Tab Tries: Supermarket Meal Deals

Lunch for many Bristol students means supermarket meal deals. In this first edition of ‘Tab Tries’, The Tab aims to discover which deal deserves your dollar.

We’ve pitted the five big players in the meal deal market against one another, ranking each lunch on the choice available, its size, taste, price and healthiness. Read on to find out which has been crowned the winner of ‘Tab Tries’: Supermarket Meal Deals…

Cost: £3.29 (or less). Face Value: £4.50.

Flapjack and Tropicana. WOW!

• Choice: 4/5
• Size: 3/5
• Taste: 4/5
• Price: 3/5
• Health: 5/5

Boots’ meal deal affords you strong variety, with the option to go healthy or have a standard crisp and chocolate bar combo. The drinks selection was also extensive. The Tab enjoyed the shopping experience as well as the staff were friendly and the contraceptives good value.

TOTAL: 19/25

Cost: £3.00. Face Value: £3.13.

Lagging behind

• Choice: 3/5
• Size: 3/5
• Taste: 2/5
• Price: 2/5
• Health: 2/5

Tesco’s meal deal was disappointing. There was a limited selection of sandwiches, all of which are basic (which drove The Tab to opt for a salad), very few drinks were included in the deal and the crisp selection was un-inspired. All in all, not worth the trek up Whiteladies road.

TOTAL: 12/25

Cost: £2.60. Face Value: £2.96.

Hmmm

• Choice: 1/5
• Size: 2/5
• Taste: 2/5
• Price: 4/5
• Health: 2/5

This was without doubt the worst meal deal. The selection for all three aspects was extremely limited and the wrap was substandard. The Tab suggests Wilkinson’s sticks to ring binders.

TOTAL: 11/25

Cost: £3.00. Face Value: £5.50

Sensational

• Choice: 3/5
• Size: 3/5
• Taste: 3/5
• Price: 4/5
• Health: 2/5

The Co-op surprised The Tab with its plethora of drink choices and variety of snacks. However it let itself down on the sandwich front as there were few to choose from and their quality looked doubtful. That said, the saving was gargantuan and smoothies and pork pies don’t often find their way onto the meal deal menu so The Tab would suggest checking it out.

TOTAL: 15/25

Cost: £3.00. Face Value: £4.25.

That’s one satisfied customer

• Choice: 4/5
• Size: 5/5
• Taste: 4/5
• Price: 5/5
• Health: 3/5

Sainsbury’s is the go-to place for a meal deal in The Tab’s opinion. It offers fantastic variety on sandwiches, crisps and drinks and if you’re health conscious you can grab a fruit bag. It’s possible to get huge savings too so you really feel like you’ve had a successful lunch break. With three stores located near uni buildings, Sainsbury’s is The Tab’s supermarket meal deal supremo.

TOTAL: 21/25

So there you have it, honourable mentions for Boots and the Co-op but it’s Sainsburys that takes the gold medal. Wilkinson’s, on the other hand, goes home with the wooden spoon.

NB: All meals were purchased and eaten on the same day by one individual, who has now been fitted with a gastric band.