Reviewing Leon in Holtspur: So much better than the McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac

Tucking into the “natural” fast food on offer at the revamped Asda On the Move fuelling station just outside Beaconsfield, I was amazed that food this good and this unprocessed was both quick and affordable.

McDonald’s has engineered headlines this week after releasing the monstrous Chicken Big Mac -described by one newsroom colleague as a “microwaveable sock” - but it is staggering to me that Leon’s Jerk n’ Jam Chicken wrap is not available in every town centre in the county, because it blows everything under the golden arches out of the water.

The Leon Lunch meal deal cost just under £6

For those of you that hadn’t already seen, Leon opened its doors to the public just before Christmas and is now offering an extended breakfast and all-day menu consisting of wraps, rice boxes, and burgers.

The chain’s ethos is to make “naturally fast food”, cutting down on the chemicals and deep fat frying to provide tasty treat meals that won’t put your heart at risk.

Paying a visit this weekend – I ordered myself a lunch consisting of the aforementioned wrap, baked waffle cut fries and a cup of Karma Orangeade. This lunch meal deal would usually set you back £8.70 – but is currently on promotion for £5.95.

When I got back to the office and started eating, I was simply blown away by how good the food was.

The chips:

Leon's baked waffle cut fries

Leon don’t do traditional French fries like you get in McDonalds or Burger King – and it is a refreshing change.

Their chips are baked and come in a ‘waffle cut’ shape, meaning there’s plenty of crispy exterior but also lots of fluffy potato goodness on the inside, and the fact they aren’t deep fried meant they weren’t greasy.

A medium serving contained plenty for one person – but you would not have many left over for sharing.

Verdict: 4/5

The Jerk N’ Jam wrap:

The chicken wrap was filling for its size

This was the part of the meal that really blew my mind. The wrap itself wasn’t enormous but I could tell before I’d even ripped open the tin foil that it was densely packed.

Once I had torn the foil off, I was loving it straight from the first bite. The meat was proper chicken thigh – not the processed stuff you get in most junk food offerings – meaning it was juicy and succulent.

There were lots of delicious flavours inside

It was crammed with lettuce and peppers, and the apricot jam and garlic aioli left it bursting with sweet, garlicy flavour. It’s just so refreshing to eat something from a fast-food restaurant that has flavours and sauces more complex than ketchup, mayonnaise, or burger relish.

I had to dash for some napkins to clean up the drips, but I was amazed by how good this wrap was.

It’s also worth mentioning that there were vegetarian options too – and I was very tempted by the halloumi wrap on offer.

Verdict: 5/5

The drink:

Leon have their own versions of popular soft drinks

Leon does not offer the well-known fizzy drink brands, instead providing its own soda versions. There was plenty of choice, including cola, lemonade, raspberry and more.

I opted for the Karma Orangeade, which was very similar to Fanta but perhaps just a little less sweet – certainly nothing to complain about here.

Verdict: 4/5

Customer service:

Leon is tucked away in Asda On The Move

The shop itself is only small – practically just a hole in the wall in the back corner of the service station. But don’t let that put you off, because the customer service was top notch.

Having made my order on a touch screen machine I was just about to get my card out to pay when the server behind the desk stopped me to say I could save a few pounds if I put a certain code into the machine.

As I struggled to work out how to do this, he came around and did it for me – and I only had to pay £5.95 rather than the £8.70. After I’d placed the order, he then went back behind the counter and prepared my order – which took no time at all!

Verdict: 5/5

One of Leon’s top selling points is that it makes “healthier” fast food. Their wraps and rice boxes certainly look healthier than your classic burger or nuggets with chips, but how accurate is that statement?

I’ve crunched the numbers and it turns out… pretty accurate.

Leon’s regular portion of baked fries contains 268 calories and 8.2 grams of fat – while a medium fries at McDonald’s contains 337 calories and 17 grams of fat.

The delicious Jerk N’ Jam wrap contained 471 calories and 17 grams of fat, compared to the new Chicken Big Mac at McDonald’s which is 544 calories and 21 grams of fat.

Finally, the Karma Cola on offer at Leon contains 111 calories and 21 grams of sugar, while a small Coke at Maccy’s is 106 calories and 27 grams of sugar.

So, while it’s hard to argue that Leon is actually healthy, it is certainly better for you for than McDonald’s, and should make you feel a little less guilty afterwards. Surely it’s only a matter of time before this chain starts popping up in every town in the county.

At a time when many people are becoming more health-conscious, I can definitely see people turning to Leon rather than other well-known fast-food outlets in the future – and they certainly won’t be disappointed.

Overall: 5/5