Sandwich Baron announces Varsity Eat Off winners

Sandwich Baron, South Africa’s fastest growing sandwich franchise, is pleased to announce the finalists of its ‘Varsity Eat Off’ competition following round robin events at three Johannesburg universities in June.

At each of the three university campuses five students battled it out to see who could eat the most foot-long sandwich subs within 20 minutes. Three very hungry under-graduates emerged as winners: Philani Mlatshwayo (University of Johannesburg, eating three chicken mayo foot longs); Nkuleleko Diji (Wits University, also eating three); and Maui Pardise (AFDA, eating almost four foot longs). The three finalists will next compete against one another in July when the varsities reopen - and by which time they will have built up an appetite after the extravagances of their foot-long feast - where the final winner will be crowned the ultimate Sandwich “BARON”. In recognition of this competitive spirit, the winner will receive a free sub every week for one year. 

The ‘Varsity Eat Off’ competition was just one of 20 activations Sandwich Baron hosted to celebrate its 20th birthday-month anniversary campaign, aimed at rewarding its various communities of loyal customers for their loyalty. The play-offs were hosted respectively at Wits University and UJ on Wednesday, 22 June, and at film-making and performance arts college AFDA on Friday, 24 June.

Sandwich Baron, founded by Sally J’Arlette-Joy, has grown from one to 51 stores in two decades, with stores in North West, Gauteng, KZN, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape and is popular as a breakfast and lunch take-away for working folk and students alike. Among its many other social media promotions Sandwich Baron has been giving away 20 sandwiches every day. In addition, each winner of a free sandwich was invited to go into a Sandwich Baron franchise, take a selfie and post it to social media with #Happy20thBirthdaySandwichBaron in order to be entered into a competition to win R20,000 in cash.  The lucky entrant was drawn at end-June.

“Sandwiches have always been considered a staple meal, so I am confident that Sandwich Baron will continue to grow from strength to strength and will be successful for many years to come,” says J’Arlette-Joy.

The franchise offers a menu of over two hundred items including sandwiches, French breads, foot longs, baked potatoes, corporate platters and since June last year, its popular high-protein Banting breakfast or lunch boxes.