Bungaroosh: Big plans for this small sandwich shop

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A new independent sandwich shop that goes by the name of Bungaroosh has opened up two minutes away from Preston Park in Brighton.

Currently, they serve coffee, sausage rolls, pizza bread, and various sweet treats alongside custom-made sandwiches. There are a total of three tables, and food can be eaten in or taken away.

New manager, Luke West, said:

“I am trying to put a little bit of integrity back into the food industry.

“If I make a bacon sandwich, I put two bits of back bacon in, plus I put smoky bacon on top, plus I use a proper artisan bread, with a sauce of their choice, plus salad of their choice, for £3.50, which I think you’d agree is quite reasonable.”

Luke’s most popular menu item is the chicken club sandwich, which also comes with both types of bacon.

He boasts a full stock of locally sourced ingredients, which is fitting as “bungaroosh” is also known as a late Georgian composite building material that is exclusively found in Brighton:

“All my ingredients are sourced locally. Keep everything in the community. Keep everyone happy. As you know, we’re in difficult times at the moment, and I think everyone could do with as much support as possible, and in that way it’s kind of one big family.

“I’m quite fussy about the ingredients I use. My cheddar is a Welsh cheddar and it’s really punchy and tangy and leaves a nice aftertaste. My tomatoes are sourced from a friend of mine from an allotment, plus I buy only vine tomatoes so they taste like a tomato. It’s just simple things like that which will hopefully stand me in good stead for the future.”

Luke already has his signature dish planned:

“I intend to make my own salt beef. It’s one of the things I have been talking about for a long time as being my signature dish once I get a sandwich shop.

“I’m going to put the beef in Indian spices, brine for 11 days, and then cook it with a slow cooker. It shreds like the same consistency as pulled pork, so it’ll be really juicy and warm with horseradish, pickles and mustard.”

He also has other big plans for Bungaroosh that will make it more than just another sandwich shop:

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“I want to eventually add a Bungaroosh curry pot. I’ve been in India doing cooking lessons, so I want to do something a little bit quirky, a little bit different.”

Additionally, he hopes to offer Thai and vegetarian/vegan versions of the curry pot.

Luke is looking forward to bringing in his mother’s soup recipes for the winter months. There will be a leek, potato, and sweetcorn soup as well as a spicy meat option.

While Bungaroosh is currently open 7am-3pm on weekdays, Luke plans to open up on weekends in the near future, and even has something special planned for evenings:

“I think I’m the only sandwich shop in Brighton to have an alcohol licence until 12 o’clock, so I am going to focus on that maybe in a month or so.

“My intention is to maybe do something in the evenings like Indian and Thai tapas with good music, good surroundings, and a glass of wine or a beer.”

Luke also plans to take his sandwiches outside of the shop and begin delivering to nearby office workers on their lunch breaks:

“They’re all walking down to London Road, buying their lunch, eating it on the way back, and going straight back to work. A, this is not ideal. B, it’s not very healthy. C, it’s not going to really get productivity out of the workforce.”

“My intention is to deliver to their desks at the start of the break, they can have their lunch for 5 or 10 minutes, and then they can do their own thing in their lunch break and feel like they’ve got a lunch break.”

He is already in talks with American Express managers about the idea, and will need help from his employees to execute it.  He has employed two young men who he allows to decide their hours between them depending on their other commitments, and emphasised how lucky he feels to have them both on his team.

However, this new endeavour hasn’t come without some obstacles, as all of the inherited machinery Luke uses which is worth an approximate £20,000 combined has broken down on him already. 

He refuses to let this phase him and has gone about repairing everything one step at a time, taking each day as it comes:

“I am developing patience which is needed for this game. It takes a long time to get established, especially in Brighton as the average life expectancy of a catering company is 18 months, which is a statistic I really don’t want to be in.”

Luke aims to please all walks of life with his sandwiches and other offerings:

“I’ve gone into this business not aiming at a single market. This is aimed for everyone. Anyone who wants a proper sandwich or a real coffee at the right price.”

To win a specialty sandwich, sweet treat and glass of wine, head over to our Crowdfunder site.

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