Earl of Sandwich launches into UK

The Earl of Sandwich business is moving across the Atlantic from the US, where it launched in 2004 and currently has 13 sites. It is being brought to the UK by the 11th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, with  Robert Earl of Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe fame. The first UK site opens on Ludgate Hill near St Paul’s in London this week.

Depending on how the format fares in its first UK location, the team behind Earl of Sandwich hope to roll it out, first in London and then beyond. It becomes the latest operator to target the increasingly competitive lunchtime sandwich market.

The Earl of Sandwich has made its name in the US with mostly hot and fresh sandwiches. The London offering will feature 13 different sandwiches at £3.95, with the promise that all will be made within four minutes of ordering. Menu selections include The Original 1762, with roast beef and horseradish sauce and named after the year in which the 4th Earl of Sandwich is reputed to have come up with the idea of putting fillings between two slices of bread. The store will also sell soup, salads and desserts, plus a breakfast menu. It will open from 7am to 6pm in the week and from 10am to 4pm at weekends.

For more about the Earl of Sandwich concept as it stands in the US, click here.