British Rail sandwich facts for kids

The British Rail sandwich was a type of sandwich sold on trains in the United Kingdom. It was sold by British Rail (BR), which was the main train company in Britain from 1948 to 1994. These sandwiches became famous, but not for being delicious! People often joked about them because they were known for being a bit unappetising.

Many people remember British Rail sandwiches as being stale, soggy, or hard. The bread, which was often cut into a triangle shape, sometimes had curled-up corners. One reason for this might have been how they were stored. A former British Rail food manager, Myrna Tuddenham, said the sandwiches were often kept under glass domes. This could make them dry out and get those curled corners. Even with all the jokes, British Rail sold a lot of these sandwiches. In 1993, they sold about eight million of them!

What Was Inside?

In 2001, the National Railway Museum in York found an old document from 1971. This document had the actual recipes for British Rail sandwiches! It was written by Bill Currie, who was in charge of food for British Rail. He wanted to make train meals "the best on the track."

The recipes were very specific about how much filling to use. They also said that at least one-third of the filling should be in the middle. This was so that when the sandwich was cut diagonally, customers could easily see what was inside.

For sandwiches with meat like luncheon meat or sardines, each sandwich was supposed to have about two-thirds of an ounce of filling. An egg and cress sandwich was meant to have a small amount of cress, about one-twelfth of a punnet. For a ham sandwich, they would use one full slice of ham. Then, another slice would be folded in half and placed diagonally. This made it look like there were three slices of ham when there were only two!

Similar Sandwiches in Other Countries

The idea of an unappetising train sandwich isn't just a British thing!

France

In France, people sometimes talk about "sandwich SNCF" or "sandwich TGV". SNCF is the French national train company, and TGV trains are their fast trains. These names are used to describe any bad, small, or expensive ready-to-eat food. It's a bit like the British Rail sandwich joke. However, since 2009, the sandwiches sold on French TGV trains have actually become cheaper.

Greece

In Greece, similar sandwiches are called "Καραβίσια" (karavisia). This word roughly means "something that is on a ship." It refers to low-quality but very expensive sandwiches, like those you might find sold on passenger ships.