World record’s veer from the awe-inspiring to the ridiculous, but if any attempt can unite a community, it’s best to involve something close to the heart – and everybody loves the humble sandwich.
As part of British Sandwich Week, which runs from May 12-18, a team from the British Sandwich Association are buttering up in an attempt to smash a world record.
In a marquee erected at MediaCity on Tuesday May 14, a group of more than 500 UK sandwich-makers and people of the North West will attempt to break the record for the most people simultaneously making sandwiches in the same place.
Jim Winship, Director of the British Sandwich Association, and possibly owner of one of the world’s best jobs, said that everyone is getting very excited for the day.
“It’s going to be very interesting, whatever happens,” he told MM.
“It’s an exciting thing and fun to do. I hope we smash the current world record by a considerable amount and hopefully we could see up to 800 people!”
The record is currently held by Café Rouge who got 309 people involved in making sandwiches for Comic Relief.
Local people are still being encouraged to register interest if they want to make history and be part of a world record, but be warned: the sandwiches are likely to be kept simple.
“There’s going to be a mixture of sandwiches but we’re going to keep them fairly straightforward,” Mr Winship added.
“A lot of cheese and tomato and that kind of thing. Traditionally British sarnies.”
Not only will British Sandwich Week hopefully prompt a world record amount of sarnies, it also covers the ‘Sammies’, the British Sandwich Industry Awards to find the UK’s best sandwich retailer, with the results announced at a London awards ceremony.
And in case you were thinking it, don’t worry, there won’t be any sandwiches on the menu.
According to Mr Winship, the British Sandwich Association deal with anything and everything to do with sandwiches – currently spending a lot of time dealing with new labelling on products as legislation moves in from Europe next year.
Ahead of the record attempt, Mr Winship explained the decision to hold the mammoth sandwich task in Manchester, away from their Wales headquarters.
“We wanted to do it in a major city, but everything seems to be quite London-centric,” he said.
“So we decided to come to Manchester as it seemed like the perfect place for a challenge like this.”
For more information on the British Sandwich Association and their record attempt visit www.lovesarnies.com.
Picture courtesy of roboppy, via Flickr, with thanks.
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