33 year old Sarah D Wambui recently opened the Stack and Squeeze sandwich shop at Lavington Mall. Yummy sat down with her to discuss good sandwiches, how to make them and why Kenyans are latecomers to the sandwich trend.
Why a sandwich shop?
I love sandwiches and I could never find a good combination where everything worked in perfect harmony to give you a mouth-watering experience.
Worst sandwich experience?
There is nothing worse than a soggy sandwich that is poorly seasoned.
What country makes the best bread?
I am proud of what is available locally but of course, the French are unrivalled.
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
The Jury is still out but I would say no
Margarine or butter?
Definitely butter
Cucumbers or pickles?
Both, for different reasons
How many sandwiches are too many sandwiches in one day?
More than two is definitely too many
What would it take to fully convert Nairobians to sandwiches?
Just explaining to them one by one that sandwiches are actually filling enough to be consumed as either lunch or dinner. Some people still perceive sandwiches as snacks
What should be Kenya’s national sandwich?
A Smoked Tilapia and Ugali sandwich with dried ‘managu’
What’s the secret to making a delicious sandwich?
The secret is in the sauce, and making it in-house always guarantees a better and unique taste than buying it from the store.
How easy is it to meet your overheads as a new food business in Nairobi?
Some months are good some months it is a struggle.
What ingredients set you back the most?
Cheese
What ingredient do you wish you could source locally that you are forced to buy international?
None at the moment we try to keep everything local
Any advice for aspiring sandwich shop entrepreneurs in Nairobi?
Be a master of all but delegate and know your numbers from the get-go.
Anything you’d like to add?
With the growing corporate market, we are also seeing people appreciate the convenience of a sandwich when you need to have working lunch. Stack and squeeze has partnered with several companies to facilitate working lunches ensuring better time management for the staff
Corporate orders can be placed on stacknsqueeze@gmail
