The Sub-Marine Sandwich from Sub Cult at Berwick Street Market
My apologies for beginning this post, and, in fact, this blog with such a terrible photo. Hunger, combined with the lack of surfaces in Berwick Street Market and the unseasonal August wind made it impossible to do any better. I can assure you, however, that what the photographer lacks in talent, the subject makes up for in taste.
I have been visiting Berwick Street Market – hybrid of old London vegetable market and new street food thoroughfare – for a number of years and have seen it birth a number of successful ventures including Pizza Pilgrims, Banh Mi 11 and Freebird Burritos. In recent months I have heard that there was a new stall selling some pretty good subs, so I decided to check it out for myself.
The sub-sellers in question are Sub Cult, who only began trading this year and have already gained a huge reputation for selling some of the best sandwiches in London. They have a stall on Berwick Street Tuesday to Friday, as well as a van which visits the various street food markets across London (currently at Bishopsgate) and a residency at The Duke of Wellington in Dalston. They are hoping to venture south of the river at some point.
Despite my initial longing for their steak sandwich, I was intrigued by the Sub-Marine, which offered squid, scallops and pulled pork. I confess I thought that it could have gone either way, but it worked really well. The pulled pork seemed to have less of the overpowering spicing that you will often find throughout the city, so it allows the sweetness of the scallops and even the subtle flavour of the squid come through. A slick of lemon mayo both loosens everything up and brings it all together. The bun was, of course, brioche which has that wonderful quality of keeping the sandwich light whilst being sturdy enough to keep it intact.
London has been lacking in good subs for some time, so the joy in finding one as excellent as the Sub-Marine was immeasurable. As soon as I finished the last bite, I was already planning my next visit. Although that will be to try the Sub-Rodeo: 28 day hung beef, onions, cheese and pickled chillies. A steak sandwich of the gods.
Six Hundred and Seven Square Miles 