A Derby Indian restaurant’s take on the UK’s most popular lunchtime snack has kicked-off a new craze among hungry Derby County fans this season.
Nicco Restaurant & Bar, based in Pride Park, has been inundated on match days by supporters keen to get their hands on one of three flavours of ‘naanwich’ before heading to the stadium.
In the relegation zone are traditional pre-match snacks like burgers, pie and gravy or a cone of chips. Instead, Rams fans have been opting for Nicco’s chicken tikka, herb paneer tikka or gilafi seekh kebab naanwichs in their droves.
As a result, the popular family restaurant has sold more than 100 naanwichs before every home game this season, placing its tasty creation firmly at the top of the league in terms of fan favourites.
Bhav Kumar, who runs Nicco alongside her husband Sanj Kumar, said: “We knew our naanwichs would get some mouths watering, but we’ve been absolutely blown away by how popular they are among Rams fans.
“Week after week, we’ve had fans queuing out of the door to get their hands on a naanwich. The word has clearly spread to the point where we have to be on our very best game to match the demand.
“Everyone here is so delighted to have been able to put a smile on the faces of so many Rams fans this season – especially as they’ve not always had much to smile about by the time the final whistle has been blown.”
Bhav said that what began as merely a fun ‘nod’ to the good old British sandwich has since turned the naanwich into Nicco’s best-selling product on match days.
Naanwichs, which are all priced at £15.50, are served daily at the restaurant between 12pm and 4pm. They can be eaten in or taken away.
Each folded naan bread is served with chips and comes with its own tasty combination of fillings. The chicken tikka version, for example, consists of chargrilled chicken, fresh mixed salad, a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of mint-flavoured mayonnaise. The herb paneer tikka is filled with Indian cottage cheese, fresh mixed salad and drizzled with mint chutney. And the gilafi seekh kebab comes with mixed lamb kebab seasoned with garlic, spices and a sprinkle of cheese, all served with fresh mixed salad and drizzled with mint mayo.
Bhav said that, due to their popularity, Nicco’s planned to carry on selling its naanwichs for football fans and non-football fans alike for the foreseeable future.
“Wherever the Rams end up, we can at least promise supporters they will have a great winning combination to come back to next season,” she said. “And we’re even looking at some exciting new recipes to bring into our naanwich team!”
For further information on menus and opening hours at Nicco Restaurant & Bar, visit www.niccorestaurant.com.
