Subs & Suds: I tried the latest trendy sandwich shop to launch in Yorkshire - and I don't normally eat sandwiches

Manchester has Fat Pat’s, Leeds has Silver’s, York has Shambles Kitchen, Sheffield has Béres and Hull has Nibble - Sandwich shops are big business in Yorkshire, and not only because cold food is VAT exempt. Following a lifetime of soggy packed lunches, reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin, who would never choose to eat a sandwich, finds out what all the fuss is about at Subs & Suds in Wakefield.

When the owners of a ‘secret bar’ in Wakefield contacted me to let me know about their latest concept, I knew I had to try it out.

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Host & Home, the small business that run RBT Video, the bar hidden behind a video store, has recently launched Subs & Suds on the street adjacent to the bar. The trio of pals who set up the new takeaway serving sandwiches and pizza by the slice invited me along to try it.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a sandwich lover, the only sandwiches I ever loved were an egg salad sandwich from the bakery as a school kid as a treat or a crisp sandwich if I was saving my lunch money to buy something else.

Subs & Suds in Wakefield - eat in or take outSubs & Suds in Wakefield - eat in or take out
Subs & Suds in Wakefield - eat in or take out

I think I’ve been overloaded with bread as a vegetarian growing up; chip butties, cheese sandwiches, and beans on toast. I also would rather pick hot sandwiches apart by eating the good filling rather than wasting my appetite on bread.

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My husband however gets giddy over a good hot sandwich, I’m pretty sure serving him a leftover Sunday dinner inside a sandwich with a mug of gravy was what prompted him to propose to me.

That said he would rarely order a sandwich for a takeaway until the rise of the New York-style Italian sandwiches spread across the UK.

Subs & Suds which is the latest store to open in Yorkshire sells everything from New York-style pizza by the slice to Philly Cheese Steak Subs and a Vegan meatball salad box. With the promise of some tasty vegetarian options for me and a meatball sub for my mate, I decided to try it out.

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Our reporter Sophie Mei Lan tries Subs & Suds on Cross Street in WakefieldOur reporter Sophie Mei Lan tries Subs & Suds on Cross Street in Wakefield
Our reporter Sophie Mei Lan tries Subs & Suds on Cross Street in Wakefield

Subs & Suds is on Cross Street, a side street in Wakefield city centre. The shop front is painted bright white with a red sign and window stickers.

Inside is red neon retro writing, a comfy window bar seating area, a counter to order, and some retro arcade machines tucked around the back.

While the pizzas, which are New York thin and Chicago Deep Crust-style, are on the counter to order by slice as is the salad bar, everything else is made upstairs by the two chefs in the kitchen.

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Chicken Parm, Meatball Marinara, Philly CheeseSteak, and Vegan meatballs or plant-based parm are all freshly made to order with the bread and sauces all made fresh each day.

Subs & Suds Deli Meat SandwichSubs & Suds Deli Meat Sandwich
Subs & Suds Deli Meat Sandwich

I tried the plant-based chicken parm sub and the vegan meatball salad box.

I had a six inch just how it comes even though I'm not normally a fan of vegan cheese or subs for that matter.

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My sub arrived wrapped in tin foil. It was like unwrapping a Christmas present. Freshly baked bread, a strong tomato passata oozing out, fresh basil, plant-based chicken, and cheeze.

Wow. This was something else.

On another occasion I grabbed a takeaway from Subs & SudsOn another occasion I grabbed a takeaway from Subs & Suds
On another occasion I grabbed a takeaway from Subs & Suds

Every element was rich in flavour and I even enjoyed the vegan cheese, which acted as a dressing gown for the other mouth-watering flavours. I couldn’t eat it all and I opted for a six-inch rather than 12 but I did also want to try the vegan meatball salad box and some pizza slices to take home for the kids. You can also order sides such as huge homemade onion rings, fries, and mozzarella sticks.

As the chefs, who own the joint explain, not only do the ingredients take a while to produce but the whole concept has been a three-year-long passion project for them.

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There are lots of fun quirks too such as a secret menu and a range of craft beers and cocktails to takeaway.

It’s around £6 for a six-inch and £12 for 12-inch sub which isn’t too dissimilar to chain food sub sandwich stores.

This however is a Subway for foodies with the bonus of freshly baked pizzas and an array of knockout sides.

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