Will York and Claire Colvine, the dynamic duo behind the new street food business “Packed”, are excited to bring their unique offering to Reading for the first time.
Their deliciously messy Italian beef sandwiches are rapidly gaining popularity, spurred by the FX series "The Bear" starring Jeremy Allen White as Chef Carmen.
The Italian beef sandwich, a staple of Chicago cuisine for over a century, has long been a local favourite but is relatively unknown outside the United States.
The recent surge in interest, driven by the show's debut on Hulu on June 23, has doubled search trends and boosted sandwich sales across the US.
Launched in April, ‘Packed’ has brought this iconic Chicago sandwich to the UK, and the response has been extraordinary.
In June, ‘Packed’ was selected from over 3,000 applicants to compete in the Welsh final of the prestigious British Street Food Awards.
The star of ‘Packed’ is their signature Italian beef sandwich, which features thinly sliced, braised beef topside in a rich gravy, nestled in a bread roll with homemade giardiniera (a traditional Italian pickle) and grilled peppers.
The sandwich is a true delight, dripping with gravy and bursting with flavour.
Will York, owner of ‘Packed’, shares his excitement: “I first saw this sandwich on Man vs Food years ago and always wanted to try it! When I decided to start a food business, it was clear that no one else in the UK was serving it. The unique nature of the Italian beef sandwich – including the option to dunk it in gravy – never fails to astonish and amuse our customers.
"We make our sandwiches the traditional way, the same as in “The Bear” and we work just as hard as Chef Carmen in the show. We are really excited to have the chance to share this amazing sandwich with the people of Reading, who will be some of the first in the UK who get to try it!
"Blue Collar Corner is a great venue and really well supported by locals and Reading FC fans, who we are sure will love to try a sandwich before or after the game this weekend.”
Will and Claire aim to make the Italian beef sandwich as renowned in the UK as it is in Chicago. With over 4,500 sandwiches sold so far, they’re well on their way.
‘Packed’ will be trading at Blue Collar Corner, Hosier Street, on Sunday, September 29.
For more information and a full list of upcoming events, visit their Instagram page @packedsandwiches.
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