Chicken sandwiches

Marks & Spencer Roast Chicken Salad €2.80

Highs: Although this is just a humble pre-packaged and undeniably processed sandwich, it's also rather excellent. Not only does it look very appealing, it tastes considerably superior and is also substantially cheaper than rivals. The chicken is good, the bread has a wholesome quality and the salady bits are fresh.

Lows: Given the number of fillings on offer, if it's left to its own devices for more than a day, it will almost certainly get slightly soggy. The mayonnaise is a little too subtle, or maybe dull would be a better word.

Verdict: Good sandwich, great value.

Star rating: ****

Dunnes Stores Chargrilled Chicken €3.45

Highs: The lettuce is crispy and the honey mustard mayonnaise has much to commend it. The bread has enough wholegrains to make it seem healthy.

Lows: Judging from the queues at lunchtime, the supermarket is doing something right when it comes to satisfying city centre workers. Judging from this offering, the chicken sandwich is not it. It was the most expensive tried yet, was entirely forgettable. The blackened chicken was tasteless enough to make you glad there wasn't more of it.

Verdict: Neither good value nor good tasting.

Star rating: **

Avoca Lemon Chicken Bap €4.65

Highs: This is very posh and shows just how good a chicken sandwich can be. The lemon chicken is wonderfully succulent, and looks like you carved it yourself this morning. The lettuce is crunchy, the tomatoes fresh, the bacon crispy and the asparagus spears bring a novel bite.

Lows: It is far from asparagus-filled sandwiches that this column's writer was raised so maybe I lacked the grace to eat this sandwich without having it disintegrate. Of more concern might be the price and the fact that it is not widely available.

Verdict: Hard to handle but still a great sandwich.

Star rating: ****

Freshways Chicken, Sage and Onion Stuffing €3.25

Highs: From trains to supermarket shelves, this Irish-owned company's sandwiches are everywhere. The chicken pieces, while not perhaps as succulent as the packaging promises, are fine.

Lows: At only 152g, this is the least substantial of the sandwiches tried - it's hard to imagine it satisfying even moderately hungry office workers. It also looks anaemic, the small amount of stuffing is un-memorable and the bread struggles even to be ordinary. And at €3.25 per sandwich, it's not cheap.

Verdict: Hard to avoid, hard to like.

Star rating: **