We went in search of Sheffield’s best bacon sandwich

Get in my belly


After Freshers’ week, few things remain constant in the tumultuous world of studying at Sheffield – Wednesday night Corp disasters, skipping lectures in Portobello and going on about how shit the Diamond is.

However, the number one consistently reliable facet in most of our lives remains the humble bacon sandwich.

We decided to give the bacon sandwich options of the Steel City a definitive ranking, so that you won’t have to risk a sub-par sub ever again. Whether it’s a hangover cure or simply a delicious breakfast, bacon sandwiches are too important to to get wrong.

John’s Van

A cultural icon

At just £1.90, John’s Van’s bacon sandwich is the best value for money option here. A soft bap, salty bacon and decent sauce give an overall pleasurable eating experience.

Add to that the excellent location for a between-lecture snack and the sheer Sheffieldness of JV, and you can’t really go wrong here. Bonus points for the fact that John himself looks a bit like an older, sexier Greg Rutherford. Delicious.

Bacon rating: 8/10

Scotts Pantry

Not convinced tbh

Our next pork-themed delight comes from Scotts Pantry, handily located just behind the SU on Glossop Road. This sandwich has a lot of the ingredients required to achieve greatness – fantastic value at £1.95, tasty bacon and a soft bun. The tin foil parcel in which Scotts serves their baps is helpful for keeping the warmth in on the walk to uni as well.

However, the entire effort is let down by the extremely bitter red sauce. This “ketchup” tastes more like vinegar than tomatoes and leaves you with a sour taste in the mouth.

Bacon rating: 6/10

On A Roll

On a roll isn’t even a good pun

Broomhill’s first offering is On A Roll, and it can’t be said that this cafe is lacking in a fantastic location for first years on their way to and from uni. At £2.25 their bacon butty is decent value, and the meat itself is delicious.

On the other hand, this sandwich doesn’t contain enough red sauce, and comes on an extremely thick roll. Not even the option of buttered bread can save this bap from mediocrity.

Bacon rating: 5/10

Jessop West

The most well-read bacon you’ll ever taste

This slightly more niche selection is just over the road from the IC, and central to the University campus. The perfect setting for the studious arts student, this sandwich rewards you for the often long queue – the English lot drink a lot of coffee in Jessop West.

With delicious bacon, bread and sauce this sandwich is a tasty option. But at £2.65 and coming with a bizarre “spread your own sauce” ketchup-in-a-pot scenario this bacon sandwich is limited to mid-table obscurity.

Bacon rating: 6/10

Toast West Street

Getting a free coffee makes it harder to take a bacon selfie

Arguably Toast’s West Street location is slightly out of the way for the uni day-to-day. However, this sandwich is worth the walk – delicious bacon and bread combines with swift table service to get this butty off to a fantastic start. Toast also provides the Holy Grail of bacon bap consumption: a bottle of Heinz to apply at your leisure. Outstanding.

On the other hand, it must be said that at £3.10 this sandwich is quite pricey compared to many alternatives, and may leave doubt in some consumers’ minds as to how worth it this delicacy really is.

Bacon rating: 8/10

Vittles

#Winning

Sheffield’s oldest independent cafe, Vittles, is also located right in the heart of Broomhill. Not only does this bistro ooze a cool, Insta-friendly vibe, but it also serves the best bacon sandwich in Sheffield.

£2.20 is ludicrously good value for buttered sliced white bread – the dream – and copious amounts of thick delicious meat. Fuse this with the aforementioned Heinz bottle for the perfect sauce situation and Vittles is on to a winner.

Bacon rating: 10/10