The great
Cheese
sarnie test
The cheese sandwich is the cornerstone of the British lunchtime diet. But as takeaway menus become ever more sophisticated, can it survive? Torquil Thomson assembled a team of judges to find out.
recent article in (inumwr magazine claimed that the cheese sandwich is the
apogee of British takeaway cuisine. But as the quality of ingredients improves. and our cafes and sandwich bars offer increasingly sophisticated menus. is the trusty cheddar and chutney bap set to lose its place in our hearts? Well. yes and no. Our survey of cafes and takeaways in central Scotland showed that the cheese sandwich is as much a staple as ever. but the number ol'cheese varieties. and the range of tasty ingredients added to the mix. are burgeoning. We went to ten of the most respected sandwich makers in Glasgow and Edinburgh and selected one of their finest cheese-based sandwiches. Then we assembled a team of non- experts to try them out. Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison of theatre group Vox Motus. Claire Birkitt from Playwrights‘ Studio Scotland. Claire Hargreave of the Edinburgh Festival Fn'nge. Canongate Books' JennyWass. and Mark Robertson. The List‘s music editor. tried out the grub without knowing which one came from where. Here‘s how they got on.
Haggis and mature cheddar bagel with red onion marmalade, £3.50 Where the Monkey Sleeps. 182 West Regent Street. Glasgow. 0141 226 3406 Candice This is stacked full of fillings. but you can taste the cheddar. It's not overpowered by the haggis.
Jamie A haggis and cheese bagel? That's a Scottish classic. If you were a starving Scotsman and you wanted to fill your kilt to the waistline you should have one of these. 0000
haditlonal cheese, ham and pickle in a white baguette. £2.30 Salle a Manger. 21 Bath Street, Glasgow. 0141 353 0678 Candice If I was going for a baguette I
would go for this. The texture is good. It's a substantial. crunchy roll, but the cheese does not stand out.
Claire This is like the sandwuch my dad would make. The components work well together: it's just that there‘s nothing special about this; you COuld make it at home. 0..
Mature Canadian cheddar with red onion and tomato, in extra thick malted grain brown bread, £1.95 Between the Slices. 192 St Vincent Street, Glasgow. 0141 243 2417
Claire Oh wow! Good cheese! I would eat it with some ginger beer.
Jamie I love the bursts of flavour. This is what a cheese sandwich tasted like 50 years ago, with my granddad in a field after ploughing. he would sit down and the music would come on in the background . . . .0...
Oak smoked cheddar and coleslaw on rye bread with caraway seeds, £1.90 Tapa Coffee and Bakehouse. 21 Whitehill Street. Dennistoun. Glasgow, 0141 554 9981
Candice The bread and coleslaw overpower the cheese; but the bread is good.
Claire This is very dry. I can't taste the cheese. and I'm not big on coleslaw. The bread is lovely though.
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Aubergine and chick pea pAte, cheddar cheese, and crackers, £3.00 Tchai Ovna. 42 Otago Lane. Glasgow. 0141 357 4524
Candice I am quite an adventurous eater. if I asked for a cheese sandwrch and got this I’d be chuffed. It's a summery alfresco meal or light snack. Claire The chutney is very Vinegary; there are olives and conander. I like it. 0000
Goat’s cheese, broad bean and tarragon on focaccla bread, £4.50 (1) Spoon. 15 Blackfriars Street. Edinburgh, 0131 556 6922. Jenny Wow! That is some amount of cheese! It looks good. like a sit-down- to-eat-in sandwich. The beans. mint and rocket are all really fresh.
Claire Great goat's cheese, but possibly a bit too much. The bread reminds me of cake. and it all has a tendency to fall apart. 0...
Brie, barbecue chicken, cucumber and tomato in a white baguette, £2.00 (2) Plaisir du Chocolat, 270 Canongate. Edinburgh. 0131 556 0112
Mark The chicken is understated. and there's not very much of it. There is so much white bread. The cucumber is the most apparent flavour.
Claire At face value it looks like nanofood: and that's what you need sometimes. There are little pieces of things in a lovely white bread. which is actually straightforward and nice.
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Cranberry sauce, goat's cheese and pine nuts in a poppy seed bagel, £3.50 (4) Black Medicine Coffee Company. 2 Nicolson Street. Edinburgh. 0131 622 7209
Mark That's a jam sandwich. not a cheese sandwich. I expect more cheese from a cheese sandwich. Jenny I'm not too keen on the whole sweet savoury thing. I can't really taste the cheese. but I like the pine nuts. The cranberry is the real overpowering flav0ur. O.
Brie, cranberry and cucumber on wholemeal oat bread, £3.15 (3) Chocolate Soup, 2 Hunter
Square. Edinburgh. 0131 225 7669 Mark Pink is popular — it's obviously big this season. The bread is crunchy and it’s a strong cheese with a sweet flavour — nothing is too overpowering. Jenny Nice bread, and I like to see a bit of green leaf. Really nice brie. marmaladey onion and cranberry, but I it is more in the background. This one works well: it has a subtle undertone. 0000
Roasted vegetables with soft- melted pecorino cheese In Italian foccaccia, £3.95 (5) The cafeteria @ the Fruitmarket. the Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, Edinburgh. 0131 226 1843
Claire This is probably the tastiest one of all the sandWiches here. although there isn't a lot of contrast in the texture: it is all really soft.
Jenny They might consider using a different bread. because the vegetables are lovely. but it's squidgy. 000
The List’s Eating and Drinking Guide, published with the next issue on Thu 28 Apr, contains a full review of all the cafes and sandwich bars featured here.
14—28 Apr 2005 THI LIST 113