Ad Maiora: How a humble sandwich side hustle became a Man City favourite

A Manchester-based couple from Sardinia quit their jobs after their humble sandwich side hustle grew into an internet phenomenon, with frequent famous faces visiting the establishment, including Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.

Nestled in Ancoats, Ad Maiora has only been open for just over a year and has already been flooded with impressive reviews online.

"You'll struggle to find a better sandwich & fresher ingredients," one foodie wrote, while another added: "Authentic Italian foods made by authentic Italians, it doesn’t get much better. Portion sizes and service are unreal, can’t wait for my next visit."

Translating to "towards greater things," Enrico and Daniela had no idea their Latin bakery name would come to fruition in such a short space of time.

Ad Maiora

The pair started selling sandwiches from their flat, listing them exclusively on Deliveroo as they didn't have a great deal of budget.

"We admit that it was very tiring at the beginning because no one knew us," Enrico told Indy100. That was until social media recognised their authentic Italian ingredients and giant bakes, growing them into a viral sensation online.

Ad Maiora

"We have now fed the entire Manchester City team, from the players to their trainers and all of the staff behind the scenes," they said.

Ad Maiora went down a treat for one particular player, Erling Haaland, who started requesting all of his favourite ingredients.

"We immediately thought it would be a great idea to make a sandwich dedicated to him," fittingly called Haaland's Sandwich filled with delicious parma ham, burrata, pistachios, truffle oil, pesto and sundried tomatoes.

"We must admit that we too were very impressed by the choice of ingredients, we can say that in addition to being a champion, he is a great connoisseur," the pair joked.

While Enrico and Daniela are grateful for all of their recent success, they aim to "bring a piece of Italy to all of Manchester" before expanding across the UK.

Diners can pre-order via the link in their Instagram bio and collect at their Ancoats location. Alternatively, they can visit Kargo MKT food hall in Salford Quays. Haaland's Sandwich is available to buy until the end of March.

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