WINNERS OF BRITISH SANDWICH INDUSTRY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Sandwich designer Nellie Nichols was honoured today (Thursday) by the British Sandwich industry for her creative genius in helping to develop the commercial sandwich market into the £5.4 billion industry it is today.

Nellie’s influence has been considerable across the industry having, over the years, creatively helped some of the leading sandwich makers develop successful sandwich ranges, including Pret a Manger and Greencore Breadwinner.

Now a consultant to the industry, Nellie’s touch continues to influence sandwich design both in the UK and internationally.

Nellie Nichols success in winning the British Sandwich Industry Award 2009 was one among a host of award winners at the British Sandwich Industry Awards (known as the Sammies) dinner held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on Thursday (May 21). Other notable winners included the chemist chain Boots, whose sandwich business has stormed ahead over the last year, as well as The Compass Group including the So Deli operation, Caffe Gusto, Benugo and Autogrill Catering D’Lish.

The Sammies were launched 14 years ago to acknowledge some of those who have helped develop and shape this huge industry, which is now worth some £5.4 billion a year and which employs well over 300,000 people in the UK.

As well as awards for some of the big names in retailing, including The Co-operative and Budgens, this year’s winners also included single shop enterprises like Abokado, Taste UK, Barny’s Place, Napket, Cherry and Heather Fine Foods and Princi sandwich bar as well as specialist ingredient suppliers, such as Humber VHB/Westland Nursery.

The awards are judged by an independent panel of judges from the industry, none of whom were involved in the entries.

The British Sandwich Industry Award 2009

(Sponsored by Ginsters)

Winner: Nellie Nichols (Tel:) 0207 736 5789

Sandwich Retail Multiple of the Year Award

(Sponsored by Buckingham Foods)

Winner: BOOTS (Tel:) Press Office 0115 959 5995

BSA Sandwich Manufacturer of the Year

(Sponsored by TMI Foods)

Winner: Greencore, Park Royal (Tel:) 0208 956 6000

En Route Sandwich Retailer of the Year Award

(sponsored by the Sandwich Factory)

Highly Commended: AMT Coffee (Tel:) Daniel Buckland 0208 849 8007
Highly Commended: SSP UK Upper Crust Tel: Alex Butcher 0776 8021941

Winner: Autogrill Catering UK Ltd – D’Lish (Tel:) Darron Bibby 0161 266 1111

Workplace Sandwich Supplier of the Year Award

(Sponsored by International Sandwich & Snack News magazine)

Winner: Compass Group including the So Deli operation (Tel:) Liam Byrne 07770605629

Independent Sandwich Bar of the Year Award

(Sponsored by Friday’s)

Gold Award Winners

Cherry & Heather Fine Foods, Glasgow (Tel:) 0141 427 0272
Taste UK, Romford (Tel) 07855409970
Barny’s Place, London (Tel) 0203 216 0010
Abokado, London (Tel) 0207 490 4303
Napket, London (Tel) 07971681141

Specialist Sandwich Bar Chain Award

(Sponsored by Freshway Chilled Foods)

Winner: Benugo (Tel:) 0207 242 3726

Bakery Sandwich Shop of the Year Award

(Sponsored by Tri-Star Packaging)

Highly Commended: Wenzels, Watford (Tel) 0208 866 0181

Winner: Princi, London (Tel:) 0207 478 8888

Coffee Bar Sandwich Retailer Award

(Sponsored by Food Partners)

Winner: Caffe Gusto, Bristol (Tel:) Michael Berger 07977445517

New Sandwich of the Year

(Sponsored by Paragon Packaging & Print)

Winner: The Co-operative for Truly Irresistible Chicken and Sweetcure Bacon Sandwich
(Tel:) Helen Shaw, 0161 8275571

Sandwich Marketing Award

(Sponsored by Sandwich & Snack News Magazine)

Winner: BRAMBLES FOODS (Tel:) Mark Arnold 07776231078

New Sandwich Product of the Year

(Sponsored by International Sandwich & Snack News)

Highly Commended: The Ingredients Factory (Tel) 0208 670 6701

Winner: Humber VHB/Westland Nursery (Tel:) James Seymour 07970997033

Sandwich Convenience Retail Multiple of the Year

(Sponsored by International Sandwich & Snack News)

Winner: BUDGENS (Tel:) 0870 0500 158