, but it's not my first pick. Saying that, they seem to have given a lot of shelf space over to a range of mediocre sushi, which may partially explain the reduction in vegan options.
Ollie-North@reddit
It's because veganism isn't as trendy as it used to be. They've dropped a huge amount of their vegan range recently.
Choppernator5000@reddit
Ah, that's a shame. I'm not vegan but lactose intolerant so often end up grabbing vegan options if eating out, as it's the quickest way to guarantee there won't be any dairy (they seemingly sneak cheese into everything) so I'd have appreciated the wider range!
boudicas_shield@reddit
I personally quite like falafel/hummus, but your description of it tasting like bee stings is great haha. Nice turn of phrase there.
Kiki_reddits@reddit
I used to eat meal deals all the time as a vegan, but now they all baiscally taste disgusting to me. :(
shiftyemu@reddit
The Sainsbury's southern fried chickenless goujon wrap with sweet chilli sauce is incredible, highly recommend if you haven't tried it
SilyLavage@reddit
I bought the Wicked Kitchen macaroni 'cheese' last night not realising it was vegan, and it wasn't half bad.
Generally speaking I prefer vegan food which doesn't try to emulate non-vegan food, and it wasn't as good as real cheese, but if I was vegan and had a craving I'd be very happy with it.
ScarletCelestial@reddit
I haven't seen their Plant Chef nuggets in in ages, but those things taste better than how my brain remembers McDonald's chicken nuggets.
LondonCycling@reddit
Can't say I've tried them. Though it's also a good 20 years since I had McNuggets as well so I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference!
Significant_Shirt_92@reddit
Co-op do a really good vegan Christmas sandwich and that's it.
illarionds@reddit
Coop is just awful, full stop.
gentletonberry@reddit
I’m pretty in love with Co-op’s onion bhaji and chutney sandwich, but it sells out very quickly in my local
Content_Being2535@reddit
Not even vegan and this sandwich is an absolute shout.
llynglas@reddit
Varieties that always sell out quickly - why not just make more of them? In this case it's not like there is an onion shortage.
MrTurleWrangler@reddit
Tesco egg mayo sandwiches were also solid af too when I was veggie
zinasbear@reddit
You can buy a pot of cheese and onion sandwich filler for £2 and it's exactly the same stuff in their ready made sandwiches.
I get 3-4 sandwiches out of a pot of filler.
CosmicQuestions@reddit
My local coop by work pisses all over Tesco and the others. Massive selection and tastes good. £3.50 with a club card.
tubbstattsyrup2@reddit
Odd, coops the only place I buy the vegan sandwich as if it were a generic sandwich. I like the Gro Onion Bhaji one, once I've added a little salt and mayonnaise.
El_Scot@reddit
Coop are rubbish if you have any dietary requirements whatsoever.
cmdrxander@reddit
I dunno, went there last week and got a falafel wrap (usually boring but I hadn’t had it for a while), a Gü pot and a protein shake, felt pretty good value for £4
SilyLavage@reddit
Yeah, if you think that meal deals used to be primarily in the vein of a sandwich, a Kit Kat, and an Oasis they have got better.
jderm1@reddit
100% agree, which sucks as it's the only one close to my work. That onion bajji sandwich is fine, but I shudder at the thought of having it again.
Otherwise it's basically cheese and onion or cheese and pickle, both of which are pretty poor choices if you're looking to maximise your meal deal value.
kenslydale@reddit
I'm a big fan of the bean burrito thing
5N0W3Y@reddit
Coop underwhelming?
I think they’re the best reasonably priced meal deal, I walk to the other end of the high street to avoid Tesco and get the coop meal deal.
BlueCreek_@reddit
Specially when it’s stacked with coop card offers, I usually get an additional £1 off and a Cornish pasty as a snack!
DeifniteProfessional@reddit
Cornish Pasty as a snack is the only reason to get one
Quite frankly though, individual Gingster's pasties can uually be found for £1.50 (used to be £1.25 mind you...), it's not like they're an expensive snack
Greedy-Copy3629@reddit
Coop used to be great for meal deals, now the food is absolutely shit.
DeifniteProfessional@reddit
Honestly Tesco has the best selection of meal deal sandwiches. The only people who like Co-Op or Sainsbury's are people who live in a town and haven't so much as ventured outside of the high street in 6 years.
Morrisons wins because they have the salad bar, but the shrinkflation has definitely hit the pack sizes.
In any case, I was never happy paying £3 for a meal deal in the first bloody place, let alone the up to £4 they are now...
McPikie@reddit
Tesco christmas trimmings sandwich is sublime
TheZZ9@reddit
Asda do a Brie and Bacon with jam. Sounds weird but it's great.
jackinthebox1968@reddit
Definitely, yum!
DidijustDidthat@reddit
Co-op BLT is one layer of bacon thick. 10/15 years ago these sandwiches... You could actually see and taste the bacon!
robbodagreat@reddit
Just buy a big bag of coop finest salt and vinegar crisps and sod the rest. Cheaper than a meal deal and objectively superior
captain_chizwonga@reddit
Once you had coop s&v all other s&v crisps pale into insignificance
jackinthebox1968@reddit
Greg's Cheese and Onion crisps have entered the chat...they are very good!
Available_Remove452@reddit
These are superb. Best you can get.
BlackJackV3@reddit
leave your tongue bleeding after a full packet hahaha
Imperial_Squid@reddit
Mmmm mildly acidic, desiccating sandpaper, delish!
KeepOnTrippinOn@reddit
In co op you can get a ginsters pasty as a snack thats pretty good, with a butty and a drink for £4.
KojakMoment@reddit
Worth getting a member card if you don’t have one. Brings it down to three fiddy
Astec123@reddit
That depends on which Co-op you use. Some of my local co-op stores are a regional group of co-op stores selling regular co-op branded items. They don't do a meal deal price. I just go to the one offering the meal deal prices.
KojakMoment@reddit
Interesting, didn’t realise that. I count myself lucky then!
CatFoodBeerAndGlue@reddit
Get the app and it's £3.50, plus you get two discounts a week which can be used towards the meal deal.
I often get 25/50p off Ginsters and 25/50p off a variety of drinks taking the meal deal down to £2.50-3.00
britinnit@reddit
£3.50 with their card
ImperialSeal@reddit
I actually like the Co-op one. If you have a city centre store the meal deal selection is pretty varied, and I find the pasta bowls to be way better quality than other shops. Also only £3.50 with member card
Gorskar@reddit
And also member card often let's you pick some weekly offers on things you actually buy (eg 50p off Oasis drinks).... If you've got one of those offers on your card it stacks with the meal deal, making it even cheaper
External_Ratio9551@reddit
CO-OP used to be sort of okay for meal deals when you could get wraps. Now it's only their crappy sandwiches (no more ploughman's). But even the wraps alone declined in quality. Their southern fried chicken used to be so stuffed with filling that they were difficult to eat. Now you get a dry tortilla with half a bite of chicken and a tiny smear of sauce lol
capitalistcommunism@reddit
Co op is decent now.
Can get a hot dog, costa coffee, and a snack for £4 with the co op membership card.
Fa6ade@reddit
Coop you can get better snacks. I regularly get a Guu pot for my snack there.
BlokeyBlokeBloke@reddit
Co-op is incredible. The Asian wraps are pretty good, but a Cornish pasty counting as a snack? Absolute winner.
