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In April this year, Caerphilly couple Will York and Claire Colvine launched Packed – a street food business serving Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches.
Just eight weeks after setting up, they were selected from more than 3,000 applicants to compete in the Welsh final of the British Street Food Awards earlier this summer.
While they didn’t make it through to the UK finals, the pair described the experience as “amazing” and said: “We got a lot of positive comments and feedback.”
Speaking about the business’ origins, Will said: “I first saw this sandwich on Man vs Food years ago and always wanted to try it. When I decided to start a food trailer, it was clear that no one else in the UK was serving it.
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to participate in various events across South Wales since April, and the response has been amazing.”
The messy beef sandwiches, which have been a staple of Chicago cuisine for around a century, have gained popularity recently, having featuring in US TV show The Bear.
The sandwich is made from thinly sliced, braised beef in a rich gravy, nestled in a bread roll with giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) and grilled peppers.
Will continued: “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.”
Operating out of a mobile food trailer, Packed has so far sold more than 3,500 of their sandwiches at a variety of locations.
The business has stops coming up at Swansea, Barry, and Saundersfoot, as well as a month-long residency at Corporation Yard in Cardiff this October.
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