A head-to-head battle will pitch two Southampton chefs against one another to decide who can make the ultimate sarnie.

A butcher and a cookery school owner – both from the city – will compete in the region’s final of British Sandwich Designer of the Year.

Gourmet butcher, Simon Broadribb, 48, who works at Uptons of Bassett in Winchester Road, will put his skills to the test against Katarina Willingham, 35, who owns cookery school, Lemon & Soul, in Anglesea Road.

The pair will both be hoping to impress the judges with their duck-based entries, which will be tasted by a panel of culinary experts from the British Sandwich Association today in the South East Heat at the IFE Excel Centre in London.

Daily Echo:

Despite being in the same competition – they are in different categories due to different core ingredients.

Katerina is hoping her entry of a duck wrap with beetroot, apple and ginger will get judges tastebuds tingling.

While Simon is aiming to impress with his combination of shredded duck, rocket leaves, and spicy sesame sauce in a warm onion-baked roll.

The pair are actually good friends and run a cooking and butchery class together at Uptons, but Simon admitted the competition has given them some friendly rivalry.

Simon said: “I am looking forward to it. Our sandwiches are different but I think mine has got the edge on taste, however artistically she is better than me.

“It is going to be tough and Katarina is very good and we’re both going against all the London people as well. If either of us win the competition I would be ecstatic.”

Meanwhile Katarina, who is originally from Slovakia has been running Lemon and Soul for two years and is hoping her style of cooking will win through on the day.

She said: “It is a bit of friendly rivalry between me and Simon, we are good friends but it is good to have competition because it makes us raise our game, but in a fun way.

“If I won it would feel like all the hard work I do with Lemon and Soul is paying off.”