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
I work at CoOp, and while I’m not veggie anymore, when I was the meal deal was just awful. Still have a really poor selection for vegetarians/vegans.
sarcytwat@reddit
The curry wrap, a ginsters pasty and a monster for £3.50 is a bargain to me
WatNaHellIsASauceBox@reddit
Get the app, you can get 2 vouchers per week. I got exactly that meal deal yesterday for 2.70
Velcro-hotdog@reddit
The onion bhaji sandwich is vegan and freaking epic! Hope they still do it. (I’m not vegan, just loved it)
Dependent-Bar9019@reddit
Tesco sandwiches have been poor for sometime. I would imagine they will disappear all together at some point with premium sandwiches being the better business model.
sexthrowa1@reddit
Have you considered walking off a cliff 👍
DavidC_is_me@reddit (OP)
Every day. Are you okay?
sexthrowa1@reddit
You’re eating meal deals, you should be asking yourself that question :)
DavidC_is_me@reddit (OP)
Okay. Take care buddy
Infinite_Room2570@reddit
Big up Aldi poke bowls, lidl has good sushi. Surely Best value in town?
Anxious_Excitement72@reddit
Morrisons is the worst. I haven't been there in years, but £6.50!!!
geoffs3310@reddit
No I saw an independent thing on this recently and they decided Tesco's was the best. They have some high priced items that are included in the meal deal so if you buy the most expensive of everything you can have about £12 worth for the price of the meal deal
gymdaddy9@reddit
3.99 for sushi from Lidl is my go to now
Ganjanium@reddit
£3.70 at Sainsbury’s will get you a Trip CBD Drink, fancy crisps and a vegan BLT. Pretty decent.
sniffsniffyummy@reddit
My local coop is up to £4.59
lee6870@reddit
Sainsbury’s today was £3.50 for a sandwich, can of monster and a bag of crisps. Good value 😁😁😁
Hazlinkinz_91@reddit
Mine today was £3.60 with a club card. Chicken Club Sandwich Paprika Ridged walkers max Rainbow healthy smoothie type drink
Not bad when the Sandwich alone is £3.25!
patchmau5@reddit
Morrisons seems best value. Sainsers usually has the least to pick from.
Roninjuh@reddit
Sainsbury’s used to be mint.
Adamsoski@reddit
I think it was 2016 or 2017 that they moved most of their good stuff to the "premium" meal deal. Before that it was by a big margin the best meal deal out there.
Gang-of-Lions@reddit
especially considering for £3.50 (with more card) you can get a morrisons salad as well as a drink and snack
FelchChugger900@reddit
Sainsers? I thought Sainos was bad enough.
VolcanicBear@reddit
Gets worse, they've mentioned getting a "sambo" elsewhere.
patchmau5@reddit
That’s the Irish in me.
Psychological-Ad1264@reddit
And they missed a chance for Mozzas as well.
HRH_DankLizzie420@reddit
Not Morry's?
patchmau5@reddit
Morribobs.
obliviious@reddit
This is horrific what have I discovered?! 😭
amandacheekychops@reddit
Sainsbo's actually 😉
AussieHxC@reddit
Is it not Sainsbo's
ehsteve23@reddit
Sainy Bobs
patchmau5@reddit
Compromise? Sainsley Harriott’s?
Immorals1@reddit
Do not use our oily lords name in vain!
patchmau5@reddit
Yeewhuehuehue jerk that chicken boy!
rockethanabi@reddit
Haha, my Dad calls it Sainsbugs.
LOTDT@reddit
A bloke at my work calls it Sainsbros. It just boils my piss.
PartyPoison98@reddit
Second Morrisons. Used to be one near my school and it was basically a game to see just how much you could take the piss by overstuffing those salad bowls.
Trace6x@reddit
Morrisons salad as a main? Hell yeah
TheBrazenBeast@reddit
Packet ti the rafters and through the self scan. Could walk out of there with 24 boiled eggs if you wanted.
patchmau5@reddit
They used to well generous. Whole bit of salmon or chicken breast with plenty of carbs to go with it. Now my Morrisons has become really stingy, so I’d just get a sambo now.
Trace6x@reddit
Yeah I think the tub sizes are smaller too, doesn't stop me from loading up on the curried potatoes they do though
nadejha@reddit
Morrisons is the best IMO. Medium salad tub I fill with cheesy bacon pasta. A can of monster and a packet of chicken satay sticks for £3.50?? I feel like I'm robbing the place.
Kind-County9767@reddit
The Morrisons near me used to do fresh made spicy chicken rolls which were amazing but I haven't seen them since about the middle of COVID which is sad
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
100&. They're all shit really, but Morrisons is the best of the bunch.
cizza16@reddit
The free Tesco clubcard gets it down to £3.40 no? Drink sandwich and snack at that price is prettt good
lewiitom@reddit
3.60 now unfortunately, went up again recently
cizza16@reddit
Must have been very recent! If you’re buying ready made lunch not sure what else is better value these days outside of independent sandwhich shops
DeifniteProfessional@reddit
I never buy them, but they always advertise it outside my local Tesco. I only noticed the sign changed to £3.60 a couple of days ago. Ridiculous if you ask me. For that price over three days, I could buy an entire pork shoulder, some nice bread and apple sauce, and have delicious roast pork sandwiches with a cup of tea for lunch... and I do :D
WarmTransportation35@reddit
The cange happend a few weeks ago. It's crazy how it's still the cheapest fast food takeaway you can get from outside.
Randomn355@reddit
How long ago was it £3 though? I feel like overall, it's tracking WELL below inflation.
Like petrol prices for example.
Very controversial if it ever goes up, but in the big picture it's rising well below inflation.
Horizon2k@reddit
It only changed last year or 18 months or so, but had been £3 for a long time.
20nuggetsharebox@reddit
In a pure pricing perspective sure, but from what OP has said, sounds like they're suffering from shitflation
Nels8192@reddit
They waited until the week after Sainsbury’s had announced theirs at like £3.75 I think it was
EssentialParadox@reddit
I don’t get why people find the price rises ridiculous. I remember the Tesco meal deals costing no less than £3 in 2001. That’s the same as £5.40 today.
cizza16@reddit
yeah I am sure that when I started working in an office circa 2012 a Sainsbury's meal deal was approx £3 - Pret was far cheaper (and therefore justifiable) then mind
more_beans_mrtaggart@reddit
Back in the day Maccy used to compare a burger meal price with M&S sandwich and a drink. It was seriously one of the influencers of their pricing.
mangonel@reddit
I had assumed the deal was only for clubcard holders, otherwise it would be £52.
Richy99uk@reddit
4 quid at the local one stop with a shite selection of sandwiches and pasta and limited "snacks"
Roper1537@reddit
Maybe I'm being stupid here but how hard is it to just make your own sarnies each morning? You're guaranteed a good one every time and for half the price of Tesco.
B_n_lawson@reddit
Meal deals absolutely suck. It’s potentially the worst lunch available.
No-Gur5273@reddit
Agree, oversalted, oversweated and no nutrition at all, good enough for corporate puppets eating at the desks.
