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Family-run sandwich business scoops top national award
A family-run business has won Independent Retailer recognition at the “British Sandwich Awards” for the second year running.
Sandwich Sandwich has made history as the first business to win the national accolade in two consecutive years at The Sammies Awards, which celebrates excellence in the sandwich and food-to-go industry.
On the win, the group said: “The competition this year was seriously strong, which makes this one even more special. It’s brilliant to see the sandwich category continuing to get the recognition it deserves – there’s so much creativity, effort and ambition in this space right now.
“There are so many brilliant people pushing standards higher across hospitality and we never take recognition like this for granted.”
The event, held at Royal Lancaster London, has been running for 32 years and recognises excellence across manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in the sector.
The Bristol-founded business has come a long way since starting out on Cotham Road South from a small shop, albeit under its previous iteration, Cotham Sandwich Co, back in 2009 with just one employee.
The popularity of the newly opened food and drink business was such that there were long queues snaking down the road before long.
Sandwich Sandwich has won Independent Retailer for the second year running at The Sammies Awards – photo: The Sammies
After rebranding as Sandwich Sandwich in 2012, the family-owned company, run by Nick Kleiner and his wife Anita, enjoyed steady growth that later saw the business expand into London.
The family also previously operated Juniper on Cotham Road South, which is now occupied by Bulrush.
Today, Sandwich Sandwich operates twin Bristol sites on Baldwin Street and Queens Road in Clifton, where morning queues remain a familiar sight.
The menu ranges from traditional bacon and egg sandwiches to southern fried chicken, roast beef, chicken Kyiv, tandoori chicken, coronation chicken, Italian chicken and tuna crunch fillings.
Josh Kleiner, son of Nick and part owner of the business, now plays a key role in running the company alongside his brother.
The group, which prides itself on elevating the “humble sandwich” to an artisanal level, highlighted the efforts of its team.
“All Day Breakfast” of Sandwich Sandwich, made with crispy bacon, sausage patty and soft boiled egg mayonnaise, is one of the popular sandwiches on the menu – photo: Sandwich Sandwich
They added: “Our teams turn up early, work through chaos, solve problems constantly and still somehow manage to put pride into every sandwich that leaves the counter. That level of consistency across the business is something I’ll never stop being grateful for.”
With multiple branches in London, including one at London Paddington Station, the group is eyeing further expansion of the brand, with plans for 25 sites overall.
The Queens Road site of Sandwich Sandwich is a popular food and drink venue among students and professionals in city centre – photo: Milan Perera
Sandwich Sandwich won Restaurant of the Year in the UK and Ireland in 2023, hosted by Uber Eats. The competition, judged by the likes of Prue Leith and Monica Galetti, sealed them the top accolade with a £100,000 prize money.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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