Sandsend Stores: new tenants rename it Mary’s Sandwich Shop

The popular Sandsend Stores was put up for lease earlier in the year, following the retirement of Alex Miller.

The shop will now be called Mary’s Sandwich Shop and be run by brothers Gabe and Cameron Hill, the team behind the popular local burger brand Mad Mary’s. It will reopen next month.

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The brothers are also behind popular local burger brand Mad Mary’s (Image: Supplied)

The brothers, from Whitby, are currently fitting out the popular shop, which has been closed since March following the retirement of previous tenant Alex Miller.

The village shop, which dates back to the early 20th century, is owned by the Mulgrave Estate.

Robert Childerhouse, Mulgrave Estate manager, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cameron and Gabe to Sandsend, where their plans for the former stores are very much welcomed and supported by the Estate and the local community.

Cameron said: “This is an absolutely brilliant opportunity for us. Gabe started out in Sandsend with Mad Mary’s, a mobile horsebox serving up California-style smash burgers. So the location made perfect sense and it feels like we’re coming full circle.

“We had talked about opening a physical shop in the area and when we saw Sandsend Stores up for lease the very next day, we couldn’t believe our luck. Within two weeks, we had signed the lease.”

Mad Mary’s is an established brand (Image: Supplied)

Gabe said: “I’ve always wanted to open a sandwich shop and with Cam recently moving back from Buenos Aires and a perfect space becoming available in Sandsend, it just felt like the right time. You can expect all the quality of Mad Mary’s, but with a different look and heaps more to offer. We’re going to be serving some seriously good sub-style sandwiches, along with a strong breakfast offering, premium local coffee, craft beer and natural wines. But don’t panic, there will still be burgers available over the weekends.

“We know that the store has been a key part of the community for decades, and we want to keep that neighbourhood and community feel, but while making it into a destination food and drink venue as well. We’re keeping the store side of the business going so people will still be able to buy everything they’ll need to cook up a breakfast or get their hands on some good quality produce, whether it’s dry cured Yorkshire bacon or milk or local bread or just some cool deli goods.

“Now we have walls and a stable base, we’ll be open every single day, taking everything Gabe’s built over the past three years and really pushing the variety and quality of what we can offer.

“We love it around here. It’s the chance to work with a constant sea view; looking out from an old building with heaps of character and potential. It’s a deceptively large space, with room outside on the sea-front and rising up to the hill behind, where we plan to expand seating to run special events and grow our own produce. It’s going to be good.”

Robert Childerhouse said: “The Mulgrave Estate has exciting plans to enhance the village and its immediate surroundings with more retail opportunities, increased car parking facilities - opening this year - and eateries in the next few years. Mary’s Sandwich Shop will be a crucial part of these plans.”

The most famous couple to run Sandsend stores were Dougie and Elaine Raine, who started working there in 1965, before acquiring the business nine years later. They stayed there for 34 years.