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Now and again, the sandwich business takes a major leap forward with the advent of an inspirational new concept or innovation. Mooli’s, a roti-based, Indian-inspired operation, represents just such a breakthrough, says Nellie Nichols

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Georgina Wood, a former NPD Controller for Hazlewoods and more recently Head of Food at EAT, has opened a sandwich bar with Jenny Murphy, an area manager of five years’ standing at EAT. Nellie Nichols went along to find out if this dream team is producing a dream product

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Salad and sandwich bars have multiplied in recent years, buoyed up by the surge in healthy and light eating. Tossed is up there with the most successful. Nellie Nichols went to visit the founder Vincent McKeritt, BS (Batchelor of Salad), with his seventh unit about to open

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It’s that time of year when a detox juice and healthy food looms large in shoppers’ minds. Where better for Nellie Nichols to visit than Crussh, the fast-expanding juice and sandwich bar

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"Make the New Year go with a bang bang"

I am sitting at what is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous cocktail bars in Fulham. My son Ollie is with me, the night before he goes back to Oxford University, and above us are the most beautiful giant lampshades made of goose feathers.

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"Dinner of your dreams"

of anything. Frankly, if it’s worth copying the only way it will ever be vaguely acceptable is with the right attention to detail, especially when it comes to food.

Think instant mash made with boiling water versus fluffy spuds stirred with milk, melting butter and black pepper. Powdered gravy granules, or would you prefer the real deal made with those meat juices in the bottom of the roasting tin?

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"Put your dukes up"

Traditionally pubs in England were places for drinking with little or no emphasis on food.

I remember as a child sitting in pub gardens with my family on the odd warm summer’s evening and being offered the ubiquitous choice of pork scratchings, peanuts, a packet of crisps (with the little blue paper twist of salt for sprinkling, the best part) or horror of horrors and my worst nightmare, a discoloured pickled egg.

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"Bollywood ‘hero’ makes a dishy host"

I HAVE always loved a curry but, let’s face it, they can be rather predictable and disappointing.

Without a doubt it’s our own fault, blindly inventing styles like tikka and masala that have never held a candle to the authenticity of Indian food.

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"Catch Cabin fever for a superb steak"

I have to say I had almost given up hope. Every time I order a steak in a restaurant I’m disappointed.

It’s either the size (ridiculously small), the way it’s been grilled (why don’t they listen?) or just the plain lack of taste (please change your butcher), altogether reminiscent of supermarket meat in neat plastic packets and totally recognisable by its pale pinkness illustrating its immaturity. I’ve just stopped thinking of a steak as an option when I look at any menu. Until now.

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Flourish, a world-class London bakery, and a supplier to a number of companies in the sandwich sector, is setting a high benchmark. Nellie Nichols went to visit this artisan shrine.

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The recently opened Farm Collective in Farringdon, London is proving to be a remarkable showcase for UK farmsourced products, including an amazing range of sandwiches. Nellie Nichols endures the agonies of a cutesy log seat for a glimpse of heaven

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From herbs grown hydroponically in the ceiling to the till and video screen ordering system, London’s
Barneys Place combines ingenuity and innovation to deliver a fantastic sandwich and salads food offer.
Nellie Nichols investigates.

Articles 2008

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Apostrophe is one of London’s fast-growing sandwich stars with sixteen stores, the latest in the new Westfield complex in Shepherds Bush. But is its reputation for excellence deserved? Nellie Nichols went along to find out

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Christmas sandwiches prove a real tester for sandwich designers: do you stick to the tried and tested turkey and trimmings or risk something adventurous? Nellie Nichols tries out this season’s offerings and bestows her Snowflake Award on the very best

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Soup has been the cornerstone of my diet for as long as I can remember. As a child my mother made it often and effortlessly, just as I do now.

It was an integral part of our lives; she was an actress and was constantly playing in theatres in London’s West End. In those days nearly all of the big and reputable theatres had a kitchen which always had a good wholesome soup on the go for everyone backstage. I have many memories of being sent to collect mugs of delicious soup to take back to the dressing room with fresh bread.

Plush, posh, refined and smart, Napket has thrown away the rule book with its premium sandwich bar design, offering wide ranges of gourmet food in chic, black interiors. This is the Sex in the City of takeaway experiences, says Nellie Nichols

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Julian Money, RAP’s charismatic founder, has been behind some of the most radical innovations in UK sandwich packaging, and there’s more to come, as Nellie Nichols discovered in a recent interview

There are many joys attached to being a food consultant, but putting on weight as a result of all that sandwich tasting isn’t one of them. With dieting in mind, Nellie Nichols heads for Boots and finds their Shapers range a revelation, with some reservations, of course ..