RevolvingCatflap@reddit
The suicide note of the culinary world, second only to Huel
JJGOTHA@reddit
Medium salad bar, snack and drink in Morrisons is the best deal, imo
mozzamo@reddit
This says so much about the UK that this a topic of discussion. We’re fucked
amarrly@reddit
Meanwhile we are all saying 'cost of living' like its a mantra, but no one knows what it fucking means!.
matomo23@reddit
The sandwiches have always been rank.
mebutnew@reddit
When you can get a coop meal deal for £3.50 anything lesser is a con.
bringandbuysale@reddit
No, it's still mad value. I can get a triple chicken sandwich, a chocolate twist pastry and a medium coffee for 3.90. The coffee on it's own is nearly that price.
Kingsworth@reddit
Why is everyone saying £3.90, it’s £3.60 with a clubcard (free).
Perriola@reddit
I feel like I've missed the point of meal deals all my life. Even at £3 a decade ago it never felt like a "meal" or a "deal." Shit quality, processed, no taste, unhealthy, unfulfilling, and above all, more expensive than buying the component ingredients and making it yourself.
SweepTheLeg69@reddit
How is buying the components yourself cheaper? Want a BLT sandwich? Buying bacon alone is most of the cost of a meal deal.
topmarksbrian@reddit
Meal deals are meant for people at work/college who need to grab something quick, cheap and filling to eat. If you're grabbing a meal deal for lunch while you're at work it's not like you can make yourself a chi
Perriola@reddit
I understand the convenience of it on a one off basis if you're in a rush or get caught out somewhere, but as a general rule there's no excuse for not making a lunch at home beforehand. I've also never felt full after a meal deal, I'd need about 3 of them.
topmarksbrian@reddit
There are loads of reasons people might not be able to make lunch at home.
Skill issue tbh, plenty of meal deals you can get which are 1000 calories +
HELMET_OF_CECH@reddit
Yeah, being lazy being the primary one.
Steakers@reddit
I'd say the real skill issue is not being able to make a sandwich and paying 10x time and materials for literally the shittest quality implementation of one.
I'd wager than 90% of people buying supermarket meal deals have the capability and facilities to make a sandwich, they just can't be arsed. Which is fine, but they clap back with "yeah but what if I only had one arm and lived in a hostel" as if the Tesco meal deal is some kind of corporate social safety net rather than them trading on the premium people will pay for convenience.
bsnimunf@reddit
If you made a meal deal at home you would struggle to get the cost below £2.
Randomn355@reddit
As a 1 off, sure. On a pro rata'd basis making g several, not really.
topmarksbrian@reddit
You're conflating two separate things.
I agree that most people can make a sarnie at home or indeed another meal - that doesn't mean that meal deals aren't calorific.
Separately from that, there are all kinds of reasons why people on any given day might not be able to have a meal deal. I would hazard a guess that most people who buy meal deals don't buy them every day but when they need something relatively cheap and easy if they're in a rush or travelling.
deathmetalbestmetal@reddit
One of the things people saying this never seem to take into account is that meal deals etc. allow you to have something completely different every day or decide what you want there and then. This isn't really feasible in the same way if you're preparing everything at home. Can't just have a duck wrap if you fancy a duck wrap if you're preparing food at home.
pib712@reddit
The whole advantage is that you don’t have to buy the ingredients to make ten when you only want one, and then make it yourself
_whopper_@reddit
Well you can’t make it yourself if you’re already out and about.
And maybe you only want one. So there’s no saving by buying a loaf of bread, fillings, snack etc. that you won’t otherwise use.
Or you end up with too much of something that you won’t use. You might fancy a duck wrap but not enough to want to buy, cook and prepare a whole duck.
Perriola@reddit
Totally agree, I like a duck wrap as much as the next bloke. But my point is that it's still neither a meal, a deal, or financially sensible
bsnimunf@reddit
Comparable to what else is available it is a good deal and still is even with price rises. I understand its not good quality but there is nothing better at that price range.
Perriola@reddit
I disagree. You can get a pretty good Greggs haul for £4. You can get countless Lidl bakery items + a decent smoothie for £4. Both are preferable to a shite Tesco sandwich that tastes no better than a bit of cardboard
bsnimunf@reddit
Greggs have meal deals for about £4 but I'm including those in the good value meal deals. Lidl sweet bakery items are better than meal deal snacks but very few savoury options.
Shower-Glove-@reddit
Not really because you’d have to by a ton of different ingredients. £3 was a fair price. Anything beyond £3.50 is taking the piss though
Perriola@reddit
Yeah but if you're committed to a meal deal type lunch on a regular basis, buying a loaf, fillings, multipacks of crisps and drinks, spread, etc will turn out cheaper than spending the £3 on a daily basis
ProperGanderz@reddit
£6 m and s meal deal now the clear go to
MrMrsPotts@reddit
The prawn mayo based meal deal was my staple :(
DrHenryWu@reddit
All slop sandwiches
94cg@reddit
I left the uk in 2017 and meal deals had just gone over £3, I’m shocked that it’s still under £4 given the price of everything else.
I live in Canada and while the meal deal is not good quality I do miss the convenience and value when in a tight spot. There is no equivalent here!
TheZZ9@reddit
Yep, us Brits like to complain but I've read many comments from people in other countries saying our prices are actually quite good.
Mind you I was in Toronto a few months ago and the Loblaws Danish pastries were amazing. I paid six dollars for a box of ten danishes covered in an inch of icing.
94cg@reddit
Prices for fruit and veg is the biggest difference - I earn what would be considered a very good wage where I grew up but I only shop flyers haha if it’s not on offer it’s not getting eaten!
A broccoli for $4 (£3) or an apple for $1+ (60p) per piece is not going to cut it!
I’ve heard uk prices have gone up a lot post-covid, not sure if it still seems as crazy of a difference now
TheZZ9@reddit
Yikes. It's 79p for a broccoli here. https://groceries.asda.com/product/broccoli-cauliflower/asda-tender-crunchy-broccoli/910002634444
And apples start at 79p for a pack of five.
nickmasonsdrumstick@reddit
I love a Tesco meal deal, still a bit cheaper than most.
Robynsxx@reddit
I mean personally I think all meal deals kinda suck because the sandwiches are always awful.
I don’t know about worst, but I think coop is the best, just simply because a snack can be a little chocolate bar, a Cornish pastie, or even an ice lolly.
Ok-Train5382@reddit
I remember paying £3 quid for a meal deal when I was in sixth form so about 15 years ago. If prices kept up with inflation I think a meal deal should be about £5 now.
ThomasEichorst@reddit
Tesco aren’t a charity, so if it hasn’t risen with inflation then you can assume they’ve cut costs elsewhere. I don’t indulge regularly but a lot of people say the quality has gone down
TooRedditFamous@reddit
Yeah costs cut elsewhere but not necessarily on the meal deal. Could be true, but also could be treating it as a loss leader
Perunastra@reddit
It fails to function as a loss leader if the meal deal itself is the only thing people come into the shop to buy. I know I’m guilty of impulse buys but even I only go in for the meal deals. They might occasionally get an additional purchase out of me but that’s likely a weekly occurrence at best which definitely would not outweigh the daily cost of selling a meal deal at a loss.
_whopper_@reddit
The Tesco one went from £2.50 to £3 in late summer 2012.
They have risen below inflation over that time.
Murky_Cook_5136@reddit
Sainsbury's or Asda in Northern Ireland are both the best IMO.
Their sandwiches here are supplied from Deli Lites and they're 100% the best pre-packed sandwiches / wraps I've ever tasted. 🤩
MakesALovelyBrew@reddit
If you're in NI why aren't you at the deli counter instead of this nonsense!
