Sawers
Fountain Centre,
College Street,
Belfast,
BT1 6ES
028 9032 2021
sawersbelfast.com
IT’S controversial but I firmly believe that although lunch time is the best part of the day it can also be the most tedious - especially when you work in the city centre and are overwhelmed by choice.
We’ve all been there - you agree to tie in with a colleague for a bite to eat and some work-based banter only to be met with, ‘So, where do you fancy going?’ – which, if you’re like me, a perpetual people pleaser, sparks at least a five minute back and forth of, ‘No you decide, I don’t mind’.
Thankfully since The Irish News moved to the Fountain Centre this hasn’t been such a common occurrence as we’re housed just above, what I believe, to be the best stocked deli in Belfast.
Sawers defies all the laws of space and dimension by packing in what appears to be enough of the world’s finest and locally sourced, tinned, smoked, freshly-squeezed, just-picked, just-gathered, just-caught, dolphin friendly, fair trade, organic, imported and always exotic food that would put the Harrods Food Hall to shame.
It’s evident that owner, Kieran Sloan, isn’t just passionate about food – he’s obsessed, clearly living by the maxim “too much is never enough”. I mean where else would you get fresh pollan smoked eel from Lough Neagh, an array of Middle Eastern baklavas and a selection of meats including zebra, rattlesnake and bison all in one place?
A recent visit with a said indecisive work colleague saw us standing in a bustling queue that snaked right around the shop – not that we minded, standing amongst the glorious smells of various different cheeses, sauces and spices helped us forget about the dreary and depressing ‘summer’ weather we’ve been experiencing of late.
The strength of a Sawers lunch, whether you choose to sit out on the street at one of their Parisian café style tables or take your purchase back to the office, is the sheer variety. From salads and wraps to their iconic heaving sandwiches which are nearly as big as your head, the selection and ingredients list seems limitless.
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After mulling over the nine massive menus hanging from the ceiling I settled on the pesto chicken hot wrap – an excellent decision if I do say so myself.
A crispy tortilla dusted with a generous amount of paprika brimming with chicken marinated in zesty pesto goodness would’ve been tasty enough but the additional tang coming from the sun-blushed tomatoes and whack of saltiness from the Parma ham and Parmesan took it to the next level.
There seemed to be a similar taste sensation occurring across the table as my colleague tucked into her Italian melt – smoky Parma ham layered with sun blushed tomatoes, pesto, rocket and just the right amount of creamy buffalo mozzarella all stuffed between two lightly toasted pieces of ciabatta.
Having come this far (all the way down the escalator) it would have been rude not to sample some of the sweet stuff Sawers has on offer – besides there’s nothing quite like a sugar rush to get you through the second half of the day.
Unfortunately, they had sold out of their Portuguese custard tarts which have become somewhat of a speciality. Nevertheless, the strawberry cannoli I came away with was still an excellent choice.
A crunchy, flaky pastry giving way to a sweet and creamy mascarpone filling, although I must admit, the strawberry flavour was lost despite the bright red colouring.
However, the sticky toffee loaf cake was faultless – wonderfully light sponge with a gooey centre and dollops of smooth vanilla frosting popped on top for good measure.
Sawers has been on the go since the 1800s: this is its third century in operation. In this time, it has established itself as the go-to place for those weird and wonderful bits and pieces you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else, it’s no wonder it’s become such a hit with tourists.
Their reputation and extraordinary range of products attracts people to the shop but it’s the quality that keeps them coming back – it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the hungry.
So next time someone asks you where you’d like to go for lunch make your life an awful lot easier and just take a trip to Sawers.
The Bill
- Pesto chicken hot wrap - £7.95
- Italian Melt ciabatta - £7.95
- Cannoli grandi strawberry - £2.50
- Sticky toffee loaf cake - £3.00
- Arizona peach flavored iced tea - £2.99
- Joe’s Classic Lemonade - £3.99
