A TINY York sandwich shop whose giant Italian-style sandwiches have become a hit on social media is celebrating its first birthday after almost doubling the amount of bread it makes on its busiest days.
Salt Pig in Fossgate opened almost a year ago, serving made-to-order gourmet sandwiches piled with Italian meats, cheeses and fillings including pistachio cream, hot honey and fig jam.
And York clearly has an appetite for them.
Owner Tim Jervis says the shop’s bakers originally made around ten loaves of fresh Schiacciata bread each day, but demand means the businesses can now get through 18 on a particularly busy Saturday.
Tim Jervis with two of his best selling sandwiches at Salt Pig in York
The compact takeaway, in the former Hairy Fig deli, regularly has queues of hungry customers stretching outside into Fossgate.
Tim has even had to narrow the window ledge to squeeze another fridge into the service area so he can stock enough ingredients for his generously filled sandwiches.
Meanwhile, Salt Pig’s creations have proved a hit online, regularly appearing in videos posted on social media by food influencers. Prices start from £5.
Earlier this year, Tim introduced a loyalty card and scores of completed cards are now strung up like bunting around the shop.
Loyalty card at Salt Pig in York
“There is a market in York for a premium sandwich,” said Tim.
“Our target market is people who work in town, students and visitors.
“Our bread and butter is people who work in town. In peak season, we have tourists, and when visitor footfall goes down, the students are back in.”
Tim believes Salt Pig’s success is largely down to the product itself, combined with his decision to embrace social media and influencers to spread the word about the small independent business.
Salt Pig in York
At the heart of the menu is fresh Schiacciata, the Italian bread similar to focaccia, which is baked on site.
Customers can choose combinations including mortadella with pistachio cream, nduja with salami and hot honey and vegan pesto with roasted vegetables, alongside coffee, cold drinks and crisps.
The current bestseller is Hot Lips, packed with nduja, fennel salami, provolone, rocket, hot honey and balsamic.
Tim Jervis with two of his best selling sandwiches at Salt Pig in York
The menu changes with the seasons, with new additions out this week including the Truffle Shuffle, starring bresaola, stracciatella, truffle sauce and walnuts.
And Salt Pig will celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday, October 31, with customers given the chance to win a discount on their sandwich.
WATCH: Tim Jervis at Salt Pig
“We will have a dice, so customers will either get 25 per cent or 50 per cent off sandwiches, or get one free,” said Tim.
Recommended reading:
After the success of his first year, Tim is also planning to share what he has learned with other entrepreneurs.
He received a loan from the British Business Bank when setting up Salt Pig and will become one of its ambassadors from October.
Salt Pig was also a finalist in The Press’s inaugural Food and Drink awards.
Tim’s advice to anyone thinking of starting their own business is simple: have a clear plan and stick to it.
Loyalty cards at Salt Pig in York
“Have a clear idea of what your business is and focus on what you want your message to be.”
For Tim, however, one of the biggest pleasures of his first year has been the people.
“It’s been really fun and we have really nice staff. Everybody gets on.”
He said he felt “humbled” and “flattered” by the response Salt Pig has received.
“The idea was to do things properly; make bread, buy nice things, and make things that I would like to eat and hope other people like it too.”
And could York’s appetite for Salt Pig eventually lead to shop number two?
Tim admits another outlet is something he might consider in the future, but for now his focus remains on Fossgate and keeping those queues of loyal customers happy.
TELL US YOUR BUSINESS STORY!
Do you run a hospitality business in York?
Whether it is a restaurant, cafe, pub, bar, or food stall – old or new – we’d love to hear your story and feature you in The Press.
Perhaps you make a food or drink product?
We want to share your stories in this new regular feature, Flavours of York, in The Press and online.
It’s easy to get involved: send us your story via this online form: www.yorkpress.co.uk/flavours-of-york.
