Paul McCartney Loves To Eat This Sandwich After Concerts

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Entertainers generally have routines they follow before and after hitting the stage for consistency, comfort, and in same cases, superstition. Those habits often include what they eat and drink to make them feel their best. Beatles icon Paul McCartney has his own post-show routine, which includes a classic tequila cocktail and a traditional British sandwich.

McCartney doesn't like to eat before performances, but he has a standing order after getting off stage. "[B]efore we change back into our 'day clothes' I have a margarita to drink ... [a]nd I have a cheese and pickle sandwich with the English type of pickle: Branston's pickle," he told Meat Free Monday. He said the sandwich is "so basic and simple, but it hits the spot." The long-standing vegetarian, who founded the Meat Free Mondays effort with two of his daughters in 2009, will then have a regular dinner a little later.

The legendary musician noted that Branston Pickle is different from the dill type that Americans know well. The widely-used condiment from England is made from several vegetables instead of cucumbers and has a more complex taste from its flavorful pickling liquid. McCartney didn't say which kind of cheese he likes in the sandwich, but it's usually made with an aged cheddar that can be sliced or shredded. Butter and/or mayo spread on the bread is a possible addition, and it can also be made as a grilled cheese, which the British call a toastie.

Branston Original Pickle was first created in 1922 by Crosse & Blackwell in the British village it was named after, and the recipe hasn't changed to this day. It's made with small pieces of carrot, rutabaga (one of the unique winter vegetables you should try), onion, and cauliflower in a pickling liquid that includes barley malt vinegar, sugar, tomato puree, date paste, apple pulp, onion powder, lemon juice, and spices. Its flavor combines the vinegar's sharp tang with earthiness from the veggies, and both sweet and savory notes.

The crunchy brown condiment is also part of another traditional British dish in addition to cheese and pickle sandwiches: the ploughman's lunch. The popular meal often offered in pubs comes with cheese, cold cuts, bread, the pickle, and fruit, and can have other extras like tomatoes, celery, hard-boiled eggs, or a Scotch eggs.

McCartney also enjoys a sandwich featuring a polarizing ingredient — marmite. The British yeast extract spread's salty and intensly savory flavor is notorious for dividing people into fans or haters. As he described during a 2021 interview, McCartney spreads the marmite on a cut bagel, then fills the sandwich with lettuce, hummus, cheese, tomato, and pickle, and tops it with honey mustard (via YouTube). His late Beatles bandmate George Harrison also had a soft spot for marmite, which was part of his 3-ingredient go-to sandwich with lettuce and cheese.