09 Oct Sink Your Teeth into Sandwich History

Here at Broadway Gourmet Caterers, we have a special place in our hearts for sandwiches. You may know us from the backyard barbecues we cater in Long Island or the New York bagels you ship to your family and friends down in Florida, but we have a lot of love for the humble sandwich. 

Lots of people think of sandwiches as something rather slapdash. In other words, when you don’t have time to cook, you slap something between a couple of slices of bread and you’re good to go. That perspective might harken back to the origins of the sandwich, but – in the right hands – this mainstay of American menus has evolved into something much more. 

A Taste of Sandwich History

Maybe you have heard the story… In the 1760s, John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, the fourth Earl to be exact, couldn’t bear to drag himself away from the card table. He was so addicted to gambling that he didn’t even want to put his cards down long enough to eat, so he told his servants to fix him something he could eat while playing cards. 

The “handy” meal was named in honor of the Earl, but really the cook should have gotten some credit. And the idea of putting something tasty between two pieces of bread wasn’t exactly a novel idea, as History.com tells us. “We know exactly where Montagu first got the idea for his creation,” they report. “Montagu traveled abroad to the Mediterranean, where Turkish and Greek mezze platters were served. Dips, cheeses, and meats were all ‘sandwiched’ between and on layers of bread. In all likelihood Montagu took inspiration from these when he sat at that card table.”

Sandwiches quickly became all the rage in London society and it’s hard to think of a time when they haven’t been popular since then – especially here at Broadway Gourmet Caterers. From our Mayflower Melt and Turkey Club to our paninis, folks just love ‘em.