The owner of a Chester sandwich shop believes he has created the hottest sandwich in Britain.

Benjamin Redwood from The Panini Press on Grosvenor Street which is run solely by him and his wife Sukie, thinks he has a record breaker on his hands with The Toasted Firestarter, a unique creation created by the couple.

The sandwich features tikka marinated chicken, fresh chillies, habenero sauce, peppers, onions and cheese, plus a secret ingredient which Benjamin calls ‘magic powder’. Served on toasted ciabatta, the sandwich is available for £3.90.

Benjamin, who took over the shop last November, says he is constantly trying to come up with new ideas for his business, and welcomes ideas from customers.

“We launch a new menu every day at The Panini Press,” he said. “All of our sandwich choices, and there are currently over 60 of them, are listed on blackboards, and we try to come up with new ideas all the time.

“Many of the sandwiches listed on our boards have come from customer suggestions, and we encourage our guests to be creative and think of new fillings for us to source and experiment with,” he added.

Benjamin and Sukie, who have spent time in France, Italy and Spain, hope their travel experiences are reflected in the food they produce, and say that anything they don’t sell is given to the homeless and those in need of support.

“For us, the Panini Press is about so much more than just a business,” said Benjamin. “We recognise that we are a small part of a fantastic community, and that it is important for us to try to contribute to that community as much as we can.

“Sukie and I have had a fantastic time running the shop over the past six months, we have met some wonderful people, and have made a lot of very tasty sandwiches.

"Chester is a fantastic city with a very bright and exciting future, and we are both looking forward to remaining an important part of its food offering for a long time to come,” he added.

Benjamin is now encouraging customers to come up with their own sandwich creations and is asking the public to submit ideas for the shop’s next guest sandwich. The best idea will feature on the menu for a limited time, with 10% from every sale going directly to Amnesty International.