Australian named best sandwich designer in the world

 

Sydney, October 7, 2011 – Newly formed café and sandwich industry body, The Australasian Sandwich Association (ASA), has announced Matt Wilkinson, co-owner of Pope Joan in Melbourne, as the undisputed winner of the title of world’s best sandwich maker at the World Sandwichship which was held today at Sydney Opera House as part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.

 The World Sandwichship Competition consisted of a one hour round where the participants were asked to create three different categories of sandwich which were then judged based on their presentation, taste innovation, explanation, and “wow” factor.

 Wilkinson was up against some tough competition from the US, the UK and South Africa, but displayed his superior talent on the day and managed to take out the title of overall World Sandwichship winner. The Aussie competitor won the judges over with his creative take on the ham and three-tomato pickle toasted sandwich, made with Welsh rarebit fondue, and his Cuban-style quesadilla wrap.

 “There was some challenging competition today and it feels great to be the winner but at the end of the day it was just heaps of fun to share the experience of competing with other like-minded food lovers’ said Wilkinson ‘I wanted to do the humble sandwich and Australia proud, and I think I’ve achieved that.”

 “The World Sandwichship shows that the café and food industry is a thriving and exciting sector to be a part of, here in Australia and around the world,’ said Graeme McCormack, Executive Director of the Australasian Sandwich Association. “Matt did a fantastic job and the enthusiasm, flair and hard work behind his sandwich entries today have represented exactly what this country is about when it comes to preparing healthy, fresh food that tastes great.”

 Tony Green, Marketing Director at GWF Foodservice, said, “By bringing the best sandwich makers from around the world together we have had the unique opportunity of sparking the imagination and interest of not just the competitors, but everyone present at the World Sandwichship event. The outcome is a win for the entire food industry.”

“The sandwich sector is a dynamic, fast growing industry,” said René Dedoncker, Global Director for Fonterra Foodservice. “We’re seeing more creativity and better quality ingredients being used to meet the demand of the modern consumer. It’s no longer about a standard chicken sandwich; it’s about being nutritious, fresh, tasty and easy. Matt Wilkinson, and in truth all the World Sandwichship competitors, displayed these virtues.”

The World Sandwichship seeks to highlight the work of lunch-time heroes from around the world and see who can create the best sandwich.  Major sponsors included GWF Foodservice and Fonterra Foodservice.

 

 

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For additional information, please contact:

Mike Doman

Mulberry Marketing Communications

mdoman@mulberrymc.com 

+614 9626 2423

 

About the Australasian Sandwich Association:

The Australasian Sandwich Association (ASA) is a membership based industry organisation which offers a platform of key services and resources, aimed at bringing the café and sandwich sectors together. The ASA’s core objective is to promote and celebrate the sandwich sector and industry throughout Australasia. The ASA focuses on industry issues and liaises with government and other regulatory bodies in order to achieve the most desired outcome for the café and sandwich industry as a whole. For more information: www.sandwich.org.au