How to make the perfect leftover turkey sandwich, according to science

Christmas Day means food. Boxing Day means... more food.

Unless you've found a way to calculate exactly the amount of food you need for your Christmas dinner, you'll probably be waking up on Boxing Day to a fridge bursting with leftovers. It's a good problem to have. The undisputed king of the leftover lunch is the turkey sandwich, but how do you go about crafting the perfect sarnie? With science, of course! Greggs, the high street bakers, have commissioned a study to find the best way to make a leftover turkey sandwich, reports the Coventry Telegraph. Sandwich experts (how do we get that job?) tested dozens of combinations on thousands of volunteers to find the statistically ideal way to make a turkey sarnie.  

This is not the perfect sandwich, but it looks pretty good. Photo: Kirk K

The research, conducted by Mindlab at the Sussex Innovation Centre, Brighton, found that granary bread, lightly spread with butter, made the ideal base for a turkey sandwich. When it comes to the filling, 25% turkey, 19% stuffing, 14% cranberry sauce, topped with a rasher of fried bacon and a helping of mayo was spot on. Dr David Lewis, who led the study, said: “The formula is based on the popularity of sandwich ingredients and their association with Christmas, along with taste preferences of respondents and combinations of ingredients that best achieve a multi-sensory experience when you take a bite.” So there you have it. You can now spend the rest of the day working out the exact percentages required to make the perfect turkey sandwich, because that's really what the spirit of Christmas is all about. Feature: Stevesworldofphotos