Murky_Cook_5136@reddit
I don’t trust myself to be able to pick out the items required to make anything like the Deli Lites sandwiches (in particular the BLT). There’s just something about it. 🤌🏻
saz2377@reddit
I use asdas meal deal to get three cans of monster! Don't judge me, I have a toddler!
zillapz1989@reddit
No wonder the toddler is giving you the run around. Cut it's monster supply.
saz2377@reddit
That's where I'm going wrong.
SLGamingMatt@reddit
I never thought to get 3 sandwiches/wraps... dang, that's amazing in that case
Murky_Cook_5136@reddit
Yeah, really good deal if you work it right. Just important that you don’t buy any other meal deal items in the same transaction as it will take the cheapest item even if you scan the three sandwiches/wraps first, I got caught out with this once.
Correct_Degree4011@reddit
If the self service has a subtotal function that should prevent this from happening.
ofjune-x@reddit
Boots meal deal is pretty good choice wise. You can get a Gü cheesecake as your snack. Not exactly healthy, but bargain wise that’s probably better than a packet of crisps.
TheZZ9@reddit
Boots is usually good. Every time I go through Liverpool St Station I go to the Boots for a meal deal rather than the various kiosks that charge a fortune.
cmdrxander@reddit
I normally save them and have them for dessert later!
zcjp@reddit
Here's a clue. If you don't like something don't buy it...
Illustrious-Engine23@reddit
coop has a £5 meal deal, seattle's best coffee, gu cheesecake and premim sandwich which is pretty good.
bearwright1@reddit
I don't like the price hike but I think it's more to do with your meal deal choice,
Obvious-Abroad-3150@reddit
I’ve stopped buying them ever since they stopped being £3 meal deals. I would rather pay more money for something how or make wraps at home.
Alarmarama@reddit
It wasn't the price rises that put me off the Tesco meal deals (I used to eat Tesco meal deals ALL the time since Tesco is right next to my office), but it was the fact they dropped the quality of the sandwiches massively. I now walk further from my office to get a Sainsbury's meal deal as the price is practically no different but the quality is significantly better.
Tesco was winning, but they dropped off. I do pop in for a Pain au chocolat in the morning though, the Tesco ones are still actually good unlike most of the other supermarkets and they're lovely when they're still fresh out of the oven.
DeDe_UK@reddit
Same, I always go to sainsburys if i feel like a meal deal. Roast beef and horseradish sandwich, freshly squeezed orange juice and a scotch egg as the snack, feels like it is worth the cost.
Rpqz@reddit
A fresh pastry and a costa coffee for £3.80 is a good deal in itself, chuck in a free sandwich and you're laughing.
Alarmarama@reddit
I just wish the scotch eggs hadn't been downgraded. I used to have them frequently as my snack but about a year or so ago they swapped out the recipe and now it's like eating mush. At least the tesco one anyway, not sure about the Sainsbury's ones but I think their meal deal scotch eggs are the cheaper crap too. Barely any actual meat, just a bunch of flour and other crap fillers to make it look like sausage.
more_beans_mrtaggart@reddit
The Sainsbury’s scotch eggs are still good.
demeschor@reddit
Tesco bakery is so underrated, their pain au chocolats and the vanilla creme crowns are so good!
-DWAESQ-@reddit
The Brie, Bacon and Chilli chutney sandwich is 10/10.
Alarmarama@reddit
That's what I go for most of the time! Especially good once it's had a couple of minutes on the hot plate
kemb0@reddit
If it's an option, check out Lidl for your pain au chocolate needs. I find them generally very reasonably priced and superior to most places.
Alarmarama@reddit
Love the little £1 vegetable pizzas from Lidl when I pass by one!
kemb0@reddit
Oh and if you like Orange Juice, their "superior" or whatever the name is, Orange Juice is like no other Orange Juice I've tasted by any other brand. It actually tastes like oranges, rather than all the others which taste like 50% OJ and 50% topped up with water, or worse flavourings.
yorkspirate@reddit
Sainsbury's meal deals are definitely superior I found out working near one for a few weeks recently.
Available_Remove452@reddit
You can have a costa coffee (machine but still good) in the deal too. I try to get max price items just for the challenge. Nectar points too, but not worth much .
Alarmarama@reddit
Also ice creams and baked goods.
ewlu_evhs@reddit
Fresh coop bakery is also very nice, I prefer it to tesco. Especially since they sell cheese and tomato swirls :D
Alarmarama@reddit
I think the co-op one looks nice but their pain au chocolats are dry in comparison.
baronsameday@reddit
I had a chicken wrap from Tesco the other day and it said Non-UK chicken on the ingredients.......
spicyzsurviving@reddit
Sainsbury's is just as bad
Classic_Process8213@reddit
As a veggie, they're pretty good tbh. Hard to beat the all day breakfast
leugeneskabs@reddit
I used to love the veggie all day breakfast but they've changed the sausages and it's not the same anymore :(
Classic_Process8213@reddit
I found it fine still, just as good as the regular all day breakfast was (not very good)
dremondo@reddit
When did it go to £3.90? I went on Tuesday and it was £3.40 with club card?
999hologram@reddit
its now £3.60 with clubcard
dremondo@reddit
Sorry, yes! You’re right. Had to check my bank statement then.
I typically get a Costa coffee with mine though and it’s worth it still I think.
V65Pilot@reddit
Got the 3 chicken one today, with boiled eggs and a coke. Why do they feel the need to drown the sandwich filler with pepper?
DavidC_is_me@reddit (OP)
So it tastes of something other than damp cardboard and regret.
Mba1956@reddit
Coop is the best offer if you have a membership card, it’s only £3.50 and has better quality offerings in the snack range.
8bitPete@reddit
The BEST is CoOp
DeathsShadow_@reddit
Tesco still has the best quality sandwiches (the secondary and drink are the same wherever you go). The difference between a Sainsbury’s and Tesco sandwich is light and day.
MissVulpix@reddit
The most expensive meal deals are from WHS and Boots in the train stations 😭 £5.99 and £4 something with the Boots card, so Tescos one is cheap to me.
AncilliaryAnteater@reddit
If you want a good prawn mayo then either Boots or M&S
VenueTV@reddit
Boots is 4.99 unless you have a boots card, it's £4.50
999hologram@reddit
Yeah tescos suck now imo. The pastas portions have been shrunk so much, the bowl isnt that deep.
The eggs aren't even free range anymore (sainsburys and coop are) and taste rank.
DidijustDidthat@reddit
Co-op BLT is one layer of bacon thick. 10/15 years ago these sandwiches... You could actually see and taste the bacon!
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
Waitrose is £5, but the choice is way better and so is the quality.
Spunkallthemoney@reddit
Boots is the best meal deal!
ChaoticChatot@reddit
My local tesco has had a recent drop in selection and quality, alongside a hike in price. I've been disappointed the last few times I've gone and probably won't be in a hurry to go again.
It's still not as bad as Asda.
Honestly, M&S may be more expensive, but at least I enjoy what I'm eating.
big_toastie@reddit
There's an M&S garage near me that I go to all the time around half 6 to get the reduced sandwiches and other food. It's absolutely wild what I can get for just a few pounds and the quality is fantastic.
blondecroft@reddit
Yeah I noticed the change in packaging when I picked up my favourite lunch staple, the southern fried chicken baguette with chipotle mayo…tastes absolutely disgusting now, they’ve ruined it
PirateBusy3922@reddit
There is a bakery near me that proudly advertises a £9 meal deal. Shocking stuff.
