How to celebrate British Sandwich Week right in Newcastle

It’s British Sandwich Week!


Exam season has taken a hit on all of us, so it’s important now more than ever to check in on how we’re doing, take breaks and most of all, eat well. British Sandwich Week running from the 22nd to the 28th of May is here to encourage you to to reclaim your lunch breaks, get outside and reconnect with others.

To commemorate the event, M&S Food and Costa Coffee have installed the ultimate lunch break bench on Greys Street, designed by local artist Hazel Oaks (@nocciolathedrawer) and complete with added extras to encourage you to get out there and try it.

The bench provides phone chargers, aroma therapy and is complete with ambient music inspired by the beach, voted the North East’s favourite lunch spot, catering for absolutely everyone who fancies to visit before it’s gone.

A new study has revealed that individuals in Newcastle upon Tyne take the shortest lunch breaks in the country, lasting just 22 minutes on average; it also saw a quarter of the North East (23 per cent) taking too short breaks for lunch. Moreover, it discovered that more than three in five (a whole 62 per cent) of Geordies eat lunch alone, an unsavoury side effect of the last two years of working being moved online.

The initiative hopes to satisfy the 88 per cent of people who think their lunchtime could be improved, encouraging us to spend more time outside and set aside proper breaks for lunch.

Food and Beverage Commercial Director at Costa Coffee, Naomi Matthews emphasised the importance of slowing down and reclaiming lunch breaks, saying: “Taking a lunch break is so important to our wellbeing.

“We hope that our unique benches give people an opportunity to unwind and recharge”.

Newcastle based artist Hazel added that: “it was a pleasure to collaborate with Costa Coffee and M&S Food to encourage my fellow Geordies to sit back, relax and enjoy lunch time”.

Research by Costa also found sandwiches to be the lunch option of choice not only in the Toon, but across the nation, with the average Brit consuming three sandwiches a week for lunch, collectively equating to 33 million sandwiches eaten every week in the UK, a figure that gives pesto sales in Jesmond Tesco alone a run for their money.

As such, you’re encouraged to visit the bench until it departs on May 28th and “BYOS” (bring your own sarnie) to properly utilise the space, fit with fold-out tables and a condiment bar. Or even better, treat yourself to a sandwich from Frankie & Tony’s to mark the occasion.

It’s also a truly niche spot to snap your BeReal, if you be so lucky.

Want to write stories like this? Join the team, no experience required. DM us via @TheTabNewcastle on Instagram or The Tab Newcastle on Facebook.

Related stories recommended by this writer: