Lewis Capaldi’s a fan. Gordon Ramsay too. Romesh Ranganathan has been promised free lunches for life. Welcome to Sandwich Sandwich, a family-run business from Bristol promising to take on Pret and Subway in a quest for international expansion.
“Subway and Pret, you don’t travel to them, they’re just a convenience,” says founder Nick Kleiner. “We’re confident in our product because it’s so good. You don’t remember a Pret sandwich, but you’ll remember one of ours”.
With 200,000 followers on Instagram, Sandwich Sandwich is confident of shaking things up. More than 1,000 fans are expected to turn up to the first London branch, which opened its doors for the first time at 7am today (July 18). Ahead of this morning’s launch, counter-terrorism officers and the council were in touch, wary of queues and large groups. They used words like “dangerous” and “scary”, according to Josh, Nick’s son, who’s head of operations and marketing.
The backstory? Humble. Nick, who for years ran a neighbourhood restaurant called Juniper, saw an opportunity in more affordable, “but better quality” lunchtime dining. He started in a 100sq ft. side hustle in a quiet pocket of Bristol and served sandwiches with fillings like coronation chicken, tuna and sweetcorn, and egg mayonnaise.
A larger site followed, then another two near university dormitories, and soon the brand became a four-strong operation. Last year, with strong support from the broadcaster Prue Leith, Sandwich Sandwich won the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year award, which included a £100k prize that promised marketing well beyond what had gone before.
Still, Nick already had plans to open in London, he tells me from his new £500k shop in the City.
“In Bristol, it got really bonkers a few years ago,” he says. “We’ve always been popular, but it’s next level now. People come from all over the country. There isn’t a city in the UK that someone hasn’t come from. Recently, a blogger got the train from London, got a sandwich, did a video, then got the train back.
“We’ve always been a foodie family. We only use suppliers in the vicinity, so here in London we’re using Rinkoff Bakery round the corner, Covent Garden Market, and an independent butchers called H&M Meats in Croydon. We’re committed to building local communities. But interest is wide-reaching. Right now we sell about 1,000 sandwiches a day, and we expect to double that with this shop [in London].”
Part of the reason Sandwich Sandwich transcended its more intimate roots to become a viral sensation is the work of Josh, who joined full-time in 2016 and brought modern ideas abound. He soon started experimenting with “doorstop”-style creations, where fillings are structured into distinct and colourful layers. A recent special, inspired by a holiday to Greece, saw crispy lamb on top of whipped feta, a crispy potato rosti, and cucumber and chopped mint. Josh also started posting “properly” on Instagram.
He says: “Around 2018, we started making real wedge sandwiches. It’s not just an aesthetic. You need to think about texture, acidity, sweetness; it’s a balancing act. And it’s a passion project because we really believe in sandwiches.
“Here, we have 48 members of staff at this shop and they all did a four-week training course. It’s a 24-hour operation.”
The brand has a long reel of celebrity clientele. Tyson Fury is a name mentioned in passing, Jamie Oliver another. Josh says Leith, a judge at the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year awards, tried the roast beef sandwich and a scotch egg and hailed the business the clear winner. She was lined up to cut the ribbon at the London shop.
“It [roast beef sandwich] blew her away,” says Josh, who also reveals a number of black cards have been distributed, including one to a regular customer in Bristol after she won a competition. “She comes in about four times a week. Sometimes she has a salad”.
It all sounds a little mad. Ahead of the opening, Josh shared a story on Instagram to announce a practice run where he and the team would be making a few sandwiches. “So we had some going for free”, he says. “More than 250 people turned up in ten minutes and the police were called. They thought some sort of event was going on.”
Online stardom aside, Nick and Josh have plans to grow the business. Other cities are in their sights, both in the UK and overseas. They are open about their plans to take on the biggest name in British lunchtime catering with their sarnies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls and cheesecakes (see also, the only food made elsewhere: Rinkoff’s crodoughs).
“Lunch times have gotten boring,” Josh says. “I think the passion to create great convenience food has been sucked out of cities and we need to bring it back. I see no reason why we can’t rival Pret and Subway.”
Nick adds: “Gone are the days where a builder wanted a Ginsters. They’re discerning. People want homemade, thoughtful food that’s exciting and fun, but still quick, easy and accessible.”
