Over The Counter #1 - Uncle's Panuozzo & Sandwiches
🌟 Interview by Sarah Storer. 📷 Pic from @claires_foodie_therapy
Uncle’s Panuozzo & Sandwiches, on Spring Terrace, thought they had enough ingredients to last through their opening weekend earlier in May. Instead, they completely sold out of everything on the Saturday.
All of the meats and cheeses used in their Panuozzos, a classic Italian sandwich made from Neapolitan Pizza dough, are imported from Italy; the team have to travel to London to restock as no ingredients are stocked in Newcastle.
In their first few weeks of opening, word of mouth has quickly spread across North Shields and beyond. Their freshly made-to-order sandwiches are worth the hype and the long queues.
Why did you decide to create a sandwich shop?
"I worked in kitchens for seven years; I know this job well. And I lived all over Italy, and I wanted to create the best quality food for people. I’m happy when people become happy."
"There are too many pizza and burger shops, and I like Italian paninis. In the UK, no one does sandwiches like this."
'I asked my God what I needed to do, and he gave me this idea. Now I see people are so happy, and after opening for just one day, I’ve achieved this."
How did you come up with the ideas for the different sandwiches?
"A lot of sleepless nights! Each name is from a city. Making them all together in the kitchen has been crazy, figuring out how much bread and ingredients, and how many people you need to work in the kitchen."
"My favourite [sandwich] is Palermo, it’s my city for life. The second best is Milano, then Roma and Rimini. I made Rimini for the English people, as it’s made with Turkey. Venezia is last, I don’t like vegetables too much!"
"I want to create more sandwiches inspired by English cities, like London and Manchester."
How has the opening week been?
"A lot of sleepless nights! It’s been crazy! A crazy week. In one week, we gained 2,500 followers and 80 five-star reviews on Google. On Saturday, we had 750 messages asking when we could be open. I’d bought enough meat and ingredients for five days, but by six o’clock I’d sold out of everything. We closed on Sunday, went and got more ingredients from London, and opened again on Monday. This is just the beginning for us."
What are your hopes for the future?
"I would love to open a new venue in Newcastle, and I would like to expand outside of Newcastle. But here, I want to create more sweet and vegetarian options, as well as create a kids' menu. I have two small children, so I would love to have a space for children to play with others. I think a lot of people would like that."