Jesmond fan-favourite Dene’s Deli has been been recognised as one of the best sandwich shops in the country after featuring on a nationwide ranking compiled by Betway.

The list features 80 shops across the UK, and ordered them based on metrics including Google reviews, annual searches, and social media following.

The Deli, located on Jesmond Road, was placed ninth in the ranking and is the only north eastern representative – a source of pride for the team according to owner Gill Reeve. “We’re particularly proud to be chosen as we’re the only shop in the north east,” she told JesmondLocal. “Every step of the way these accolades are thanks to our amazing team of hardworking, dedicated staff.”

The shop was recognised for its commitment to exceptional customer service and in being a staple in the Jesmond neighbourhood, its dedication to serving their community has led to glittering reviews.

Reeve said: “Jesmond offers our deli a great mix of customers. Students have always loved us and many return to Newcastle with their own children and make themselves known to us decades after graduating! The core of our customer base, to whom we are eternally grateful, comes from the very loyal local residents and businesses.”

Zayd Sharif, a student who lives a few doors from the shop and is a regular customer, praised the deli, and said he was not surprised by its impressive ranking.

“Dene’s Deli deserves an award of this stature,” he told JesmondLocal. “It has hundreds of sandwich combinations but when I went in for the first time, I created my own variation of the chicken and bacon ciabatta, adding avocado, cheese and tomato, and it was the best sandwich I have ever had.”

Sharif also summed up the relationship between the deli and its customers: “Now whenever I walk in, the lovely staff know exactly what I will order and have it ready within minutes.”

Since becoming the owner in August 1993, Reeve says she has put her heart and soul into making the deli what it is today, and this latest honour is not the shop’s first.

“The first national fame came in 1995 and the previous most recent was in 2024, when the British Sandwich Association awarded us with the title ‘Independent sandwich shop of the year,” she said.

Now in her sixties, Gill says she is handing more responsibility down to her daughter, and says she is confident the business will be in safe hands. “I have no doubt at all that they will be achieving great things with many more awards to come,” she said.