food business/sandwhich shop - advice please

[deemax]

i am toying with idea of starting a sandwhich shop / cafe on a very busy street here in northern ireland. i would like to do pastries, sandwhichs, rolls, pasties, pies, sausage rolls,cheese & bacon puffs, baquettes, wraps, chips and sauces such as bolognese,chilli con carne , curry etc etc.
i need advice on best sellers with biggest profit.
where to get suppliers here in NI with the prices.
who are the suppliers for the likes of spar / mace and the big petrol stations in UK and NI

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Buy frozen and cook them yourself, or get a local baker to do them under contract to you

 

[Deleted member 283937]

You could look at Brakes Brothers I think they deliver to Northern Ireland. However if you buy all your food in you don't have anything unique to you. The guy next door could sell exactly the same products as you and perhaps undercut you.

 

[The Byre]

Brakes - the opposite of food.

If ever a company was responsible for the very low standards of food in the UK, Brakes is that company.

 

[Mr D]

i am toying with idea of starting a sandwhich shop / cafe on a very busy street here in northern ireland. i would like to do pastries, sandwhichs, rolls, pasties, pies, sausage rolls,cheese & bacon puffs, baquettes, wraps, chips and sauces such as bolognese,chilli con carne , curry etc etc.
i need advice on best sellers with biggest profit.
where to get suppliers here in NI with the prices.
who are the suppliers for the likes of spar / mace and the big petrol stations in UK and NI

A number of sandwich shops I have been in have done lunch deals, buy a sandwich, drink and snack for all inclusive price - means you shift more stuff per sale though slight reduction in profit per item.
Don't think I've seen sandwich shop / café together in quite some time, is it better to concentrate on one over the other? Clientele different? Time spent per order different? Food capacity different?

 

[Ian J]

If ever a company was responsible for the very low standards of food in the UK, Brakes is that company.

But the ultimate responsibility for the low standard of food is the consumer who seems to be happy eating rubbish

 

[The Byre]

But the ultimate responsibility for the low standard of food is the consumer who seems to be happy eating rubbish

Except more and more people are taking the lessons learnt from TV cooking programmes and realise that for food to taste good, it has to be fresh.

And then they go out for a meal and get rubbery frozen vegetables and some boil-in-the-bag tasteless, bland nonsense from Brakes.

 

[Mr D]

That's where the English NHS trusts buy the food in from?

 

[Ian J]

Except more and more people are taking the lessons learnt from TV cooking programmes and realise that for food to taste good, it has to be fresh.

And then they go out for a meal and get rubbery frozen vegetables and some boil-in-the-bag tasteless, bland nonsense from Brakes.

That is a completely different discussion and one which I think I may disagree with you.

People may watch more and more cookery programs but I don't see any signs of them learning much from them otherwise the supermarkets would never get away with selling the pap they do masquerading as meat.

Unfortunately we live in a society where the majority seem to follow Oscar Wilde's maxim of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing which is why the pubs selling Sunday lunch at tuppence ha'penny do so well.

Back on track it's almost impossible to advise the OP on what the best sellers are as it depends a lot on location as the best seller close to factories and industrial estates could well be different from those in an upmarket (read expensive) market town

 

[Kev2017]

That's where the English NHS trusts buy the food in from?

My mother in law used to work for the hospital kitchen. The food is bought in from a national wholesaler and believe it or not it is cooked and made fresh. There's no instant mash or microwaving. The ingredients are prepared and baked on mass. The food (in my opinion) is poor quality. I think this is justified when I say I have tasted it as "kitchen waste" before it was put in the hot trolleys and wheeled to the wards.

 

[Mr D]

Spent a week in hospital living on under 500 calories a day - eating as much as could be forced down.
One way to force patients to lose weight.

 

[Revell Cornell]

i am toying with idea of starting a sandwhich shop / cafe on a very busy street here in northern ireland. i would like to do pastries, sandwhichs, rolls, pasties, pies, sausage rolls,cheese & bacon puffs, baquettes, wraps, chips and sauces such as bolognese,chilli con carne , curry etc etc.
i need advice on best sellers with biggest profit.
where to get suppliers here in NI with the prices.
who are the suppliers for the likes of spar / mace and the big petrol stations in UK and NI

 

[Revell Cornell]

Before you do anything else, you need to find out what is selling in your catchment area. Check out what is on the shelves of nearby competitors, then speak to delivery men, and anyone else who works in sandwich shops.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Don't think I've seen sandwich shop / café together in quite some time, is it better to concentrate on one over the other? Clientele different? Time spent per order different? Food capacity different?

In Norfolk we call them Greggs

 

[Mr D]

In Norfolk we call them Greggs

Our local Greggs are simply takeaway shops. No space for cafe.
Limits the menu perhaps but also limits shop size and rates.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

People may watch more and more cookery programs but I don't see any signs of them learning much from them otherwise the supermarkets would never get away with selling the pap they do masquerading as meat.

That's because the cooks on Cooking shows are so poor. In Bake off every week for years now the cooks have made a hash of 95% of what they are asked to make and then one is made a winner and sells a book telling the world how to do it properly. Mary Berry on the other hand is tops with whatever she makes

 

[Mr D]

I am a fan of Mary - sometimes other chefs write easier books.
Strangely some of the master chef recipes are easier to follow than some of hers.

 

[Ian J]

I am a fan of Mary - sometimes other chefs write easier books.
Strangely some of the master chef recipes are easier to follow than some of hers.

My favourite TV chef is Rick Stein as he has such a way with words that he makes me feel hungry just listening to him. I've got a couple of his books and none of the recipes that I've tried seem to work though.

I don't like watching the Hairy Bikers much but I've also got a couple of their books and all of their recipes seem to work well.

 

[meal5]

Sandwiches are only a small part of what is sold in a sandwich shop. Your customers will also want other breadstuffs such as rolls, baguettes and ciabatta, as well as extras like drinks, soups, crisps and chocolates. Some ‘sandwich shops’ provide pastries and other hot foods, but we shall steer clear of the café world and remain focused on the sandwich.

You have the option of buying in pre-packed sandwiches, or making your own on site. By making your own you have greater creative input and have the benefit of being able to advertise your goods as being ‘freshly made’. But it takes more work and time and you have to make sure that your recipes work.
I think you should sell healthy sandwiches, not too much meat!

 

[Mark T Jones]

In terms of what to sell and where to pitch on quality - it's really down to what you have determined as your target market - which in turn will be influenced by, or will influence your choice of location.

If your target clientele want to churn through generic Brakes Brothers stuff, then that's what you should be offering them

If, on the other hand, they are prepared to pay for something more bespoke and freshly made then you need to devise a menu that suits their tastes. Same applies to beverages and extras

A very good starting point would be to spend time trawling around similar shops in your area to see what they do, who they attract, footfall etc.

Above all, don't be led by the personal tastes of anonymous people on forums!