Bakery student wins UK sandwich competition

Emily Smith from the Surrey college competed against five other regional finalists from Wales, London, Liverpool and Leeds in the UK final of the Délifrance Sandwich World Cup held in Wigston. Her peppered beef and gherkin sandwich was judged to be the most innovative, tasty and cost-effective. The 18-year-old will represent the UK at the grand final at the Délifrance Bakery School (Ecole de Boulangerie) in Paris on February 14 when eight international entrants from France to Japan will present their sandwiches before a panel of international culinary experts. Délifrance judges at the UK final were Lucy Pickersgill, Head of Foodservice, Sébastian Boulanger, NPD Manager and Céline Boudet, former catering manager. "Twenty four entrants from across the country have displayed a real depth of talent in culinary creativity around the humble sandwich," said Pickersgill. "Emily's peppered beef and gherkin creation went up against very innovative sandwiches such as a hummus and roast vegetable Ciabattina so congratulations to Emily for her winning recipe." David Mizon, regional judge and general secretary of the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees (ABST) said: "The calibre of entries from all five UK catering and bakery colleges has been inspiring." Délifrance UK managing director Ian Dobbie, said: "Huge congratulations to Emily – she has competed against an elite and clearly demonstrated what a wealth of talent we have in the UK. "These are incredibly exciting times for the sandwich industry and we look forward to competing on an international level."