They also recently sold normal banana bread for about £2 a slice or a whopping £15 for the whole loaf. I laughed for days about that one.
bishibashi@reddit
They aren’t common, but the Amazon fresh meal deal is top tier
avoidtheworm@reddit
I miss when the hot wraps were in the £3.50 meal deal.
Still, that with a salmon and egg bowl and a drink is fantastic for £5.
cmdrxander@reddit
Never heard of this, do you have to get it delivered somehow or is it sold in some physical shops?
AcousticThoughts@reddit
I've seen quite a few 'Amazon Fresh' physical stores in London.
tommygoogy@reddit
Walked past one in Aldgate yesterday, it had just reopened and they were handing out fliers for a £1 meal deal offer, was pretty good
Not sure if they're still doing it
Blandiblub@reddit
Now that Tesco's is close to Amazon, hard agree. Good range and value in Amazon Fresh. And challenge yourself to be in and out in less than 60 seconds!
Hairy-Motor-7447@reddit
He ones that have "chicken" still do, thees just one toothpicks worth in the sanwich and the rest is their shite bread
MountainEquipment401@reddit
Just get a clubcard? Knocks 10% off and doesn't cost anything...
Meth_Hardy@reddit
Tesco meal deal still includes the Chicken Club sandwich, which is great. Add to that a snack that costs over £1 and a drink that costs over £2 and the savings are solid. Especially using a club card to get the total cost down to £3.60.
JenUFlekt@reddit
My local tesco got rid of the chicken club sandwich... i'm still salty over it.
darwinxp@reddit
Best meal deal is buy a loaf of bread, a multipack bag of crisps and a couple sandwich toppings for like 7 quid. Quicker to make a sandwich at home than to walk to the shop and way cheaper.
Altenativeboi@reddit
Still cheaper than a Waitrose meal deal even with my 20% staff discount (£5 down to £4)
Mr_B_e_a_r@reddit
Just go and make some cheese and marmite sandwiches at home. Bying a Tesco meal deal is not living it up in the work tearoom.
Material_Smoke_3305@reddit
Anyone spending their break in the company tea room is a barbarian.
CasioJay88@reddit
You're all eating garbage lads.
KeyJunket1175@reddit
This. In what universe does a sandwhich with fake bread, a bag of potato crisps pumped with falvouring agents and a bottle of sugary/artificially sweetened drink make a MEAL?
If you don't have time/opportunity to have a proper meal just grab a fruit, a decent cereal bar and a bottle of water. You save yourself money and are better off health-wise.
ffulirrah@reddit
Well, a Tesco meal deal could be a fruit pot, cereal bar and bottle of water if you wanted it to be.
LOTDT@reddit
I thought the fruit pots were sides?
Material_Smoke_3305@reddit
Smaller pots as sides, much bigger ones as mains. Sandwich crisps and a can is the absolute worst selection. You can get bao buns, sushi, bento box/bowls, samosas, pastas or salads as the main.
ffulirrah@reddit
Some of them are mains
Randomn355@reddit
You do realise that, gram for gram, the cereal bars often have a shocking amount of sugar right?
Very rare they don't.
KeyJunket1175@reddit
Hence the word 'decent'. Clearly I dont mean a Nesquik bar.
Randomn355@reddit
Which are few and far between. Almost impossible to find, actually.
Hungry-Falcon3005@reddit
At least it’s not vegan. That would be worse
craigybacha@reddit
Still good value when a pack of crisps is now £1 and a drink is almost £2.
Negative-Net-4416@reddit
Tip: Install Stocard and keep your Clubcard, Nectar, Co-op cards on your phone. Saves a few pennies on the meal deal, every time.
Negative-Net-4416@reddit
You've got to maximise the value from the included items. For example, a hot Costa Express (regular size coffee normally costing £3) is included in the deal.
£3.60 in Tesco Express with a Clubcard, seems ok to me as I pick the most expensive items. The most premium drink (eg iced latte, Red bull or Costa), crisps that I wouldn't normally buy in a 6-pack, and a proper sub roll or pasta pot.
The sandwiches have slightly changed recently, but they're usually ok. Occasionally the lettuce looks black and manky so I go for a different main.
LasagnaInBread@reddit
I know it’s niche but booths is god tier . 4 items - 1 main two snacks and a drink for 5 pound . The samosas are a great snack !
davislouis48@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1f9dg2s/comment/llnngt8/?context=3
Because I can be pro-ukraine and still criticize the incursion
davislouis48@reddit
y
Available-Anxiety280@reddit
Just make your own sandwiches. It takes a few minutes.
CosmicQuestions@reddit
I highly recommend co-op with a club card. Massive selection for £3.50. You can get a decent sandwich or wrap, a side which can be a sausage roll, fruit, scotch egg, ginsters pasty, crisps, eggs, cheese, twin pack of pork pies (and many more) plus a large selection of drinks to choose from including orange juice, apple juice or a refreshing can of appletizer.
Seems like great value in these dark days with live in. You can also upgrade to a premium meal deal and get things like smoked salmon with potato salad which is £4.50
xJam3zz07@reddit
Tescos is the best by far, also it's 3.40 if you've got a clubcard
JonnySniper@reddit
Just stop fucking about and get yourself to Boots. I'm sure I got it about £8 once, down to £3.60
chicaneuk@reddit
Did everyone else's Tesco change the drinks on offer recently? I always used to get an Irn Bru or a San pellegrino sparkling fruit juice and they seem to have ditched both of those in every Tesco I have gone into... It's pretty infuriating.
JesusOnly8319@reddit
Tin of sardines will keep you going.
Y_Mistar_Mostyn@reddit
Go to work on an egg vibes
GKogger@reddit
I've come to the conclusion that ALL meal deals are awful value, regardless of cost.
The way I see it, the cost is sooo cheap that the only way to provide the food to us is to make it the lowest quality sandwich imaginable and then pump it full of preservatives. And then we add crisps. And a fizzy drink.
As a nation, we are killing ourselves happily because it's cheap and 'easier' than making our own food.
I say this, as a fat bastard, btw.
Last-Experience9805@reddit
£3.50/£3.90 deal is always good value if you're a fan of Red Bulls as you can get the extra large Red Bull, big sandwich and crisps when normally the RB alone would cost atleast £3 from as store
m205@reddit
They're all dogshit. Head to a bakery or a deli.
Mccobsta@reddit
Co-op I paid a fiver for a drink and a sandwich
IceStationZebra8@reddit
Boots has always been the best and still is. Most of them are shite.
Thick_Position_2790@reddit
I always go for the upgraded £5 meal deal at Sainsbury's.
HoratioMG@reddit
About 9-10 years ago, in the Sainsbury's meal deal you could get a chicken and bacon sub that was genuinely delicious
They stopped doing it about 8 years ago, and since then I haven't found a single meal deal sandwich at any store that breaks a 6/10.
We always talk about value when it comes to meal deals, but the quality hurts me more...
cocopopped@reddit
Let's get it out of the national psyche that meal deals are good. Yeah go on, downvote me.
