National sarnie contest proves to be ful-filling

Jo Cunningham, 36, who runs The Little Kitchen, in Red Lion Street, with husband Ian, reached the Midlands semi-final of this year’s Sandwich Designer of the Year contest.

She was one of 16 to make the round after her recipe was chosen from about 300 entries in the British Sandwich and Food To Go Association competition.

Her design was a smoked chicken sandwich, featuring smoked bacon, smoked cheese, and a smoked relish.

It is the first time she had entered the competition.

“It was an impulse thing.” she said. “I didn’t even dream we would get to the semi-final.”

Jo’s place in the semi-final was made more remarkable by the fact she is a relative newcomer to the industry. She launched The Little Kitchen with her husband a little over a year ago, and while Ian has a background in catering, Jo had been working in hospitality beforehand.

She went on to make the sandwich live in front of the judges and an audience at the Midlands semi-final last Tuesday and while she missed out on a spot in the grand final, she described the event as ‘a great experience’, adding that she found inspiration in the ‘weird and wonderful’ entries on show.