Subway Crafts ‘World’s Smallest Sub’ That’s 12X Tinier Than Its Latest Sandwich
By Mikelle Leow, 30 Jan 2023
Like every sandwich delivered by Subway, this one is hand-crafted. The difference is that this special order is made out of clay. Stretching under an inch long, it’s also more than a dozen times smaller than the usual footlong sandwich.
Feast your eyes—and maybe squint them too—at the “world’s smallest Sub,” commissioned by the chain to accompany its new Japanese-inspired Teriyaki Steak option in the UK. Every replicated ingredient—from the Philly-style steak slices to red onions, peppers, and bread—was cooked up by famed miniature artist Nadia Michaux of Instagram account Littlest Sweet Shop.
The teeny-tiny clay bite features Michaux’s signature, Japanese-inspired ‘kawaii’ (cute) art style, the perfect accompaniment for the bright Japanese-inspired flavors of the Teriyaki Steak Sub. The artist says the most challenging part of the process was the painstaking mixing of colors to perfectly match the real ingredients.
To recreate the peppers in minuscule form, she used a technique called ‘Skinner Blend’, which involved the sandwiching of two different shades of clay to produce a gradient. The resulting material was then shaped around wooden dowels and sliced off with a sharp razor blade.
The little cheese came from an original clay “recipe” that Michaux developed for an “oozy” melted effect.
The micro-meal is served in its own paper bag, napkins, and drinks cup and straw. To form the lid of the cup, Michaux 3D-printed a cast and heated up a special material for it to be malleable, then applied vacuum suction to shape the lid onto the cast. The cap was then painted in acrylics matching Subway’s iconic yellow.
The final touches came in the form of varnish to freshen up the itty-bitty sandwich, which took a couple of days to make.
The bite-sized snack is a mini-me of the new footlong Teriyaki Steak sandwich, which is also available as a six-inch sandwich, a wrap, or as a salad. The real deal is customizable with cheese and vegetable options, and is being launched alongside a plant-based Teriyaki Steak version crafted with The Vegetarian Butcher.
“I think this was my biggest challenge yet!” remarks Michaux, who is a full-time miniaturist and has appeared on television shows such as Channel 4’s The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge.
“I didn’t initially realize just how challenging [this project] would be—but it allowed me to fuse my love of Japanese culture and my passion for Kawaii miniatures together, which was brilliant,” the artist adds. “I create miniatures every day, but I had to push my skills to the next level to bring this to life.
“The result is so realistic and when side by side with a real Footlong Sub, it looks identical… I’m really pleased with the result!”
[via Subway UK, images courtesy]