Beach Huts Use your Loaf

Pass the Sandwiches!

Supermarket white sliced, artisan sourdough or even homemade, everyone has a favourite type of loaf. What’s more, this versatile staple of human diets the world over has so many different applications that bread really does offer something for everyone.

So at this time of year when it’s the height of summer (!), whether it’s for lunch or high tea, what can beat sitting by your beach hut tucking into your favourite sandwich? It’s something we pretty much take for granted but of course the amazingly simple concept has to have its own origin story. When it comes to beach huts, use your loaf!

Earl’s thought

John Montagu was the 4th Earl of Sandwich, succeeding his father Edward Montagu in 1729 at only ten years old. Throughout his life he held many high offices of state, including Postmaster General, First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for the Northern Department. However, his true legacy is due to something else entirely.

Montagu is credited with being the inventor of the sandwich.

Legend has it that as a heavy gambler he didn’t want to leave the card table to eat a full meal. After regularly ordering servants to bring slices of meat between two slices of bread, after a time his gambling companions began to ask for “the same as Sandwich!”

However, according to his biographer N. A. M. Rodger, due to Montagu’s strong work ethic and many busy roles the first sandwich was more likely to have been consumed at his desk whilst working.

Fast food

Today a sandwich can be anything from a hastily prepared supper time snack through to an elegantly presented centrepiece of high end cuisine standards. That’s before you even consider the world-wide popularity of its close cousin the beef burger bun!

For those of us sitting in or near our beach hut on a sunny day a homemade sandwich is likely to take on a truly personalised form, just like our little homes on the prom! That’s the beauty of the idea – pretty much anything goes.

Jam, ham, cheese, salad, cooked meats, vegan spreads, cucumber, egg or moulded children friendly shapes – your imagination is the only limit. And some people really like to push the boundaries.

Depending on the filling of choice, the great thing about a sandwich is you can keep it fresh without worrying about refrigeration or cool boxes. Even better, as it doesn’t require cooking you can prepare them from a few ingredients right there in your hut without any fuss.

Beach hut dining

Most people would think that spending time at a beach hut means eating is limited to picnics and handy foods like sandwiches. We know that some people take things far more seriously. If you’re someone that likes to impress by doing more than just cutting the crusts off then the Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook should give you plenty of ideas.

Alternatively, Veronica Henry offers stories and recipes inspired by seaside life in her book ‘A Day at the Beach Hut‘.

It’s easy to make your hut into a small kitchen of sorts if you want to. Using portable gas equipment, solar power (or in some cases even mains electricity), quite complex ‘cheffy’ food can be prepared and enjoyed.

Of course this all depends on local byelaws and regulations. Cooking inside a small building made of wood always needs extra efforts when it comes to health and safety too!

Beach hut accessories

Viewers of Channel 4’s Britain’s Best Beach Huts will know just how much variety and scope there is to creating the perfect interior for a hut. When it comes to actually sitting back and enjoying the life they offer it really is the little things that make all the difference. Prepping sandwiches on a themed chopping board and serving drinks on quirky coastal coasters can make a light snack feel more like an event.

Of course, if you’re someone who prefers a more streamlined approach to a lunchtime sandwich or afternoon tea at the seafront then there are plenty of outlets that can deliver everything you need to your home ready for you to simply unpack, sit back and enjoy at your beach hut.

Let’s face it, whether you’re huddled over a Thermos or reclining on a deckchair there’s nothing better than a sandwich by the sea!

Do you have any family favourite sandwiches? How do you use your loaf? Do let us know by posting your favourite sandwich images on Instagram – I love beach huts!