THE HISTORY OF THE SANDWICH

It is said that the sandwiches we know and love today were first created in 1762 by John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich.  As a known gambler, the Earl would be up playing cards for hours and for sheer convenience he asked for some meat in between two slices of bread so that he could eat at the card table. Whilst we all love gossip like that, his biography states that it was his commitment to politics, the navy and art which meant that he could not leave his desk for luncheon.  Suddenly people started to ask to eat “what sandwich has” which has been shortened to “sandwich” over the years.  The first mention of the word was found in a recipe book “The Lady’s Assistant for Regulating and Supplying the Table” written by Charlotte Mason in 1773.  The invention of the automatic bread-slicing machine in 1928 made the sandwich even more popular as they could now be made quicker and much easier to create.  The first pre-packed sandwiches sold here in the UK was in 1980. A British retailer wrapped up some left-over sandwiches from its Marble Arch Café rather than waste them which immediately suited busy London Workers. It is now estimated that the sandwich industry is worth £8 billion in the UK, employing over 300,000 people.  We all have our favourite fillings for a superb sandwich for #NationalSandwichDay today but what is our favourite bread to have them in – with such a wide range of fabulous flours, marvellous mixes & a terrific test bakery here at our mill in Enfield – we have decisions on our hands!