A SANDWICH shop owner in Birkenhead aims to put the perfect topping on her successful business by carrying off a coveted national title.<\/p>\n
Paula Smith, who has run the popular takeaway Let\u2019s Lunch in The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre for the past decade, has been chosen as one of seven from the North West of England to go through to the final of this year\u2019s Sandwich Designer of the Year competition.<\/p>\n
And she is hoping that the fantastic filling which carries her to victory in the final will be her mouth-watering roast chicken dinner sandwich, which has been wowing her own customers since she launched it last November.<\/p>\n
When she makes it for sale at Let\u2019s Lunch, 43-year-old Paula builds it from slices of juicy chicken, stuffing, gravy and real roast potatoes.<\/p>\n
But she reveals that the version she will be preparing for the grand final at a swish London hotel in May will have an added ingredient which she hopes will be the secret weapon that mops up the opposition.<\/p>\n
It was the result of a competition she ran to mark the tenth anniversary of Let\u2019s Lunch last November that the idea for the novel roast dinner sandwich was cooked up.<\/p>\n
Her \u00a0business has become firmly established since it opened, drawing in customers from a wide area, and Paula currently has a team of three assistants helping her to operate the takeaway six days a week supplying a wide range of sandwiches, filled jacket potatoes, toasties and home-made soup.<\/p>\n
Paula, who lives with husband Lee and their six-year-old son Harvey in Wallasey, said: \u201cThe competition was for our customers to come up with a new sandwich with the best one being made up for sale at Let\u2019s Lunch.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of my customers, Pete Walsh, suggested the roast dinner sandwich and we chose it because I\u2019d never heard of anything like it being done before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI make it with lovely fresh ingredients. It can be based on chicken or turkey, or even beef or lamb.<\/p>\n
\u201cI then put on gravy but to bind it together and stop it being runny I add stuffing. The other key ingredient is potatoes roasted the traditional way in duck fat.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I introduced it and started selling it for \u00a32.50, the sandwich has proved very popular. In fact, one lady comes in for it three or four times a week because she enjoys it so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I decided to enter this year\u2019s Sandwich Designer of the Year competition I knew it had to be my roast dinner one I was going to make as I reckoned no-one else would think of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paula\u2019s strategy was correct because at the North West heat held at Tameside College in Greater Manchester she beat off stiff competition from around 20 other designers, who collectively submitted around 80 sandwich ideas, to become one of two winners in the chicken category who go forward to the final at the Lancaster Hotel, London, on May 16.<\/p>\n
Derek Millar, Commercial Director for The Grange and Pyramids Shopping Centre, who said: \u201cPaula\u2019s sandwich shop business is a real success story and we were delighted to hear that she is taking it a step forward by even winning competitions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer sandwiches are lovely and I know she has a terrific following so I am not surprised her entry stood out to judges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all wish her every success for the London final.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remembering the North West heats, Paula said: \u201cIt was tough going as the competition in the heat was really excellent. Many of them were actually chefs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly six people were supposed to be picked by the judges from the North West but in the end they chose an extra finalist \u2013 which was myself – as the entries were so good they couldn\u2019t make up their minds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m now really looking forward to competing down in London. This time I\u2019ll be up against the very best sandwich designers from all over the United Kingdom but I\u2019m confident of success with my roast dinner sandwich.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the day we have half an hour to make our sandwiches. I will be doing my usual ingredients but I\u2019ll be adding something I don\u2019t normally use. It\u2019s cabbage fried in bacon fat and incorporating bacon bits. It\u2019s my secret weapon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very much looking forward to going down to London with my husband Lee and going to the gala dinner later. If I win it will be prestige for my business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s Sandwich Designer of the Year was Richard Henderson of Cheddar in Somerset who won the title with a butter brioche sliced apple, raspberry and Italian marscapone toastie.<\/p>\n