ALL supermarket sandwiches are the blandest food going. Might aswell eat sawdust.
A bland, chilled sandwich and a pack of crisps, with a ribena or whatever.
Hot-Classroom-3111@reddit
Just pick Up what you want an walk out. Lawless out here
marrangutang@reddit
I like a coffee in the morning on the way to work, and to get a sandwich and a packet of crisps for an extra 90p or less just seems like a no brainer to me… not much difference between Tesco with the club card and Sainsbury’s although I agree the quality of the sandwiches in Tesco has gone down recently
Grand-Bullfrog3861@reddit
Co-op is 4 quid for a meal deal and the selection is worse than tesco
NaturesPowerBar@reddit
I think boots is slept on really. I haven’t had one for a while admittedly but when I worked in a shopping centre we used to have a game of who could get the most expensive meal deal for £3.40. Might be more expensive now but you used to be able to get £7+ worth of individual food for just over £3
BroodLord1962@reddit
With the loss of crops due to climate change, the days of getting cheap meals deals will be long gone by next year
Quinlov@reddit
Get sausage bacon and egg triple for maximum flavour and maximum calories per pound (yes I still shop like a homeless person even tho I have been housed for a year and am now obese)
Randomn355@reddit
Why do you have to jump to the £5?
Plenty of non meat options like cheese and onion, egg, tuna etc
For bigger eaters there's the breakfast triple, chicken triple, club, and they may still be running g the ham triple thing.
For everyone else there's a wealth of "normal" sandwiches.
Snacks are top tier, as far as meal deals go. Drinks have good range and a few premium products in.
What is it you actually want?
geejaytee@reddit
I've often wondered why a single piece of fresh* fruit is not included in the offer - the fruit that is available is packed in plastic, and has already been 'processed' in some way (by slicing or dicing)
Nels8192@reddit
Probably because whole singles are weighed loose, which would fuck with the pricing system no doubt. If they charged per fruit that would only screw over those buying them as an individual item.
ArtisticWatch@reddit
• Waitrose
• Morrisons
• Tesco
• Sainsbury's
•Asda
In terms of quality, morrisons probably for price. I tend to only get the tesco wraps but i have noticed the chicken is now tough and dry :(
Melodic-Document-112@reddit
Waitrose’s deal is outstanding. Delicious steak sandwich, a king prawn cocktail and a 30mg CBD drink or some premium smoothie for £5
TwentyWunth@reddit
Yup. For an extra £1-ish it's is so much better. Actual decent sandwich alternatives, drinks that are not just coke etc and the sides are decent.
Their steak and onion sandwich is really nice. (I mean it's still a sandwich from a supermarket, but head and shoulders above the rest).
Nels8192@reddit
Tbf Tesco’s premium meal deal is far higher quality than their generic one. The premium wraps in particular are lush, for the same price as the Waitrose deal.
Ok-Customer-5770@reddit
£6 meal deal at the Shell garage was a bit of a shock, and then at one of those Spar like places (but not spar) had a £4.25 meal deal but it was a can of drink not a bottle!
tewnsbytheled@reddit
I drove by a londis the other day that had a big banner for their meal deal offer: £6.50 it was!! Fuck that!
Nels8192@reddit
Tesco has probably the best variety and most of the dead sandwiches are made at the same place as all the other supermarkets. Price wise it’s still 2nd cheapest I believe at £3.60. No point using £3.90 as the benchmark when quite literally 90% of customers have a clubcard anyway.
Co-op are the only ones cheaper, but never considered their meal deal much good compared to their larger rivals.
JimiJab@reddit
Waitrose £5 FFS such a rip off
CR1SBO@reddit
Sainsbury's is now my go to for a meal deal; £3.50
singeblanc@reddit
Tree-fiddy?
CR1SBO@reddit
About
NaughtyDred@reddit
In fairness it's £3.40 with a club card
CapitaineJames@reddit
The best is Morrisons, all the baguettes are made fresh on sight and the price point is spot on.
RedditMadeMeCrazy@reddit
Our Morrisons won't let me watch them make the baguettes, yours must be fancy
CapitaineJames@reddit
They are generally made before opening, you aren’t missing much of a show.
kplex@reddit
In the last 2 weeks I've ended up vomiting/stomach f**ked after eating a Tesco meal deal sandwich. They had been my go-to option for a quick meal, never again...
minisrugbycoach@reddit
£3.90 for any meal deal that ain't hot is too much for me.
PlayThenPause@reddit
Where are you getting a hot alternative?
Silenced_Kar@reddit
The Sainsbury’s near Chancery Lane (next to their office) has a selection of hot food included in the meal deals!
OldGodsAndNew@reddit
aw sweet that's really useful to me in Glasgow
as1992@reddit
Nobody was talking about Glasgow?
singeblanc@reddit
Two chicken Wrap of the Day from Macca's is £3.98
Best thing on their menu by far. Coffee is pretty good and cheap too.
BritshFartFoundation@reddit
Idk if Morrisons hot counter is part of the meal deal, but its cheap enough that it works out about the same.
minisrugbycoach@reddit
I guess that's my point. Sod paying nearly £4 a day for a limp sandwich and a crappy sugar filled drink.
I make my own lunch. Either a decent sandwich made the morning of or re-heated extras from dinner the night before.
I'm not actually sure I've ever bought a meal deal to be honest.
ffulirrah@reddit
Sainsbury's
Dyalikedagz@reddit
Na Asda's are dogshit
The sandwiches are just completely crap.
wainwrights-11@reddit
Morrisons medium salad bar, drink and snack for the win at £3.50 is better value than any other in my opinion.
Emergency-Aardvark-6@reddit
£3.60 with a club card at my local tesco express
Cardo94@reddit
The objective with a meal deal at Tesco is to hurt their bottom line as much as possible if you have to shop there. Choose a £3 drink, the biggest sandwich, and a side that is usually over a quid.
m1nkeh@reddit
Always was…
harrismada@reddit
No I think it’s still pretty good value for what you get and tesco as the best selection
ClassOf37@reddit
No. The Tesco meal deal includes (if you want one) a full-fat Costa Coffee. And those machines as good as a store-bought coffee to me. That alone is worth over £3 (nearly £4 in their coffee shops), so I’m still getting value for my meal deal.
phil24_7@reddit
I go for a wrap (normally one of the high protein ones) and a protein bar and a coke zero (used to have a protein shake but they've stopped them now)
The wraps are nice and anything with added protein is expensive when bought in its own, so you can save quite a bit buying it as part I'd a meal deal. 👍🏻
levifresh@reddit
They're all shit
GuideAware@reddit
So a sandwich worth £2.75 a drink around £1.55 and a bag of crisps is £1 obviously all give or take. But that works out at £5.30 or £3.60 with a club card no brainer to me
ThomasEichorst@reddit
Those crisps just aren’t worth £1 though. 50g for £1 at the front of the store, or go to the crisp aisle and get a 140g bag for £1.50
GuideAware@reddit
Besides the point of what you think something is worth though isn't it. The deal includes that. So a sandwich for 2.75 your bag of crisps at £1.50 not including the drink is now more than the meal deal and your an item down. I. Normally get the triple sandwich which is 3.25 a pepsi max cherry 1.55 and a sausage roll at 1.10 which is 5.90 then down to £3.60 with cc so really don't see what the complaint is. We get value for money on a loss leader for tescos
Azikt@reddit
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/money/poundland-launches-3-meal-deal-32906437.amp
Ok-Comfortable-3174@reddit
Definitely the most depressing! Ill pay 30% for my Pret thanks!
