Whether your favourite is a cheese and ham toastie, pastrami on rye or a chicken sub with all the toppings – the humble sandwich is still considered to be the best lunch option by many around the world.
Oakland staff enjoyed getting their teeth into all sorts of wraps, toasties, butties and baguettes as the company played its’ part in paying homage to National Sandwich Day on November 3.
The sandwich is originally attributed to a member of the British gentry, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich who ruled the town where the lunchtime favourite is supposed to have been created.
In 1086 the people of Sandwich or “Sondwic” as it was then called, adopted the delicacy after seeing their Earl demanding his meat be delivered between two slices of bread so that he could eat while playing his favourite card games without the need for a knife or fork.
Of course, history dictates that the sandwich in truth probably went back a lot further with some historians taking it back as far as the first century BC, when Jewish Rabbi Hillel the Elder was known to put lamb, herbs and nuts between two pieces of bread!
The Ancient Romans are also credited with putting cheese on bread as far back as 2000 years ago and in the 16th century the Italian panini was born.
The USA has also played a huge role with the club sandwich featuring chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato founded in 1894 at the upmarket New York Saratoga Club House. America’s favourite, the grilled cheese sandwich followed in 1923 whilst it was another 42 years before Subway launched their first shop in Connecticut.
Canteen manager Tom Prescott said: “We probably all take for granted the story of the sandwich and just how far it has come. There are so many options available today and staff certainly enjoyed the varieties we served up to mark the occasion.”