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Britons Love Sandwiches

August 21 2002

The average Briton eats 155 sandwiches a year, according to new findings from Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

The research was carried out by TNS for the British Sandwich Association (BSA) and published in the BSA's Sandwich Industry Review 2002. The report indicates that in today's 'time poor, cash rich' society, speed and convenience are the ultimate factors associated with lunch, and sandwiches fit perfectly into the British culture of longer working hours and less kitchen time.

The British sandwich market is currently worth over three billion pounds and sales are dominated by sandwiches purchased at work (20 per cent of all bought sandwiches), in supermarkets (19 per cent) and in sandwich bars and cafés (18 per cent).

Full-time workers are responsible for 60 per cent of all sandwich purchases with people in London accounting for 25 per cent of all sandwiches purchased in Britain.

As consumers show a preference for convenient, lighter meals, caterers and retailers are increasing their offering of a variety of pre-packed and freshly made sandwiches, such as rolls, baps and baguettes. However, the most popular type remains the pre-packed wedge, which accounts for 50 per cent of all sandwiches purchased. Chicken is the most popular filling, taking 21 per cent share, ahead of cheese (16 per cent) and ham (13 per cent).

Andy Mitchell, Associate Director of TNS' Consumer Usage Panels said 'Despite the size and dynamism of the purchased sandwich market, home made sandwiches still dwarf the manufactured market. There are clear opportunities for further market growth through expansion into newer outlets such as petrol forecourts and convenience stores. Manufacturers also need to capitalise more on the demand for convenient, portable and healthy lunchtime products. As consumers become more used to the high standards that the sandwich industry has set, they are more critical about the quality of their sandwiches. Although emphasis has been placed on increasing the variety of exotic flavours to entice new consumers and maintain the interest of regular sandwich purchasers, there is a strong view in the industry that much can be gained by improving the standard sandwich by using the best quality breads and ingredients.'

Further details on the report and information on how to order a copy of the full report can be obtained from: http://apps.tnsofres.com/sandwichtrak/bsa2002

SandwichTrak consists of information gathered from over 24,000 face-to-face, in-home interviews per year with adult consumers in Great Britain. They answer questions on how many sandwiches they have purchased in the previous week, where they were purchased from, the type of sandwich bought and the main filling of the sandwich. TNS was commissioned by the British Sandwich Association to produce a review of the British sandwich industry that expands upon topline SandwichTrak information with a programme of industry interviews and qualitative research with consumer focus groups.


All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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