Now, I won't lie. I love a good sandwich! I have often found myself popping in at Sandwich Baron for a lunchtime treat to indulge in. So when the opportunity to interview the brains behind the brand, I was not going to say no.
The idea of 'Sandwich Baron' comes all the way from when Sally J'Arlette-Joy was still an office worker back in London. She would grab one for breakfast & one for lunch. Then a pay day spoil would usually be Tuna Mayo on a crispy French loaf. So after moving to SA & selling her restaurant, she immediately thought about sandwiches. "I just knew if I could offer quality, people would buy", she says.
Her father taught her to never give up & the fact that her sister left school with no qualification & still went on to become Entrepreneur of the Year in the UK are a few of the inspirations that have kept her going over the years.
Now, still going strong, 21 years later, she still advises stores to buy only the best quality produce & to cut down on waste. "Ingredients are only cut on order, as it gives the best taste", she continues to explain."Freshness gives the ultimate taste." Now there I definitely agree. When you actually look at the menu, its mostly the same ingredients that are only mixed & matched in various combinations, so they move fast, ensuring that there is always fresh ingredients to use.
Over the years, the menu has changed quite a bit, from having only 8 French breads & 2 platter with rare roast beef & crispy bread. The SA market proved to enjoy well done beef & soft bread. What I love about Sally is that she listened to her customers. She said that the menu has changed & developed over the years based on requests from here clientele. Sandwiches soon followed & then 'add-your-own' combinations & she even gave in to the idea of bacon eventually & now the Crispy Bacon & Chicken Mayo is a firm favourite. (Well it is definitely mine.)
You know what we are like, we like to eat a variety of things at the same time & having only one type of sandwich for lunch is just not good enough, so the platters were added to the menu. And when everyone climbed on the banting wagon, it was the perfect opportunity to add low carb meals & add the banting section to the menu. Sally also emphasizes that she only adds new items on the menu if she is fully satisfied that they will sell well.
Food trends is not something that has seemed to influence the Sandwich Baron menu over the years, as Sally is confident that customers have their favourites & that is what has been working for them. Focusing on her own brand & not really worrying about competitors & not copying anyone else is a reason for still having such a passion for what she created, & hoping to soon open the first Sandwhich Baron store in the UK.
I just had to ask about social media. I am glad to say that Sandwich Baron has had an active social media presence since 2007. Sally also believes that social media is a must & is very important, as good news travels really fast. She adds, "The number of people using social media is hue & growing daily."
Sally enjoys the outdoors & nature. Whilst residing on the Vaal river on a plot, she finds that there is always so much to do when she is not running her own stores & enjoying the baked potatoes on the menu.
We have partnered up with the Sandwich Baron & we are giving away 5 - R200.00 vouchers so that you can get yourself something off of their amazing menu.
How to enter:
1. Like the Sandwich Baron & As Seen By Lloyd Facebook pages.
2. Share the competition post.
3. Comment on the post, telling us what your favourite Sandwich Baron sandwich is.
OR
1. Follow @SandwichBaron & @Lloydi_Boy on Twitter.
2. Retweet the competition tweet.
3. Tell us what your favourite Sandwich Baron sandwich is.
T & C Apply.
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