Production line: at Rochester’s Ampol service station the amount of sandwiches that walk out the door never cease to amaze the staff. Ness Snelling and Taylor Jackson say the variety available at the business is one of the secrets — along with the quality preparation, of course.
Among the salad-consuming, gluten-free and health conscious population of modern society the sandwich has managed to maintain its popularity. In fact, in Rochester at least — demand for the delicacy has never wavered.
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The sandwich-making team of Rochester’s Ampol service station will be taking a moment to celebrate the humble, but filling, meal tomorrow for World Sandwich Day (Wednesday, November 3).
Using only the best bread, thanks to Rochester Bakery, there is a seven-day-a-week flow of tradesmen, visitors and residents from the sandwich bar to the front counter.
And, despite a range of other products filling the bain-marie, ‘sangers’ still top the list in regard to demand.
Ness Snelling, who along with Taylor, Sue, Morgan, Zali, Lana, Gemma and Kacie make up the sandwich preparation team, said more than half of the sandwich clientele were tradies.
“Sometimes we see people three times a day. Morning tea, lunch and then on the way home,” she said.
“Not always for sandwiches, but they are the go-to at lunch time.”
Ham and pickles leads the list of most popular fillings — anything with ham tends to move off the shelf quickly.
“Curried egg is also popular, we’d like to think because of the way we prepare it,” Ness said.
The next generation of sandwich eaters is not completely sold on the original concept of two slabs of bread and a filling.
Rochester Secondary College’s Charlotte Phipps, a Year 7 student, said she preferred pasta or salad for lunch because sandwiches “got too soggy” by lunchtime.
“I love a ham and salad sandwich when they are fresh,” Charlotte said.
“Mum has the strangest sandwich filling, she has sea salt and vinegar chips in her sandwiches.“
Tanzin Myers, in Year 11, said she was more of a roll person.
“If I had to choose one it would probably be a chicken schnitzel sandwich,” she said.
A stone’s throw away at Rochester Primary School, principal Graeme Hodgens said most students brought their lunch from home.
“Linda Balot at the canteen does a great job with the menu, so it is very popular. We share that facility with the secondary college,” he said.
Mr Hodgens said the school had provided a Foodbank program for many years, which continued to be popular.
“We are also now back to brekkie club twice a week,” he said.
“Foodbank started a couple of years after the 2011 flood and the school allocates baked beans, spaghetti, cereal, bread, along with apples and oranges.
“Foodbank delivers to us twice a term. The fruit, of course, goes fairly quickly.”
Year 6 student Leah Toohill said her favourite was chicken, mayo and lettuce, but she was more of a dim sim and nugget person.
As for Prep Alva Acocks it was tomato and cheese, her entire family big sandwich eaters.
“I eat my crust too, but my brother doesn’t,” she said.
Sandwich celebration: Rochester Primary School’s Alva Acocks (left) and Leah Toohill with their “super sandwich”.
School lunch: Charlotte Phipps and Tanzin Myers from Rochester Secondary College will be celebrating World Sandwich Day (November 3) tomorrow.
