Strawberry Sandos

Last 2021, I introduced Ane Venture’s first product, which is Strawberry Milk. For four years, every summer, I’ve been making bottled Strawberry Milk to sell online. I’m happy that even after the pandemic, which is the hype season of Strawberry Milk, my product is still a hit to customers.

But since I’m buying plenty of strawberries every summer to make this drink, I thought of maximizing the use of the berry and create another product. That’s the beginning of Ane Venture’s Strawberry Sando!

What is Strawberry Sando? It is Japan’s unique creation. It is comprised of soft white bread filled with whipped cream and strawberry or any seasonal fruits. The berries are arranged in artistic manner to reveal ingenious visual imagery when the sandwich is cut in half. It is usually served in Japanese coffee shops and convenience stores. That’s why 7 Eleven in Japan is always on another level.

I first bought the authentic Strawberry Sando at Lawson in Tokyo. When I had a bite, I instantly knew why it is a big deal. Their white bread has this different kind of creaminess and softness. The whipped cream was fluffy. But the star is, of course, the strawberries. It was amazingly the sweetest strawberry I’ve ever tasted. There was no tangy hint at all. Definitely, Japan has the best strawberries in the world.

However, before I had the authentic Strawberry Sando in Tokyo, I’m already familiar with this certain sandwich. In fact, I tried to make it way back and posted a recipe last 2022. I remember how happy I was when I sliced my first sando in half, revealing the lovely fuschia color of strawberries. But it was our tour in Japan that ignited the idea to bring this delight to my townmates.

Since the strawberries here in the Philippines are very tangy, I changed the whipped cream part into cream cheese so the customers’ palate won’t be shocked to the acidity of the strawberry. The cream cheese’s subtle sweetness and mild tanginess acted as an equalizer. I also opted for a Japanese white bread so I could somehow copy the size and softness of the authentic ones.

When it comes to presentation, I wanted my sandos to look exactly like the fruit sandos in Japanese convenience store so I intentionally searched for this certain packaging. It’s a triangular plastic wrap that perfectly highlights the fillings of the sandwich. It’s a good thing that foreign shops in Shopee has it. I didn’t bother adding my brand name though because the sandwich is already aesthetic on its own. I don’t want to cover the visuals.

I was surprised at how my small market received this new product. The reactions and reviews were positive. They said that the Strawberry Sando is something new and fresh, given that no one offers this in our area. Even 7 Eleven stores in our country do not have Strawberry Sandos yet. They mostly mentioned the vibrant appearance and addicting taste of my product.

I couldn’t count how many batches and sandwiches I’ve already made as I couldn’t follow my original production schedule anymore because of the high demand. After the first batch, a customer immediately ordered a bulk for her kid’s birthday celebration in school. And I’m not complaining! It was overwhelming. But I’m truly grateful for this blessing.

Last summer, I offered another variety of sandos by making Strawberry Kiwi Sandos. I specifically thought of another fruit that would look aesthetic when sliced in half just like the strawberry and Kiwi was the first fruit I had in mind. The green and bright pink were beautiful together. Tastewise, I thought that the Kiwi would just contribute more tanginess into the sandwich. I was surprised that it added a different kind of punch of flavor.

Aside from our own tea shop, Breen Milk Tea, a coffee shop in Pinamalayan decided to resell my Strawberry Sandos to its customers. It was also Street Grind‘s reopening day after the coffee shop renovated so it was the right time to offer new products and pastries at the store. After all, there’s no doubt that these fruit sandwiches go well with a cup of good coffee.

One of my clients loved the strawberry sandos and she wanted them on her baby’s first birthday celebration! That’s so sweet of her. I told her that I could customize bite-sized sandos for the party so we could serve more guests. It was lovely! I was delighted to see my tiny sandwiches went along with the other mini pastries in the party’s dessert corner.