2024 SAMMIES CONTEST BEGINS

5th March 2024

The 2024 British Sandwich Designer of the Year (SAMMIES) competition begins this week with the three semi-finals taking place across the country. The initial entries have been whittled down and the semi-finalist will compete across 5 different categories, for a place in the renowned final in London in May.

The Futura Foods sponsored Gorgonzola category saw entrants challenged to create sandwich or food-to-go product showcasing innovative uses of the Italian cheese. Judges wanted the entrants to be creative in order to elevate the cheese, use trending cuisines and alternative bread carriers, whilst also being conscious of health criteria such as fat, protein, and salt levels.

About Kitchen Safe Gorgonzola Piccante PDO

Kitchen Safe Gorgonzola Piccante PDO was selected as the hero ingredient for this competition. It is produced in the Lombardy region of Italy, by our longstanding partner dairy, and is made with cow’s milk to a PDO recipe. Blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola are often avoided by food processors due to the microflora within the product which can potentially be spread to other products. However, Futura Foods can employ a process to make it ‘Kitchen Safe’ by destroying any microflora without compromising on taste, texture, or quality.

Gorgonzola Piccante is matured for longer than the Dolce variant so has a stronger flavour and a firm, crumbly texture. It is savoury, tangy, and incredibly versatile for delivering punchy flavours.

Almost 50 entries were narrowed down to just five of the best for each heat. The judges, including two representing Futura Foods, will get to taste the sandwiches in person as well as questioning the contestants on the inspiration and thought process behind their ideas.

The winner of each heat will progress through to the final of the competition held at The Royal Lancaster London in May. Two runners up will be selected from across the three heats to also progress.

The competition has attracted entrants from the some of the biggest players in the world of food to go and retail, including Samworth Brothers, Greencore, Booths, and Co-Op.

The three regional semi-finals will be held on the 5^th, 6^th, and 11^th March in Darlington, Hinckley, and Reading and also features four additional categories for products including breaded chicken and chutneys.

The semi-finalists in the Futura Foods Gorgonzola category are:

Northern:

• Mel Walmsley, Lakes Sandwiches – The Medusa Sandwich
• Kirsty Fitzpatrick, Deli Lites – Honey, I’m Feeling Blue
• Rebecca Walker, Scotmid Co-operative – The Ulysses Stack
• Phil Thompson, Sandwich King – Go Go Gorgonzola
• Kirsty Donaldson, Deli Lites – Churr’up You’re Feeling Blue

Midlands:

• Kirsty Fonseca, Greencore – Gorgonzola with Parma Ham
• Harry Dempster, Samworth Brothers- The Gorgonzoughnut
• Chrissie Attewell, Samworth Borthers – There’s Always Next Thyme
• Barney Luxmoore, Jabberwocky – Sabre Steak
• Lee Willimson, Gosh Foods – Gorgonzola with Candied Bacon, Pear & Walnut Pesto

Southern:

• Jasveen Rajput, Evertaste – Whipped Gorgonzola & Bresalola Focaccia
• Nyani Labrasse, Soho Sandwich Co – Revenge of the Gorgon-Zola Toastie
• Stephen Jordan Bird, Samworth Brothers – Gorgon-rola-zola
• George Clifton, Samworth Brotthers – GianFranco Gorgon-Zola
• James Burgess, Fresh Cut Foods – Salt Beef & Gorgonzola Waldorf

Stay tuned, as we’ll soon announce the results of the semi-finals and reveal the contenders who have advanced to the grand final!