Fun_Gas_7777@reddit
No joke, the poundland one is really good.
theplanlessman@reddit
I had no idea Poundland did a meal deal. I'll have to check it out.
Fun_Gas_7777@reddit
Last time I was there, it was £3 for any drink and 2 of anything else
dadoftriplets@reddit
I would say Asdas the worst meal deal with their 3 for two offer ads You end up paying more than everywhere else. The last meal deal I bought was £4.90 for a 3pk wrap, a bottle of Pepsi Max and getting the Twix for 'free'. The same meal deal in Tesco would cost £3.40 (clubcard) or £3.90 without.
cvslfc123@reddit
I still remember when Sainsburys randomly decided to take half of their sandwiches out of the meal deal in 2016.
WoodSteelStone@reddit
I'm imagining you marking the anniversary each year, snuffling into a hanky.
MinMorts@reddit
Sainsburys is the best, one near my work has a hot section so I can get a pasty and sausage roll and drink for cheaper than elsewhere
protonmagnate@reddit
Amazon Fresh (where it exists) is the best meal deal by far. But there aren’t that many of them esp outside London. Sainsbury’s of the biggest ones is the best.
Sunset-Out-West@reddit
All meal deals have always been shite.
I'm not being a Scrooge McDuck because I have wasted a lot of money on crap over the years but nothing I resented more than a meal deal. All sandwiches and wraps across all shops were underfilled and tasteless.
I always take my own lunch with me wherever I go, not as a money saving exercise (just a happy benefit) but because I actually want to enjoy my lunch.
MazrimReddit@reddit
If you are struggling to find a worse value for money product, whsmiths always has your covered
Ozempicinjections@reddit
Great
jtothes3@reddit
Morrisons seems best value.
TheGrandMaester@reddit
How no one is mentioning boots as an elite level meal deal is crazy to me! Incredible selection and great quality
Top_Nebula620@reddit
Cheaper to buy a loaf of bread, butter and sandwich filler than buy a meal deal.
theplanlessman@reddit
Spar's at £3.99 (where I am) is pretty bad. If you're lucky enough to have a Spar with the facilities/delivery connections for fresh baguettes it's not terrible, but my local just has fairly mediocre prepackaged fare.
TheLittleBlackDuck@reddit
Years ago tesco used to do a really nice steak & cheese wrap in their meal deals. I loved that thing. Had it every time. Wish they'd bring it back.
Jezleem23@reddit
Haven't tried it since the change but they used to be the best so I'm nervous!
OptionSubject6083@reddit
Pretty much all the sandwiches come out of the same factory anyway. The E Coli outbreak and recall from earlier in the year highlighted this as it affected basically every supermarket equally.
Tesco does let you get a ginsters pasty as a snack though. Couple that with a smoothie and you’ve got yourself a decent saving still
oh-mushrooms@reddit
Poundland is one of the better ones I think! It's still £3 and while the sandwich and salad options are basic (maybe 10?) the snacks are the best bit, you can get a full Cornish pasty or 10 chicken skewers, but there's so many to choose from. Drinks and chocolate/crisps options are the same as any other shop aswell. Can't complain at all for £3
MelodicPreparation93@reddit
When i do meal deals (not often) i only go for waitrose now, yes it's £5 but the mains are such better quality than other supermarkets which makes it worth it.
dishmandan@reddit
Tesco's Coronation Chicken will always be the best sandwich
Fragrant-Field1234@reddit
I find it great value. Prawn sandwich 2 boiled eggs and some juice. You can get a hot coffee instead of a juice aswell. And tesco express are everywhere. And they don't support Israel directly like other fast food chains
xerker@reddit
Got a meal deal in Wenzels a few weeks ago without checking the price assuming it would be in the £4 region. It was more or less £6! I almost choked at the till.
boktobw18@reddit
Love the Booths meal deal. £5 for a main, 2 snacks and a drink. Much better quality than other supermarkets too I've found.
Ilikeporkpie117@reddit
Tesco meal deals have always been shit.
Do yourself a favour and buy a nice loaf of bread, some butter and sandwich filler and make your own sandwiches. It's cheaper and tastier.
WarmTransportation35@reddit
If you have access to a microwave then a pasty/sausage roll as a snack will keep you full.
ffulirrah@reddit
Sainsbury's do hot sausage rolls as a meal deal snack. And you can get chicken thighs or some kind of pasty as a main.
WarmTransportation35@reddit
I was seeing that at a Sainsburys but my office is not close to one so I have to resort to the packet one from Tesco or Co-op.
PointeMichel@reddit
Meal deals aren't that great these days tbh.
willowbatt@reddit
Just had the vegan all day breakfast and its definately not as good as I remember it. I was prompted by a post earlier in the week (negative nectar points) to check my app and found I had some vouchers to use, so it was nearly free. But I still feel ripped off.
PrueAppealing@reddit
asda's is the worse by far
Head_Priority5152@reddit
Tescos are probably my favourite meal deals. Sainsbury everything tastes strongly of black pepper even things like tuna or salads. So they are out for me as i hate it. Asda is not a good deal price wise. Morrisons maybe it's just mine but it had an awful selection. So coop or tesco are the only ones I like.
foolserrand77@reddit
Yeah the sarnies are shocking in Tesco now, no meat on them
G_UK@reddit
I’ve avoided Tesco sandwiches for a while now- they are some of the worst.
mitsxorr@reddit
Nah it’s good £3.90 is alright in today’s economy when you consider the updated selection they’ve got. Seems to be better than other supermarkets quality wise.
Yeorge@reddit
prawn mayo from a supermarket has always been totally tank dude
Bilbo_Buggin@reddit
I still like it and will buy it. You get a really good choice, and I’ve yet to have wrap or sandwich that I’ve not liked.
gooderz21@reddit
Boots have the best value one by far. You can have gu cheesecake as your snack.
Content-Lime-8939@reddit
Boots do a good meal deal. Their club sandwich is good plus a lot of variety in the snacks and drinks. It's 3.50 with a boots card though. Otherwise 4 quid I think.
zillapz1989@reddit
Is paracetamol available as the snack?
Content-Lime-8939@reddit
Haha
mynameisdamn@reddit
Sainsbury’s hot counter is the one,
2 separate pieces of actual hot food over a cold sandwich and crisps and day of the week
head_face@reddit
Sainsbury's near me does a £3.75 hot food meal deal, the big surprise is that the sausage roll counts as the 'snack', so you can get a pastie, sausage roll and drink for that much. I always get an upmarket fruit juice as the drink to assuage the guilt from eating two big piles of stodge for lunch.
HunkerDown123@reddit
Good if you are out and need a one off, but for regular lunches just buy a loaf of bread and cook up some bacon its much nicer than the weird preserved bacon they use.
BlissfulNebula@reddit
I used to love their prawn mayo, but the new version is just... meh
SomeGuyInShanghai@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPOb3DlB7WA
solingermuc@reddit
Look on the bright side: You’re in luck! Grab a wholemeal bread roll, a can of sardines, a bottle of water, and an apple or banana for dessert. It’s more filling, keeps you satisfied longer, and costs less than £3.90.
