The mighty sandwich has been a lunch staple for yonks.
Two slices of bread with ample filling makes for a hearty midday meal – and a cheap one too. But, gone are the days of simple cheese and ham sandwiches prepared at home.
Many people opt for a quick lunch fix in the form of supermarket meal deals or even splash out on the 'controversial' £7.15 for Pret's 'posh' baguette – hardly cost effective.
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But Harrods' Wagyu Steak sandwich looks like it's pushed Pret-A-Manger's pricey Cheddar & Pickle off the pricey sandwich pedestal. And that's because it costs £28. Yes, you read that right. Nearly £30 for a sandwich.
After one TikTok user reviewed the sourdough sarnie that costs nearly three hours of work on National Minimum Wage, Brits were baffled at the price tag. "Just saw someone on TikTok buy and review a sandwich from Harrods that was £28. TWENTY. EIGHT. BRITISH. POUNDS," one X, formerly Twitter, user gasped.
So, Daily Star reporter Layla Nicholson headed down to Harrods to give this weeks controversial sandwich a munch to see if it is really worth all that dough…
I reached Harrods just before the doors opened at 10am and stood among those eagerly waiting to burst through the department store, which is home to luxury bags and jewellery galore. But, bedazzled accessories were not on my shopping list – I was in pursuit of an edible bank breaker.
The security opened the doors and wished me a good morning – and it certainly is if I'm going to treat myself to a £28 sandwich. I navigated the maze of luxury products and scents before I finally made it to the Dining Hall where, I hoped, the sandwich filled with cuts from the tasty Japanese cow awaited me.
'Lunch to go' shone above an ovular counter full of baguettes, sarnies and croissants. The £12 caviar croissants elegantly laid adjacent to a stacked to precision pile of Wagyu steak sandwich offerings.
After I did a bit of theatrical umming and ahhing, an apron clad staff member greeted me with a big smile and asked how I was – well, obviously doing pretty fantastically if I can splash out on a £28 sandwich.
Of course, I asked how they were before I ordered my Wagyu Steak Sandwich hot, not cold. If I'm spending £28 on a sandwich, then I will be racking up Harrod's electric bill.
I was then handed a ticket with my order and paid at the self service machine as my truffle buttered steak heated. Not too long after, I returned where I was given the most expensive sandwich I've ever purchased in my life, along with a smile.
"Enjoy," I was told. Oh, I will have to for that price.
When walking around an establishment like Harrods, I always feel out of place as deep down I know I'm a pleb no matter how zhuzhed-up I look. But, I felt like I actually belonged with as I sauntered around with my £28 sarnie.
Despite paying £28 for a sandwich, there is nowhere to sit in the dining hall. Just to make sure that I wasn't imagining a lack of seats through my newfound insanity, I asked a member of staff if there's any seats in the hall.
But with a big smiley expensive department store grin, the counter staff told me there was nowhere to sit in the Dining Hall. So, a bench outside Harrods with a pigeon for company will have to do.
And, my temporary feathered friend shall not be getting any crust from this sandwich because 1. Too expensive 2. It would be difficult to get a review from a bird.
I took the Wagyu Steak Sandwich from the brown box secured with a plastic lid and gawked at the lunch offering for a couple of moments – might as well take it in before it gets demolished.
The bread felt soft and the truffle butter slightly oozed from the sides while the juices from the steak began to drip on my fingers as I gave it a little squeeze.
But, this was certainly a sticky situation I was happy to be in. I opened my gob wide and took my first bite of the sandwich where my taste buds instantly tingled with delight.
I let out an audible "Mmmm". The porcini and truffle butter perfectly accompanied the Wagyu fillet slices just enough to fit in my mouth without having to chow down. The meat was neither chewy or tough, but that perfect 'melt in your chops' consistency.
The flavours of the porcini and truffle butter, the porcini mushrooms and steak were powerful together while the beer braised onions added to the overall taste without being too pungent or dominating. Well, I expect nothing less for £28.
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Gold mustard mayo sounds impressive, but it's not an element of the sandwich that took centre stage. Oh, and you can't have a 'posh' sandwich without a sprinkling of rocket – which made me feel somewhat healthier devouring the 1,040 calorie sarnie.
Despite the Wagyu steak being the centrepiece of the sandwich, I like to the think that the bread itself can be a maker or breaker when it comes to rating sarnies. And the sourdough passed, a nice crispy crust but soft and light elsewhere.
The Wagyu is the point of enticement, but the entire sandwich together certainly is a showstopper. Although, I only managed to eat one half of the £28 sandwich, I'm saving the other half – or £14 – for dinner.
So, I enjoyed it. But is the Harrods' Wagyu Steak Sandwich worth it?
As a society, I don't know why we've accepted the absurdity of sandwich inflation. Why do sandwiches need to be 'posh'? And cost an arm and a leg?
So saying that, although the Wagyu Steak Sandwich was delicious, it's not £28 worth of delicious. I question whether a single item of food is worth £28 of deliciousness, to be fair.
But, at least you're getting exemplary customer service – which I expect when you're paying out that much money. For that much money, even if you didn't enjoy it, I think you'd have to pretend to yourself you did – although I didn't have that problem.
I won't be back in Harrods anytime soon. Well, certainly not for a sarnie, but perhaps to gawk at £30 Christmas baubles.
For now, I'm going to buy some Billy Bear ham whack it in some wholemeal along with a slice of Cathedral City and wrap it up in tin foil – just like a proper sandwich.
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