By Jogai Bhatt New Zealand's sandwich offerings haven't been the best, historically. For years, it was pre-made, cling-wrapped triangles of white bread with slices of processed ham and cheese in between. Maybe a slick of mayonnaise slapped on.
The sandwich would be cold and a bit limp, having sat in a cafe's cabinet all morning, but it made do for a quick lunch. Over the past few years, things have shifted. The humble sandwich has been elevated into a fulsome meal, with many cafes and delis around the country offering up super-sized, American-style XXL sandos - fluffy, freshly-baked bread packed to the brim with high-quality ingredients and condiments.
It's a simple offering in theory, but local sandwich makers say it takes a bit of mastering to get it right. 'Nobody wanted the groceries, everybody just wanted the sandwiches' 'The French' at Hokitika Sandwich Company is a hearty sandwich made of ham, brie, aioli, mustard and greens. Joseph Walker was an early adopter of serving big, gourmet-style sandwiches.
It all began in 2010, when the Wellington-born sandwich maker moved to Denver, Colorado in the US. For five years, he lived in what's called a 'food desert' - a low socio-economic area where access to healthy, affordable food is rare - and says he "fell into" making sandwiches there. "As a Kiwi growing up, we never really went out and paid someone for a sandwich.
It was always one of those things you just made at home and you brought with you to work or school ...
I kind .