When Morgan, a member of our service team asked a couple in the bar ‘how was your sandwich?’ the question was answered with a genuinely resounding…’Mmmmmmm’. The pair stopped short of actually rubbing their tummies in delight, but the appreciative sound spoke volumes about their feelings.
The brief exchange was overheard by Sales Director Tami, and Operations Manager Keiron, and they quickly started a conversation about sandwiches, and personal favourites.
Then, as often happens in any workplace, the chat continued with views and opinions coming from all over the hotel, everybody it seemed, wanted to ‘chip’ in.
The sandwich itself of course has a very distinguished history. The story, possibly apocryphal goes that in the 18th century, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich ordered roast beef served between two slices of bread so that he could eat with one hand, and continue playing cards with the other, and that it did not take long for his fellow players to ask for ‘what Sandwich is having’.
Whatever the truth, the idea certainly caught on, and today according to the British Sandwich Association, us Brits spend around £8.2 billion on sandwiches each year, that’s around 4 billion sandwiches, or somewhere close to 70 sandwiches per person!
Here at Mandolay we treat ‘the not so humble sandwich’ with respect, whether it’s a toastie for a staff break, a creamy Coronation Chicken baguette, or a delicate smoked salmon finger sandwich for an Afternoon Tea, every care is taken. Even a ‘jam butty’ gets the Mandolay treatment as one young guest discovered recently, of course it helps that we make our own jams and preserves, packed with fresh berries.
So, what was the consensus on the favourite sandwich question?
There wasn’t one, so we will stick with a lovely childhood memory from one team member.
‘When I was little, I used to love it when I had a day off school and mum would make me a cheese and pickle sandwich, served with a bowl of tomato soup. I’d snuggle up in ‘sick bay’ (on the sofa with a blanket), and watch TV, enjoying my sandwich and loving the fact that my big sister had to go to school.’
Mmmmmmm….sounds wonderful.