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‘Good food will always make me happy’

We start a new series this issue looking at what influences some of the key personalities in the sandwich industry. First under the spotlight is Nellie Nichols, food consultant and a regular contributor to the magazine I’m frequently asked what have been the biggest influences in my years of working with food.

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INTERNATIONAL PROFILE The Old Dog Who Knows a lot of Tricks

New York’s deli-style has been a huge influence on UK sandwiches in recent years. The grand-daddy of them all has to be New York’s 71-year-old Carnegie Deli. Nellie Nichols tackled one of their huge calorie sandwiches on a recent visit and lived to tell the tale I’ve always considered myself good at planning. I make endless lists, double check details fanatically and leave nothing to chance.

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Stacks of sandwich products are starting to pop up on counters in London, celebrating the crispiness of the baguette, while still working within the four-hour ambient display rule. One of the best examples is Fernandez & Wells. Nellie Nichols joined the snaking queue of customers

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 HEAVEN... in four MINUTES It takes a lot to get Nellie Nichols really excited when it comes to food. But a new Italian flatbread sandwich concept called Piada has done just that. With two shops in London, this is a new experience that’s not to be missed.

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MYO, a make your own sandwich concept using quality ingredients, originated in Australia and is now starting to take off in the UK. It’s a unique concept that turns the counter round and puts the customer in charge, says Nellie Nichols

Articles 2007

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I’m very glad my trip to Tokyo is taking place well before Christmas because it’s not a very big deal over there. I, on the other hand, am obsessed with anything to do with it and tend to get the Carols out as soon as Halloween and those wretched fireworks are over. (Lovely if you’re watching them, far from it if you have to spend the evening administering Rescue Remedy to terrified dogs). London’s decorative shop windows are the best ever this year and that lovely Leona Lewis has already been to turn on the lights in Oxford Street.

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I love a warm welcome. And on a very cold morning after a freezing walk I’m also really dying for a cup of coffee. But sometimes things have a habit of turning out differently to what one expects and this morning is no exception. As soon as I introduce myself to Sam Hurst he is absolutely desperate to get rid of me.

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Here comes the Gravy Train: Fuzzy’s Grub’s roast meat sandwiches have taken London by storm in recent years, going down particularly well with well-heeled city slickers. But with new competition on the horizon, there’s room for improvement, Nellie Nichols discovers on a recent visit

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When in Rome Caffè Nero, a former Sammies award winner, has lost none of its touch with quality food, but could it be missing out on an opportunity to make more of its Italian heritage, asks Nellie Nichols? THERE is nothing worse than a reformed smoker.

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A new wind blowing Adam Gilbert’s coronation as the overall winner of the Sandwich Designer of the Year competition represents the emergence of a new creative wave within the industry.

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The Délifrance International Sandwich World Cup, held in Paris, always provides an interesting demonstration of just how the sandwich is growing in popularity around the globe.

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O’Briens has proved to be a remarkably successful franchise operation since Brody Sweeney started the business in 1988. High time for a visit from Nellie Nichols, in search of Irish magic It’s that very Irish time of year again. St Patrick’s Day under the wonderful freezing cold, bright blue sky at Cheltenham races when if you’re lucky you’ll have a few oysters and all that Guinness.

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Christmas sandwiches have become an important addition to the culinary calendar, with retailers pulling out the stops to produce innovative offerings and packaging. Nellie Nichols looks back at the ‘crackers’ and the ‘turkeys’

Articles 2006

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What makes a good 21st Century sandwich: how important is innovation in a maturing marketplace?
‘Me too’ sandwiches have become endemic to the industry, resulting in increasing consumer menu fatigue, said Nellie Nichols in the keynote presentation at the BSA’s Taste Experience event.

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There are outstanding ingredients and sandwich recipes at the new Roast to Go venture, the sandwich satellite of the famous Roast restaurant in Borough Market, London. But in all other respects there’s a whole lot of polishing that needs to be done before the concept can be rolled-out, says Nellie Nichols I feel like I’ve arrived at a big glamorous exciting party, but embarrassingly far too early.

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Food & Drink Expo proved to be a fantastic venue for new food launches, as Nellie Nichols discovered I am a massive fan of food exhibitions and this is one of the best for showcasing new innovation.