The cult sandwich shop has found a new home in Islington

When Chiefly Royale first opened its doors as Chiefly East in 2018, it was a small sandwich shop with big ideas. Nearly a decade later, those ideas have evolved into one of the city's most recognisable lunch spots, known for creative weekly specials, chef-driven sandwiches, and queues of loyal regulars.

Now, after a successful chapter in Mayfield, Chiefly Royale has settled into a new home in Islington, and as owner Al Downer explains to us, it's exactly where the business was always heading.

"It's nice and bright, there's a beautiful park across the road, families, dogs and people wandering through all day," he says. "We wanted somewhere people could actually stay a while."

Unlike the express-style service at Chiefly West in Newcastle's CBD, the Islington store has been designed as somewhere to take a seat, and be in no rush. Grab a sandwich, order a coffee, settle in with a slice of cake and make an afternoon of it.

For Al and the team, most of which have been there from the beginning, the move wasn’t about getting bigger. It's about getting better.

"We don't want to go too big," he says. "We just want to work together again and keep it manageable."

That philosophy extends to the food.

Long before gourmet sandwiches exploded across social media, Chiefly Royal was quietly building a reputation for chef-quality food served between two pieces of bread.

"Our whole idea was that people shouldn't have to spend a fortune to get a properly prepared chef's meal," Al says.

Every sauce is made in-house. Meats are sliced fresh. The team of qualified chefs and apprentices prepare everything from scratch before the lunchtime rush begins.

While the signature baguettes have built a loyal following, it's the weekly specials that have almost become an event in themselves. Inspired by cuisines from around the world, the team constantly experiments with new flavour combinations, often giving the sandwiches playful names and themes before deciding whether they'll earn a permanent place on the menu.

In fact, some of Chiefly Royal's most popular sandwiches started life as weekly specials.

"The Bourdain was originally a special, but people kept asking when it was coming back, so eventually we just put it on the menu."

The same creative thinking extends to the sweets. Gem, a qualified baker, produces a rotating selection of American-inspired cakes including Boston Cream Pie, cheesecakes, apple pies and cherry pies, offering something a little different from the usual cabinet of pastries.

For the team, staying original has become increasingly important, and as Al explains Chiefly Royale deliberately avoids chasing trends.

"We try not to look at Instagram for inspiration, otherwise you're just doing the same thing as everyone else. We'd rather cook the food we actually want to eat."

Based on the crowds that pack into Chiefly Royale each day, their approach seems to be working.

Whether you're grabbing a quick lunch, dining in, or across the road at the park, Chiefly Royale continues to prove that a sandwich can be every bit as memorable as a meal in a restaurant, especially when it's made by chefs who genuinely love what they do.

Editor’s note: This article was produced independently by the HUNTERhunter editorial team and is not a paid or sponsored feature.