This week, Lumo will be serving a unique North East delicacy, ‘stottie' sandwiches, on its train services between Edinburgh and London.
Stottie is a staple of food in North-East England, and this week, Monday, 12 to Sunday 18 February has been designated as the first-ever National Stottie Cake Week.
Lumo has teamed up with Big River Bakery and North of Tyne Combined Authority to launch the inaugural National Stottie Cake Week in style.
Representatives from Big River Bakery, Lumo and North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll were on hand as Scotty the Stottie handed out stottie sandwiches to passengers on 08:42 Lumo service from Newcastle Central.
From Monday to Friday this week, stottie sandwiches will be available on Lumo trains from Newcastle at 10:51 and 12:51 to London, and 13:47 to Edinburgh, with a choice of ham and pease pudding or cheese and pickle stottie cake sandwiches available for purchase from the LumoEats at-seat trolley service.
Stottie is a round, dense bread cooked on the bottom of the oven, and is usually stuffed with ham and pease pudding or cheese savoury. It is rarely seen outside of the North East, and National Stottie Week aims to take it to a wider audience.
Commenting on the initiative, Martijn Gilbert Managing Director of Lumo said: “The Stottie Cake is a North-East institution and as a locally based company running train services along the East Coast mainline, National Stottie Cake Week was an obvious thing for us to support and help raise its profile beyond its traditional home. We're really excited to be helping kick off the week with Scotty the Stottie and take Stottie Cakes to London and Edinburgh, whilst also supporting some great causes”.
Gail Lawler from Big River Bakery is delighted to be able to bring the stottie to a national audience with Lumo. She said: “We are thrilled with all the support we've received for this first-ever National Stottie Cake Week. At its heart, it's all about community and celebrating this great North East food icon. We hope to build on this and make National Stottie Cake Week a firm favourite on the calendar for all Geordies both home and abroad for years to come.”
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Our Community Fund puts power back in the hands of local communities. We ask for bright ideas that celebrate our region and improve people's lives. If enough people support them, we fund them. Simple as that.
“We've already funded Big River Bakery to provide free cookery classes and ‘breakfast bags' to help children in poverty. Their wonderful team are showing how food can bring communities together.
“Up here we've known about the majestic splendour of the Stottie for generations – so we thought it might be time to share this gift with the world.
“Born out of necessity, working-class families used scraps of dough to make a cheap, hearty food that fuelled the workers of our mines and shipyards in the 19th Century. And when filled with ham & pease pudding, it occasionally fuels the work of this Mayor too!
“The stottie is more than just bread; it's a slice of North East pride.”
Ian Thomas, Director of Visitor Economy at NewcastleGateshead Initiative said: “Working with our partners to champion our wonderful region is what we're all about. Bringing together local stalwart Big River Bakery and Newcastle-based sustainable travel brand Lumo to showcase our region's culture and food heritage represents a fantastic opportunity to show travellers what the North East is all about and why it's such a great place to visit – and eat!”
