We’ve all known Subway as the healthier and fresher fast food option when we’re on the go, but gourmet? Subway wants to broaden their (and your) sandwich horizons by bringing in bright and bold flavor combinations. Subway asked none other than the rising online culinary platform, Tastemade, to help them reinvent their classic cold cuts and introduce new favorites.
The Partnership
At first glance this might seem like just another brand deal, but it’s much more than that. Subway and Tastemade have come together to form a new kind of partnership, a real team. Each company is bringing their strengths to the table to provide a new dining experience for patrons trying to switch up their regular sandwich routine and to ignite interest in those who brush Subway off as a rest-stop on a long road trip.
Subway has the widespread supply chain access and global customer reach. They know where to source the freshest local ingredients possible for their stores. Fun fact: they’re the biggest buyers of tuna in the world!
Tastemade on the surface is recipes, cooking series, and social media. Their Snapchat story was my first exposure to the platform. But underneath that, Tastemade is a real-time data analytics company. They can see which recipes and videos get the most clicks, comments, and shares, what regions the feedback comes from, who’s clicking, etc. This engagement tracking lets them see rising food trends as they’re rising, which is far faster and more efficient than hiring any research firm. Their budding and talented chefs worldwide are creating recipes based on this feedback, and now, Subway has the privilege of utilizing their creativity and information access.
The Launch Event
We were taken on an around-the-world tour of the Tastemade studio, which is one large room with kitchen sets on each wall. Some of which belong to my favorites: Jen Phanomrat from Just Eat Life and Frankie Celenza from Struggle Meals, so I was fangirling a little -ok a lot- on the inside. We stopped at each kitchen set to get a new incite on the Subway x Tastemade collab.
First, we heard a little background info on the partnership from leaders at Tastemade and Subway, while they stood in front of locally sourced veggies that are actually used in Subway California restaurants (featured above).
Next, we made our way to the kitchen used for Taste Off and my old favorite, Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. for my og Tastemade fans. Here, we got to know the story behind the first sandwich, the Green Goddess Tuna Melt. We learned about what went into the sandwich and how Tastemade and Subway came to the idea. What’s great for Subway is it uses much of what they already have in store with just extra one ingredient.
After we learned the basic components of the tuna melt, we got to customize our own. I chose red onion, pickles, banana peppers, lettuce, and spinach for the health of it.
We moved to the next kitchen set over to hear about the rest of the sandwiches from the menu above. Read up for a breakdown of each sandwich and read on for my recap.
The Sandwiches
It’s everything you already love about Subway’s classic tuna sandwich taken to the next level. The green goddess sauce, which you might know as a salad dressing, brings a creamy, herby balance to the melted mozzarella, warm tuna, and crisp veggies of your choice!
We all know what a BLT is, but E? Subway took a solid sandwich staple and added egg, although not just any style of eggs: deviled egg salad. It’s creaminess adds a nice textural balance to the smoky bacon, fresh tomato and crisp lettuce. The cheddar brings a sharpness to finish.
Imagine your steak sandie took a trip south of the border and came back with a kick. That’s the new carne asada sandwich, which was Zia’s pick. The heat is brought from the pepper jack cheese to the salsa verde and chiles to the jalapeño baked on the bread. The beef is marinated and cooked sous-vide-style, so it’s literally melt-in-your-mouth tender. So tender, it matches the butteriness of the guacamole. If you’re scared of spice, you might want to skip this one.
Southern French Dip
This sandwich is the cross-cultural mashup you didn’t know you needed and happened to be my favorite of the day. It features their slices of roast beef, but the traditional stops there. The south slides in with a good smear of pimento cheese, and then, taken to a sweet and savory notch with an unexpected bacon jam. If you thought that wasn’t enough, it’s served with an au jus. I would equate the au jus to a brown gravy, but the thicker consistency is less spill-prone and so maintains Subway’s portability.
For our vegan, vegetarian, and meatless-monday kind of folks, don’t fret, you weren’t forgotten. Subway plans on unveiling options for you too, so stay posted!
Can’t wait to try the new menu? The Green Goddess Tuna Melt is already in select stores nationwide, and the others are soon to follow. Now when you’ve got a craving for a flavorful, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth kind of sandwich, just head down the street to your neighborhood Subway.