Well, it’s easier to eat in a sandwich, and has the benefit that you can apply it in much thinner quantities. Bit like marmite.
I did make a sandwich. But the Branston pickle is made with such large chunks that you can’t really make a thin spread. The spread is only as thin as the size of the chunks, which is pretty big. So, it’s not really like Marmite at all.
Yet the Italians do for every single variation of pasta.
Good for them. It’s unreasonable for them to expect everyone else to do it.
A point was made that Italians would complain that you didn’t mention the carbonara lineage of a ham & peas & cheese dish if you called it by a different name. The Italians would never even recognize that as being carbonara in the first place, so why would they complain if you didn’t mention your “cheese ham & peas” dish shared a lineage with carbonara? They’d (I would bet) be perfectly fine with you calling it “cheesy ham & cheese pasta” and leave them and their pasta dishes and names out of it. I was reply to a “damned if you do/damned if you don’t” complaint, opining that it’s a false dichotomy.
So I tried it again with Heinz Ploughman’s Pickle, which is a bit less chunky than Branston. So, it works a bit better than Branston, in my view. If there’s a version that has even finer chunks, I can see it getting closer to balancing with the cheese.
My after school snack go-to was a fried bread, pickled onion and ketchup sandwich. Now there’s a proper grim-up-northern sandwich for you.
My son has lived all his life down south in middle-class comfort and when he gets in, for his first evening meal he makes himself his own version of a carbonara. I’ve revoked all his northern priviliges, who the hell does he think he is?
I was referencing the finer chopped version you mentioned which is made specifically for use in sandwiches
Tesco even do their own brand actually called sandwich pickle.
(rated 3/5 stars - some of the reviews are funny !)
Ha, I liked this one
A Tesco Customer 10th October 2021
It’s never going to compete with Branston… or is it?
I grew up with lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches (no “salad cream” or “Miracle Whip”…Best Foods/Hellman’s only). We often didn’t have meat due to the expense.
It even got its own TV commercial
Turns out the Commissary carries Branston Pickle. Bought a jar and tried a sandwich today. Nothing fancy – just a slice of Sargento aged white cheddar and a couple slices of Freihofer’s Italian bread. Not bad, but I think it would have been better with a second slice of cheese.
This sounds like good advice in general.
I made a sandwich with sharp cheddar, leftover baked ham, tomato and small dice Branston pickle. it was pretty tasty. Now I need to find a better source than Amazon to buy from.
It was.
I come to you in a high state of excitement, having just got back from Sainsbury’s where, whilst perusing the chutney section (which devotes a full 3 shelves to Branston and its derivates - pic for the curious, I spotted Smooth Branston. This could be a game changer for sandwiches everywhere (and may well have existed for years, it’s been some time since I was in the market for Branston).
Smooth Branston has been about for something like 5-6 years I think. I bought a jar when it was new, but still haven’t opened it. I’m not sure what the best use for it would be as it’s got no ‘crunch’. As a relish I guess.
I haven’t had the smooth, but I use the finely diced Branston for sandwiches, and that seems to be a good balance of texture and sandwich practicality. The smooth one looks like a jelly from the pictures. I’m sure I’d find something to do with it, though, but Amazon doesn’t seem to have that one in the US market.
Out of curiosity: I recognize the Bonne Maman jars at the upper left in your photo. Are those sweet fruit jellies/preserves, or are they savory chutney-like items?
If they are sweet fruit preserves … the comparison to their product placement in most U.S. groceries is interesting.