Farmland Lunch Club Ham - Cracked Pepper product reviews

Every now and then I get a craving for a small snack omelette, so this was a great opportunity for me to try out another of the Farmlands 'Lunch Club' hams. This time, cracked pepper was my selection of choice. A quick 2-egg omelette with the ham, some cheese and sliced tomato felt like the very thing.

Having the ham packed in two small 50g portions means that you have enough for two people, but can dish it out one portion at a time which prevents food waste... and with something as tasty as this, I certainly did not want to waste a single morsel. Seriously, I could easily have loaded the whole lot on to my omelette with glee, it was that good.

Instead, I saved the second pack for the following day, when I chopped it into small pieces and mixed it through some scrambled eggs with spring onions and diced capsicum. It tasted a lot better than it looked, I assure you.

As with all the other varieties, the ham comes sliced thinly which keeps it light and versatile to use, yet you still get 7-8 slices in each of the two pods that make up the 100g retail pack. Speaking of the pack, it's great to see, printed clearly on the tear-off lid, that the tray part ios recyclable. If there is a way to make the tear-off film home-compostable, that would be great.

Overall, this is something I will be keeping on my shopping list. Of the three varieties I have tried thus far, this one takes the top spot easily. It is still not the cheapest way to buy ham, but good value comes with a price tag, and when compared to some of the premium ham options out there, it holds its own admirably.

Growing up in an English heritage household, roast dinners with boiled vegetables were eaten multiple times a week. And with that bland vegetable flavour, always comes a gravy and a light lashing of salt and pepper. In my youth, I always preferred adding salt; the more, the better. Interestingly, as I've aged (some would say, matured), I've developed a penchant for spicy foods, and along with that, a greater appreciation for the role of black pepper in my seasonings.

This product is a delightful creation that works great thanks to the thin slices and size of the pepper. Aesthetically, this ham variety is great, as it looks a lot like laminated pasta, with the pieces of pepper spread evenly throughout the product. This even spread ensures each bite carries a hit of warmth with it, but the pepper is also cracked fine enough that it doesn't overwhelm the senses and override the ham flavours. The ham slices are also so thin to achieve this laminated look that you actually end up with twice as many pieces when you compare it to, for example, the Maple ham variety. And when it comes to getting more portions and reducing your meat intake, it works brilliantly as all I am looking for in a ham sandwich is coverage of the bread. thickness is not an issue.

The pepper does have a third big positive and that comes from its ability to complement other foods. Even when serves cold out of the fridge, the warmth from the pepper creates a depth of flavour that works superbly with cheeses, and reduces the synthetic tang that many deli hams will often have.

Considering many cracked pepper varieties will overdo it on the pepper, I am really enjoying this Farmland brand. Easy to open packs already split in two to keep it fresh for longer, strong enough flavour to get that kick, but thin enough slices to last longer and not put too much pressure on my waistline.

I am not a great fan of salt, but I put pepper on everything. We had stopped for a couple of days with friends and I was looking forward to trying out this product on them, but there were quite a few other people around so I waited till the young ones had gone out for the day so the older people could have a decent helping! We were having avocado on toast for lunch - our go-to quick meal when avocados are in season - so I made ham rolls by spreading small pieces of cream cheese and avocado on each slice and then rolling them up. Each slice of toast was topped with three rolls which made a decent sized helping.

We loved the speckled pepper effect of the ham. The flavour was full-bodied; no extras were required. Even the salt addicts said their additive of choice was not needed! The contrast between the warm toast and the cold topping was ideal for a hot day; three of us washed it down with home-made lemonade while the fourth opted for a cold lager as he assured us he was on holiday so he deserved it.

Although the flavour was reasonably strong, it was savoury rather than sweet. I think the children would have liked it too (although they missed out this time round). It is neither fatty nor too peppery, and nice straight out of the packet. We are going to try it next time with a mild cheese like cottage or a mild cheddar, and some crackers and piccalilli. Possibly even some pickled onions or gherkins but they would be optional since they would not be to everyone's taste. The other way we thought it would be quite nice would be mixed with pepperoni and added to a pizza topping.

The last recipe I would like to try it with is a fried rice, peas, and spring onions dish. I usually make this with a chopped omelette added at the last minute together with a dash of soy sauce. If I put the ham in, I would probably omit the sauce as it might be too strong; it could always be added at the table. Shredded meat of any kind goes well with this recipe, but I think the ham would be especially nice given that it already has that distinct peppery after-taste. And again, this is a dish that appeals to people of all ages, so would be suitable for sharing - and the meat would go quite a long way as well.