If, like most people, Pret spends more time swimming around your consciousness than, say, the fact that London could be underwater in less than 80 years, you’ll have heard that the ever-prescient coffee and sandwich company has stopped serving its beloved jambon beurre baguette.
The reason? In a statement, the chain said: “Customers may have noticed that our jambon beurre is currently missing from shelves. This is due to a temporary shortage of cornichons. We’re sorry for any disappointment caused and are working hard to get this Pret favourite back in shops as soon as possible.”
Needless to say, this is a big problem for beloved sandwich, which – alongside thick-cut ham, a generous slathering of butter and white baguette – is not complete without the addition of a tangy pickled bite.
Still, there are plenty of other independent London sandwich purveyors which do, in fact, serve the sandwich better. So, without further ado: this is where get your jambon beurre fix.
Naughty Piglets, Brixton
Naughty Piglets owner Margaux Abury hosts her sandwich pop-up Don’t Fuck With Jambon Beurre every week from midday until 2pm, Wednesday to Saturday. A must for south Londoners (or anyone with access to the Victoria line), the chef’s take on the classic is a Francophile's dream, featuring a 1cm thick layer of French Beillavaire butter, Natoora’s jambon Prince de Paris ham and French chef Margaux’s house pickles on a fresh, chewy Boulangerie de Paris baguette.
Jumi Cheese, Newington Green, Crouch End
While Jumi Cheese technically specialises in (whisper it) Swiss cheese from the Emmental valley, its jambon beurre – sans cheese – is undeniably good. Available every day of the week, it’s built on reassuringly crusty bread baked in-house, featuring delicate slices of Jumi’s own Swiss butter with extra-thick ham and chunky-cut pickles. Anarchists can also ask for it toasted.
Pophams, Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park
As the winner of the UK’s very official Jambon Beurre Championships, it goes without saying that Pophams’s little cluster of east London bakeries makes an epic ham and butter sarnie. Judged by food critic Jay Rayner, chef Ben Lippett and writer Sophie Wyburd, this winning combination of sourdough baguette, ham, butter and pickles is amped up by a slither of horseradish added for a zingy punch. It's not available every day, but is often announced on Instagram when offered.