Honestly, it’s best to skip those meal deals. These sandwiches have always been overpriced—not just because of the recent 40p increase. The profit margins are extreme.
For some variety, try other toppings like canned tuna, guacamole, hummus, or mashed peas. These options are just as tasty, satisfying, and convenient!
No-Body-4446@reddit
Will never forgive tesco for getting rid of the hot chicken counter. 4 thighs for £2. bargain
T_raltixx@reddit
Sainsbury's has the worst choice.
However, don't fall for the Tesco Chicken Vindaloo baguette. There is ZERO spice in it.
oldtrack@reddit
a wrap, fancy smoothie, and posh crisps for £3.60 is still reasonable in my eyes. have you tried buying lunch in mainland europe, where they don’t have meal deals? nightmare
frowawayakounts@reddit
Tesco sandwiches taste horrible to me, I much prefer a Boots chicken and bacon sandwich for the same price
Milky_Finger@reddit
It's kinda strange with Meal Deals, they're a loss leader but because some people are so financially strained that they never buy things in the shop outside of meal deals during their lunch break, they have these weird upsell tactics to get you to spend more.
Like, we are just broke, we aren't going to spend more even if you try and manipulate us to do it. We know the sandwiches are shite, we just need something to tide us over in the day.
Mr_Slowly@reddit
All of the big chains, and a lot of the smaller corner shops/petrol stations get their sandwiches from the same giant company. Greencore.
The UK is the world’s largest consumer of pre-made sandwiches. Not by capita, by actual volume of sandwiches sold. And I would estimate 70-80% are made by Greencore. Ever noticed how almost all chicken & bacon cesar wraps/sandwiches taste about the same no matter where you get them?
Phixxo@reddit
Meal deals have never been good value, god knows why people have about this. Gregg's is where it's at imo.
Phixxo@reddit
Meal deals have never been good value, god knows why people have about this. Gregg's is where it's at imo.
Boswellboxer@reddit
Stop the Tesco one and go to Greggs if you are or have been a student. IMO the best "meal deal" to get now is the Greggs cold sandwich + drink + sausage roll (or any doughnut) with any evidence of you being a student. Sometimes they want the Uni Days code which means if you've graduated or no longer a student you may not be able to get it but most of the time they either want a photo of your card or they dont ask. Especially in inner city with large student populations they cba to look at the uni days app.
atomic_mermaid@reddit
Tescos cheese and bean wrap is my god tier meal deal main.
gibberishnope@reddit
This is going to sound weird, but home bargain does a really nice Branson pickle cheese one
Stuf404@reddit
Asda is dogshit.
The sainsburys near me does some good selection for £3.90 meal deal.
The local One Stop with tesco goods inside still has the £3 meal deal with limited selections, I dont think corporate told them about the inflation bump yet...
Boots is meh and expensive.
Waitrose is great, but I need to justify the £5
Icefirezz@reddit
The ceo got given a 5mil bonus during a cost of living crisis so I won't buy anything from them anymore tbh
_whopper_@reddit
Where are you going instead?
All the big supermarkets pay their bosses loads.
Icefirezz@reddit
Cos of the town we live in probs lidl or aldi when it opens, and m and s for fruit and veg since it's the same price as everywhere else now
_whopper_@reddit
The M&S boss got half as much as the Tesco CEO last year for running a business that’s about 25 times smaller. That’s even worse in my eyes.
Icefirezz@reddit
Man you guys must be fun at parties, all I've said is I've changed my shopping habits.
GoogleHearMyPlea@reddit
Damn, that's crazy! How much of their £63bn annual revenue were you contributing? How long do you think it'll be before they go bust, now that you've stopped? So weird because it looks like they're making more than ever.
Icefirezz@reddit
Was just making a point mate calm down
acidus1@reddit
Meal deals are all shit.
bonbonron@reddit
Decreased quality and increased price. They are taking customers for total mugs.
I've been getting my stuff from Aldi now, much better.
BaseballFuryThurman@reddit
The sandwiches still taste exactly the same to me but then every time people on here claim something has gone downhill, it doesn't seem to have actually changed whatsoever.
Fun_Gas_7777@reddit
£3.40 with a clubcard
Solid-Education5735@reddit
3.60. They went up again
Fun_Gas_7777@reddit
oh damn
Nightowl_1786@reddit
Asda is definitely the worst for buy 3 & get the cheapest free & their selections is the worst
Cumulus-Crafts@reddit
I get a three piece fajita from asda meal deal, freeze it at work, and have one fajita for lunch every day with a Snickers bar
Nightowl_1786@reddit
That’s what I try to do but my local Asda don’t always have that in. Most days they run out of sandwiches/wraps/crisps/drinks etc
Polz34@reddit
Whenever I get a meal deal (maybe twice a month if I don't have time to make my own) I always end up getting the poshest drink/snack so it makes it feel like a deal.... Am I the only one?
27106_4life@reddit
You know you can always just buy some ingredients and make your own lunch. Meal deals are fucking awful
Dangerous_Dac@reddit
Who the hell is buying a meal deal for at home eating? They've always been "im out at lunch during work or am on a trip somewhere, I'll grab a meal deal for when I'm sat in a park/on a train".
Affectionate-Cell-71@reddit
Yes if you live alone you will end up eating the same food every day as you don't want to waste that ham you bought. Or you will eat too much and become f@t.
aembleton@reddit
Still cheaper to waste it than buy a meal deal.
Affectionate-Cell-71@reddit
No it isn't. Ive counted it.
Trace6x@reddit
But the multipack crisps only contain like 23g of crisps or something ridiculous
nl325@reddit
Nowhere near.
Asda's is absolutely appalling in terms of choice, quality and how it's priced and structured.
Sainsbury's used to be amazing and is now really bland.
MASunderc0ver@reddit
Morrisons with the freshly made salads and Sandwiches are the best.
MCfru1tbasket@reddit
Getting a regular meal deal sarnie from anywhere is a gamble on whether or not it'll have the consistency of chalk.
aembleton@reddit
You're going to the wrong places
IntriguedDuck@reddit
Tesco is still the best for me in terms of variety.
KollyKibber39@reddit
If you are lucky enough to be near an Amazon Fresh their meal deals are great, much better quality and cheaper too. Never going back to Tesco, Boots etc
Cumulus-Crafts@reddit
I stopped buying tesco meal deals after they stopped making the chicken fajitas. I'll only buy a meal deal if it has a chicken fajita in it.
postmanpat84@reddit
I think the tesco meal deal with better with a ice cream rather than a snack bar (if it's a nice day) I often have a mars ice cream since the price rise
Plus_Pangolin_8924@reddit
Yeh their change in packaging has meant a change of supplier it seems. Their cheese and onion was one of the best pre packed but now its just cheap tasting. Tastes like those dodgy ones you get from independent garages. Just nasty.
Affectionate-Cell-71@reddit
Yes, the've taken away my favourite salads (brocolli, mexican etc) don't buy there anymore. Sainsburys. Dont mind paying fiver for a posher meal with no alcohol Lucky Saint which alone costs £1.90.
Delicious-Cut-7911@reddit
£3.90 is pretty good value
SweetKhorne@reddit
It does have a better range of snacks than most others. Ginsters peri peri chicken slice as a snack beats a packet of crisps
Due_Inspection_9981@reddit
Haven’t have had one in years - as I almost always cook at home.
Yet, no. I think it is a banging value.
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