Reviewed
04/05

This sandwich bar is definitely one of the best in town, providing interesting combinations of fillings all served with a cheery smile.

Situated on Holywell Street, The Alternative Tuck Shop is really useful if you are in central town searching for a lunch that won’t cost the earth.  It is also handy for those heading up to the Science Area early in the morning to grab a croissant or coffee.  The shop is a family-run business which distinguishes it from the usual chains, and means that the service is very prompt and friendly.  The staff appear to use telepathy to sort out who is serving who, but it all works really well and service is brisk.

I went in today (a Friday) to grab a roasted vegetable and houmous ciabatta sandwich and a drink – I waited less than 5 minutes to receive my food, despite the fact that the queue seemed pretty substantial.  As usual, friendly and rapid service was provided.  The sandwich was £3 and the drink (Snapple) just over £1.

There is a wide selection of ciabatta, bagels, hot and cold sandwiches to choose from, as well as the standard range of hot and cold drinks.  Prices are about average (most sandwiches around the £3 mark, bagels £1-2), and the sandwiches are huge and certainly well worth the price!  If you are still feeling peckish, then The Alternative Tuck Shop sell an assortment of cold sweets such as muffins, flapjacks, chocolate cake.  The prices are slightly on the steep side (just over £1 for a raisin triangle), but they do taste amazing and are really fresh.

If the weather is pleasant you can even sit outside the shop, although seating is very limited (2 small tables) and you might not want to sit too close to the queues that sometimes stretch out of the door…