A couple from Caerphilly who recently opened their new have reflected on their experience of their first major awards earlier this month. ‘Packed’ served up Chicago-style sandwiches to the residents of Llandeilo on Saturday, June 15. Caerphilly residents Will York, 40, and Claire Colvine, 44, took their new food business to Llandeilo earlier this month to The couple, who live in Hafodyrynys, launched ‘Packed’ in April and were stunned to be selected as finalists for the competition out of more than 3,000 businesses that entered.
The event, hosted by food festival organisers Street Food Circus, took place over the of 15 and 16 June, in the old market place in Llandeilo. It is the first time the event has been held in the town and the response to it was hugely positive. The couple’s competition dish was the Italian beef sandwich.
Although the dish is famous in its hometown of Chicago, where it was invented over 100 years ago by Italian immigrants, it is relatively unheard of here in the UK. In their version of the dish, Welsh beef topside is thinly sliced and braised in its own seasoned gravy. The tender meat is packed high in a bread roll before the whole sandwich is dunked back in the gravy! The sandwich is finished with either sweet grilled peppers or homemade giardiniera, a traditional Italian vegetable pickle.
Although the couple came home empty-handed, they expressed how amazing it was to have the opportunity to take part, to work alongside some of the best trad.