FROM a fortuitous craving at the cards table, the sandwich has grown into our nation’s morsel of choice.

Swindon chef Marco Gambi has now embarked on a mission to turn our most sacred culinary tradition into an art form, earning himself a nomination as the UK’s best sandwich maker in the process.

After a highly-contested heat which saw his Porterhouse smoke salmon sarnie win over no fewer than six industry experts at the Sandwich Designer of the Year South West finals in February, the Central Production Manager for BaxterStorey based at Nationwide House is back in the kitchen perfecting his presentation skills ahead of the finals in London in May.

The journey to creating the nation’s favourite sandwich began a year ago when BaxterStorey joined the British Sandwich Association. Marco was a fly on the wall at the organisation's sandwich awards final in 2014 and when he and executive head chef Steve Pitt were invited to enter the 2015 qualifiers, they seized the opportunity to raise sandwich-making to the level of artistry.

“It was nerve-wracking but it was also very exciting and I enjoyed the experience,” said the 43-year-old. "Looking at what others were doing gave me a chance to come back with new ideas. I had to prepare two sandwiches one for show and one for the judges. There were six of them, quite a few. I was really chuffed to go through to the final. I’ll have to make the same sandwich for the final but the heat was more about the taste and the final will focus more on presentation. So that’s what I’ll be working on: how it’s served, what it’s served on, the angle it’s put at. Sandwich-making is about all these things and bringing out the colours - it’s an art.”

After much deliberation, Marco and Steve, who devise 21 new sandwiches each month and ensure 600 mouth-watering wraps, triangles and baguettes go out every day, settled for tried-and-true ingredients with a twist: smoked salmon baked in Porterhouse beer and treacle with lettuce, beetroot, dill relish on pumpkin seed bread.

A childhood spent learning the tricks of the trade from the frontlines at his father’s restaurant, Mario’s in Old town, and generally growing with ‘a piece of bread in one hand and a fork in the other’ certainly informed Marco's approach to sandwich-making.

“I was brought up surrounded by food and breads - it’s in my blood,” he explained. “Many of the sandwich flavours I’ve used have come from my background so to speak. I love Parma ham and cured meats in a sandwich. Like Italian food, sandwiches are about fresh simple ingredients with a lot of flavour.”

Among the varieties on offer at Nationwide are rare roast beef with blue cheese on pumpkin seed bread, the Big Mac – a healthier and tasty version of its fast food namesake - as well the Italian-inspired Mafioso complete with Parma Ham and Mozzarella.

Marco’s first kitchen job was as a commis. After a few years, he scratched an adventurous itch by going travelling. On his return he was hired as a bar manager. At the age of 30 he enrolled at Swindon College to train as a chef. He joined catering business Sodexo at Zurich as chef de partie and proceeded to be promoted to sous chef and head chef. As a BaxterStorey central production manager he now oversees menus and food preparation across Nationwide’s Swindon sites including the headquarters on pipers Way, Pegasus House, and Electra House.

The first written usage of the word ‘sandwich’ appeared in Edward Gibbon's journal. It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat. As the story goes, in 1762, during a 24 hour gambling streak he instructed a cook to prepare his food in such a way that it would not interfere with his game. The cook presented him with sliced meat between two pieces of toast. This meal required no utensils and could be eaten with one hand, leaving the other free to continue the game. Sadly, the name of real inventor of the sandwich was not recorded for posterity.

Initially perceived as food that men shared while gaming and drinking at night, the sandwich slowly began appearing in polite society as a late-night meal among the aristocracy. The sandwich's popularity in Spain and England increased dramatically during the 19th century, when the rise of industrial society and the working classes made fast, portable, and inexpensive meals essential.

A convenient but somewhat unappetising alternative to a sit-down lunch for decades, the sandwich has undergone a renaissance of late with legions of fine food stores and delicatessens enticing customers with ‘posh’ sarnies crammed with fresh and locally sources meats and vegetables and homemade relish.

“I think the way people see sandwiches has changed now; it’s about innovation and we’re always finding new recipes.

“People want something quick, they want to eat on the go but they have expectations. You have to give them everything they would expect from a three-course meal but in a sandwich. They don’t just have a sandwich anymore they want the experience, the fresh flavours.

“It’s an exciting time for sandwich-making.”

Marco will compete in the grand final at the Lancaster London Hotel on Thursday, May 14.