walshieosBudget Eats London: Part 1 - Sandwiches
February 20th 2009 11:57
It’s been a while but I have finally returned to my blogging ways and have decided to celebrate this by doing a quick series on budget eating in London. I have been to London on and off for the last 8 years and the majority of these visits have been on tight budgets, either due to living in the city itself or passing through on a bigger trip.
The truth of the matter is simple, if you want to eat out in London, it can start to get very expensive. Having said that, through my numerous visits and experiences in the old country, I have managed to come across a few ways to dodge this high cost of eating. Now, while the majority of these tips will be focused on a more quick, cheap and easy on-the-go options, I will also try and mention a few restaurants or more eat in type establishments.
Now first off the rank:
Sandwiches
Location: London.
Cost: Really depends on where you go and what you want, but average range is from about £1 – £5.
Chains: Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer, Pret-A-Manger.
Website: Sandwich Guide Tesco
Sandwiches are one of the cheapest and best ways to survive on half decent food in London. It may sound like a very simple and obvious (and yes, even boring) option but trust me it works.
Now, a lot of Aussies are used to their sandwiches coming from either a deli/café, being made at home from scratch, or from somewhere like Subway (eat fresh). Now sure, in London you can get your sandwiches from the same places or made the same way, but there is another, and much easier and arguably cheaper, option.
Supermarkets!
I know what you’re thinking, the pre-made sandwiches that you might find in your local Coles or Woolies don’t exactly look extremely appetizing or appealing, but the ones that you find over in London are a completely different species altogether. The main supermarket chains are all over London, including many in the city itself (including popular areas like Charing Cross and Covent Garden in the West End) and the 2 main chains that I recommend are Tesco and Sainsburys. Both of these chains offer tasty sambos at very reasonable prices.
Now the sandwiches themselves vary greatly, from the cheap and simple Egg, Mayo and Watercress, to the deluxe prawn filled rolls with fresh salads. It really depends on how much you want to spend, what exactly you want on it and how high in quality you want to go. Personally, I LOVE me a good Ham, Cheese and Pickle sandwich, while the wife swears by the more English Ploughman’s sandwich. But you know what, the 99p Egg sandwich I mentioned earlier still does the trick nicely. Regardless of your choice, trust me in that this is one of the best options for a quick, tasty and cheap lunch in London.
The sandwiches in the busier supermarkets are almost guaranteed to be fresh, as by the end of the day their shelves are almost always completely empty. Another quick tip, if you do want to get a late feed, most supermarkets will often discount a lot of their sandwiches later in the day if they have excessive stock or if it is one of the less popular options. This is a great option but of course, your range of selection is much lower and these discounts are not always guaranteed.
I always found that the quick supermarket sandwich was the perfect option for a fast and filling lunch either on a lunch break from work, or while doing the touristy thing and trying to see as much as possible without taking too many unnecessary pit stops.
Of course, if you don’t want to get your sandwich from a supermarket, there is the additional option of going to one of the many Pret-A-Manger chains (also known simply as Pret) that are also all over the city. This is basically a pre-made sandwich chain that offers a large variety or more gourmet fair. Pret also claim that all of their sandwiches are made fresh on the day and most of the larger store have a kitchen out the back to constantly refresh the shelves.
The sandwiches that you will find at Pret are generally of a more fancy variety than the pre-packaged ones at the supermarket, but you do pay more for the pleasure. Personally, I’m happy enough eating a Tesco’s sambo and feel that if I wanted to spend the money that Pret charge I would just go to a deli or café and get one fresh. Of course, the convenience of just walking in and picking up a quick ready made on the go is always a very tempting offer.
Basically, if you are on the go in London and don’t have much time to sit down for lunch, or if you are just looking to not spend too much on day 3 of 5 while visiting London, you can do a lot worse than stopping in and picking up a quick ready made sandwich at one of the many convenient supermarkets around the city. Obviously just don’t expect a full on luxurious meal.
Happy Eating!
The truth of the matter is simple, if you want to eat out in London, it can start to get very expensive. Having said that, through my numerous visits and experiences in the old country, I have managed to come across a few ways to dodge this high cost of eating. Now, while the majority of these tips will be focused on a more quick, cheap and easy on-the-go options, I will also try and mention a few restaurants or more eat in type establishments.
Now first off the rank:
Sandwiches
Location: London.
Cost: Really depends on where you go and what you want, but average range is from about £1 – £5.
Chains: Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer, Pret-A-Manger.
Website: Sandwich Guide Tesco
Sandwiches are one of the cheapest and best ways to survive on half decent food in London. It may sound like a very simple and obvious (and yes, even boring) option but trust me it works.
Now, a lot of Aussies are used to their sandwiches coming from either a deli/café, being made at home from scratch, or from somewhere like Subway (eat fresh). Now sure, in London you can get your sandwiches from the same places or made the same way, but there is another, and much easier and arguably cheaper, option.
Supermarkets!
I know what you’re thinking, the pre-made sandwiches that you might find in your local Coles or Woolies don’t exactly look extremely appetizing or appealing, but the ones that you find over in London are a completely different species altogether. The main supermarket chains are all over London, including many in the city itself (including popular areas like Charing Cross and Covent Garden in the West End) and the 2 main chains that I recommend are Tesco and Sainsburys. Both of these chains offer tasty sambos at very reasonable prices.
Now the sandwiches themselves vary greatly, from the cheap and simple Egg, Mayo and Watercress, to the deluxe prawn filled rolls with fresh salads. It really depends on how much you want to spend, what exactly you want on it and how high in quality you want to go. Personally, I LOVE me a good Ham, Cheese and Pickle sandwich, while the wife swears by the more English Ploughman’s sandwich. But you know what, the 99p Egg sandwich I mentioned earlier still does the trick nicely. Regardless of your choice, trust me in that this is one of the best options for a quick, tasty and cheap lunch in London.
The sandwiches in the busier supermarkets are almost guaranteed to be fresh, as by the end of the day their shelves are almost always completely empty. Another quick tip, if you do want to get a late feed, most supermarkets will often discount a lot of their sandwiches later in the day if they have excessive stock or if it is one of the less popular options. This is a great option but of course, your range of selection is much lower and these discounts are not always guaranteed.
I always found that the quick supermarket sandwich was the perfect option for a fast and filling lunch either on a lunch break from work, or while doing the touristy thing and trying to see as much as possible without taking too many unnecessary pit stops.
Of course, if you don’t want to get your sandwich from a supermarket, there is the additional option of going to one of the many Pret-A-Manger chains (also known simply as Pret) that are also all over the city. This is basically a pre-made sandwich chain that offers a large variety or more gourmet fair. Pret also claim that all of their sandwiches are made fresh on the day and most of the larger store have a kitchen out the back to constantly refresh the shelves.
The sandwiches that you will find at Pret are generally of a more fancy variety than the pre-packaged ones at the supermarket, but you do pay more for the pleasure. Personally, I’m happy enough eating a Tesco’s sambo and feel that if I wanted to spend the money that Pret charge I would just go to a deli or café and get one fresh. Of course, the convenience of just walking in and picking up a quick ready made on the go is always a very tempting offer.
Basically, if you are on the go in London and don’t have much time to sit down for lunch, or if you are just looking to not spend too much on day 3 of 5 while visiting London, you can do a lot worse than stopping in and picking up a quick ready made sandwich at one of the many convenient supermarkets around the city. Obviously just don’t expect a full on luxurious meal.
Happy Eating!
| 64 |
| Vote |
