Upper Crust (restaurant chain)


Upper Crust is an international chain of baguette restaurants concentrated along commuter routes. The outlets are commonplace in stations and terminals. Branches are also present in some universities in the United Kingdom, including University College London.
There are also branches at the central railway station in Oslo and Elkjøp Megastore Lørenskog, Norway. Since September 2008, there are also three units in Stockholm, Sweden – two at the central railway station and one at the nearby bus terminal, Cityterminalen. There is also one in the Gothenburg Central Station.
The company has started to expand into shopping centres, with a new store at Bridgend Designer Outlet, South Wales. There are also branches on airports, including Cairo Airport, Tromsø Airport, Trondheim Værnes Airport, Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Helsinki Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Gran Canaria Airport. They were located in Australia too in the past, at places such as Circular Quay.

History

The first Upper Crust opened in 1986, in London Waterloo Station. The chain is now owned by SSP.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, SSP announced it was cutting 5,000 UK jobs across its chains, including Upper Crust and Caffè Ritazza, as part of a restructuring aimed at keeping the company afloat.

Products

Upper Crust specialises in baguettes. Some of the main fillings include: Breakfast baguettes, Ham and Cheddar, Ham and Mozzarella, Cheddar and Bacon, Tuna Mayo, BLT, Cheese and Tomato and Egg and Tomato. Cakes and pastries are available throughout the day and include various muffins, danishes, scones, brownies and flapjacks.
The chain offers a number of hot and cold drinks, including coffees, teas, hot chocolate, carbonated drinks, still and sparkling waters, Innocent smoothies, orange and apple juices and Feel Good juices.
Some branches also make their own smoothies in store.

Sustainability

In a survey of fish sandwiches sold in London outlets by The Jellied Eel ethical food magazine, Upper Crust received a "poor" rating for the sustainability of the fish in their sandwiches and the information about provenance and sustainability of fish ingredients provided by staff, in store and on the sandwich labelling.