Between bread and in my head

I’m in Montenegro. It’s absolutely beautiful here. the sea is blue, clear and warm and you arrive at the beautiful beaches by way of water taxi. Absolutely would recommend, particularly to anyone who’s only an easyJet flight away.

In this brief jaunt to the Adriatic, I’ve found a sandwich shop that is exactly what I am looking for in a sandwich shop and precisely the kind of place I would like to open, peddling my own sandwiches.

Pera, a “Foccacia and Resto Bar” in Budva’s Old Town has left an indelible mark on me. The menu, below, is composed only of seven items, with many ingredients repeated across the list, but you can tell that they’ve been tested, retested and experimented with before they go on the menu. All the bread is home made and baked in the tiny little shop. Beautiful foccacia, crispy on top and with the soft, bite-throughable dough sitting either side of your chosen fillings. I had the turkey ham, and Stephen got a mortadella. Chefs kiss. No notes. Planning to get a sandwich to eat on the plane home so we can feel smug on aforementioned easyJet flight. 😂

This small lunch experience has convinced me more than ever before that I am destined to open a sandwich shop like this. Look, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that everyone comes home from a holiday wondering how they can bring the magic of that place to their community and yes they do. However, I love sandwiches so much and I believe that the UK is starved of good sandwiches and that’s embarrassing, especially as the birthplace of sandwiches. A sandwich shop has been on my vision board for years now and I’ve never quite nailed the vibe that I was going for. But in Pera, I found it. That quiet niche of a place that is beautiful, the food is not just good but reliable, to bring people back, and you can see the whole process happening right in front of you - from the bread proving to the meat slicing.

So off I go, inspired to finesse my sandwich filling ideas down to only a few (and don’t worry there would absolutely be vegetarian and vegan options), test them and dream up my little sandwich shop where others could come and be inspired to feed great sandwiches to others.

Drop by Pera if you’re ever in Budva and I’ll keep you posted on how my menu is coming along.

Victoria x