“You won’t find a better Christmas sandwich in Manchester”

The team behind Manchester’s fast-growing lockdown start-up sndwch have created the ultimate, indulgent Christmas butty to end all sandwich wars – and it’s only £4.50.

I LOVE MCR spoke to Burnley-born Alex Markham, who gave up his career as a film and TV camera man to follow his passion for food.

He said: “We have packed our ‘Ultimate Christmas sndwch’ with produce from Northern suppliers we love.

““Everything is made by hand. It’s labour intensive, but you can certainly taste the difference.

“We were getting a bit sick of petrol forecourt sandwiches. With Christmas coming up we wanted to do a really good sandwich.

“Current choices on the scene are a bit uninspiring. The triangle plastic boxes with four day old ingredients.

“We wanted to make the best sandwich we could so got our heads together to put together an amazing Christmas sarnie.”

The sausages are sourced from Grandads Sausages, who are from Bury, and according to their website have been ‘putting a smile on grandmas face for 50 years!’

They also supply the sausage-meat stuffing.

Smoked bacon is next, adding another layer of amazing flavour to the sandwich.

The hero of any Christmas sandwich is turkey and Alex sources his from Colley Fold Turkey Farm in Wakefield, a small family-run business that has been rearing tasty turkeys for over five decades.

For extra flavour, the turkey is then smoked at Platt Fields Market Garden, a community market garden in Fallowfield.

They have also put together their own cranberry sauce and use their own freshly baked artisan baguette to create the perfect sandwich.

sndwch’s cranberry sauce is a secret homemade blend with cranberries, orange and Christmas spices.

For the final flourish, the sandwich has the option of being topped with Fiddler’s Lancashire Crisps, with a choice of pigs in blankets or turkey and stuffing flavour.

They are sold from the butty shop at Media City.

Alex continued:

“We use the best local products we can get our hands on, put together on a freshly baked artisan baguette.

““It’s a real collaboration, which celebrates and supports the brilliant suppliers on our doorstep.

“It’s the best Christmas baguette you can get in Manchester. You’re not going to find a better one.”

The festive launch marks the opening of sndwch’s new coffee shop based on the ground floor of Arrive’s Tomorrow building in MediaCity.

The dedication to fresh produce and the humble handmade butty is echoed across the whole offering. Plush seating and Alex’s chilled electronica soundtrack create a relaxing place to eat, work and meet – or simply grab on the go.

The ‘Ultimate Christmas sndwch’ is also available from sndwch’s ‘butty shop’ concession within MediaCity General Store.

The sandwich spot that prides itself on creating exciting vegan options, including its bestselling ‘NOT a Chicken Tikka & Onion Bhaji sndwch’, has also launched the ‘Ultimate Plant-based Christmas sndwch’.

It features a homemade red onion and fresh sage stuffing, and ‘chicken’ and ‘bacon’ from THISTM.

Both meat and plant-based editions are now on sale, priced at £4.50. A wider festive line-up also includes a dedicated hot chocolate menu, featuring a luxurious wild cherry flavour, finished with cream and chocolate flakes.

As well as its two sites in MediaCity, it supplies sandwiches to the entire General Store group, which has outlets in Ancoats, Castlefield, Deansgate, Moss Side and Stretford Foodhall.

The Christmas sandwiches will be available across the group, meaning even more people can get their hands (or teeth!) on them.

You can find out more by clicking here.