Celebrating 250 years of the sandwich
14 May 2012 4:01 AM GMT
The British town of Sandwich on Sunday celebrated the 250th anniversary of the moment when its Earl invented the bread-based meal that would go on to become a global convenience snack. The first written record of the sandwich was in 1762 and the Kent town of Sandwich, which is the earldom of the Montagu family, is celebrating 250 years of the meal.
The story goes that fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for beef served between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends asked 'to have the same as Sandwich', according to the British Sandwich Association. The fourth Earl of Sandwich was considered 'a daring man' to eat with his fingers at that time.
Over the weekend the east Kent town hosts sandwich-making competitions and re-enactments of the moment the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for the food in bread. Sandwich Celebration Festival organiser Mandy Wilkins said it had interest from around the world, including America, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France and Russia.
'The sandwich is a global food and Sandwich, our town, is just a little town full of medieval buildings. It's bizarre that such an important food item should be named after us,' Wilkins said.
On Sunday the 11th Earl of Sandwich, who shares his name with the fourth Earl after which the sandwich is said to be named, hosts a lunch in Sandwich.
John Montagu said: 'I am delighted to wish a happy 250th birthday to the sandwich. My ancestor, the 4th Earl, could never have imagined that his simple invention would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people in this country.'
BREAD BITES
- Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have wrapped meat and herbs between two slices of unleavened bread.
- In Europe, in the middle ages, thick slabs of coarse and usually stale bread, called 'trenchers', were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog or to beggars.
- John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for beef served between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends named it 'sandwich'.
- In the United States, the sandwich was first introduced as an elaborate meal at supper time.
- The first written usage of the English word appeared in Edward Gibbon's journal, in longhand, referring to 'bits of cold meat' as a 'sandwich'.
The story goes that fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for beef served between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends asked 'to have the same as Sandwich', according to the British Sandwich Association. The fourth Earl of Sandwich was considered 'a daring man' to eat with his fingers at that time.
Over the weekend the east Kent town hosts sandwich-making competitions and re-enactments of the moment the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for the food in bread. Sandwich Celebration Festival organiser Mandy Wilkins said it had interest from around the world, including America, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France and Russia.
'The sandwich is a global food and Sandwich, our town, is just a little town full of medieval buildings. It's bizarre that such an important food item should be named after us,' Wilkins said.
On Sunday the 11th Earl of Sandwich, who shares his name with the fourth Earl after which the sandwich is said to be named, hosts a lunch in Sandwich.
John Montagu said: 'I am delighted to wish a happy 250th birthday to the sandwich. My ancestor, the 4th Earl, could never have imagined that his simple invention would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people in this country.'
BREAD BITES
- Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have wrapped meat and herbs between two slices of unleavened bread.
- In Europe, in the middle ages, thick slabs of coarse and usually stale bread, called 'trenchers', were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog or to beggars.
- John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for beef served between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends named it 'sandwich'.
- In the United States, the sandwich was first introduced as an elaborate meal at supper time.
- The first written usage of the English word appeared in Edward Gibbon's journal, in longhand, referring to 'bits of cold meat' as a 'sandwich'.
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