Digging in to Sandwich Magazine’s first issue: The BLT

The perfect sandwich

Is there such a thing as a perfect sandwich? Sandwich magazine aims to find out! The first issue all about the classic BLT is stuffed full of deep dive articles about the ingredients, from the rise of female butchery in London, growing lettuce in space, and cleaning up after the infamous ‘La Tomatina’ tomato festival in Spain.

Sandwich magazine issue 1 The BLT spine
Sandwich magazine BLT issue 1 Butchery

Visually, Sandwich magazine is a playful and vibrant magazine.

Sandwich magazine issue 1 BLT cleaning up after La Tomatina festival
Sandwich Magazine issue 1 The BLT front cover

Is it an independent magazine?

Created by the New York condiment brand Sir Kensington’s, Sandwich magazine is firstly a tangential creative marketing avenue. However, it’s not at all obvious that the magazine affiliated with Sir Kensington; it has a strong independent flavour throughout and great quality non-promotional content. The magazine is published by the same company as Little White Lies and Huck, backing the magazine’s independent aesthetic.

Sandwich Magazine BLT issue 1 Killer Tomatoes
Sandwich magazine issue 1 BLT lunchbox

Visually, Sandwich magazine is a playful and vibrant magazine. I loved the illustrated contents page that shows a cross-section break down of the ingredients in a BLT sandwich, and the fun illustrations of the ingredients, bacon, lettuces and tomatoes, especially growing lettuce in space!

Sandwich magazine BLT issue 1 Contents page
Sandwich magazine BLT issue bacon illustration
Sandwich magazine issue 1 BLT lettuce illustration
Sandwich magazine BLT issue 1 tomato illustration
Sandwich magazine BLT magazine issue 1 growing lettuce in space illustration

Exploring the BLT sandwich

The 64-page magazine celebrates not only the BLT sandwich, but food producers across the globe creating the fantastic ingredients to go in them. One article explores the success of small batch and social enterprise bakeries from Berlin to Los Angeles. And yet another interviews female butchers, breaking down stereotypes, and exploring the importance of quality over price when buying meat.

Sandwich magazine issue 1 BLT woman with butchered meat
Sandwich magazine BLT issue 1 The Perfect Sandwich

As juicy as biting into Sandwich magazine is, it did make me wonder whether the success of independent magazines means that the aesthetic will continue to be adopted by bigger brands? Reflecting on my favourite sandwich, it would have to be Boxing Day leftovers, with plenty of mayonnaise. What’s yours?

I was gifted a copy of Sandwich magazine in exchange for this review. All views are my own.