For many, the humble ham and cheese sandwich is a staple lunchtime choice when we're indecisive. Perhaps it's because we assume they'll be of similar quality in any high street supermarket.

However, it wasn't until I sampled Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrison's ham and cheese sandwiches that I realised this assumption was entirely wrong.

The first thing I usually notice when purchasing any pre-made sandwich is that they often appear fuller at the front of the box. This was no exception, and while the ingredients seemed to thin out towards the back of the sandwich, its lack of quantity was more than made up for by its quality.

As you can see from the photo, the ham was wafer-thin but still packed with flavour. However, the real star of the show was undoubtedly the cheddar.

It delivered a powerful punch with its creamy yet strong flavour. When it came to the bread, I was pleasantly surprised. In the past, I've found supermarkets tend to use white bread that always tastes cheap.

But the recent shift to brown, malt bread seems to be a nod to the higher-end artisan sandwiches we might find in independent restaurants and cafes.

Price: £2.75 / Meal deal price: £3.85 with Clubcard, £4.25 without

Score: 7.5/10

Next in line was Asda's sandwich, and the only thing that lingered in my mind after consuming it was the copious amount of mayonnaise. I usually avoid mayonnaise to cut down on calories when making sandwiches at home, but this experience might make me rethink.

At first glance, it seemed almost identical to Tesco's version of the sandwich, with the slightly darker malt bread being the only noticeable difference.

However, from the very first bite, the mayo added a much-needed extra dimension to the lunchtime snack. While the creaminess and texture of the mayo were a huge plus, the cheddar and ham's lack of flavour completely let it down.

It felt like there was less of it compared to other supermarket sandwiches.

Price: £2.49 / Meal deal price: Asda doesn't have a fixed meal deal price; you can select eligible items and the cheapest one will be free.

Score: 6.5/10.

Morrisons' ham and cheese sandwich initially stood out for all the wrong reasons. The plastic window into the box gave a less than appetising view of the sandwich inside, and the box's design was noticeably different from Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda.

However, its unattractive packaging was not a good representation of the sandwich itself, which was more than satisfactory. Unlike some of the other supermarkets' versions, Morrisons' version featured thickly sliced ham and cheese, both of which had enough flavour to put it ahead of some of its competitors.

If you're watching your waistline, Morrisons' offering is the one to opt for. Amongst all four sandwiches I sampled, it was the only one that came in under four hundred calories, a rarity in shop-bought sandwiches these days.

Price: £2.80 / Meal deal price: £4.

Score: 7/10.

Finally, we come to Sainsbury's. The highest praise I can give is that this was the closest of all four supermarket sandwiches I tried to a homemade version.

As you might be able to tell from the photo, the Sainsbury's version of the sandwich is much more uniform and neatly assembled, which was the first thing that distinguished it. After passing the eye test, it also came out on top in terms of flavour as the ham, in my view, was of a far superior quality than its rivals.

Its only drawback was the cost, but considering how much better it was than the alternatives, I believe the extra pennies were certainly justified.

Price: £3.15 / Meal deal price: £3.75

Score: 9/10