Did You Know?

• British consumers managed to eat their way through over 11.5 billion sandwiches last year – and more than half of these were made and eaten in the home;
• Are Brits becoming more adventurous in their sandwich habits? Research shows that chicken continues to dominate the list of top sandwiches but consumer favourites are changing with fillings like Hoisin Duck and Southern Fried Chicken moving up the list, while traditional favourites like Cheese and Tomato have faded into obscurity.
• Top 20 Fillings 2006
  1. Chicken Salad
  2. Egg and Cress
  3. Chicken and bacon
  4. Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
  5. Mixed selection
  6. Cheese & Onion
  7. Prawn Mayonnaise
  8. Ploughman’s
  9. Tuna & Sweetcorn
  10. Chicken
  11. Chicken Caesar
  12. Chicken and Stuffing
  13. Salmon and Cucumber
  14. Cheese & Ham
  15. Cheese, Ham & Pickle
  16. Egg & Bacon
  17. Tuna & Cucumber
  18. Hoisin Duck
  19. Ham and Mustard
  20. Cheese & Tomato
• Top 20 Fillings 2007
  1. Chicken Salad (-)
  2. Chicken & Bacon (^)
  3. Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato(^)
  4. Mixed Selection (-)
  5. Ploughmans (^)
  6. Chicken (^)
  7. Prawn Mayonnaise (-)
  8. Chicken & Stuffing (^)
  9. Egg & Cress (v)
  10. Cheese & Onion (v)
  11. Breakfast (new)
  12. Tuna & Sweetcorn (v)
  13. Egg & Bacon (^)
  14. Chicken Caesar
  15. Tuna & Cucumber (^)
  16. Hoisin Duck (^)
  17. Cheese, Ham & Pickle (v)
  18. Southern Fried Chicken (new)
  19. Cheese & Ham (v)
  20. Salmon & Cucumber (v)
• Some 2.8 billion sandwiches were purchased from retail or catering outlets last year (2007) to the value of almost £5 billion – making the average price of a sandwich around £1.77.
• Many consumers buying sandwiches in busy City locations will not queue for more than 2 minutes!
• Chicken remains the No. 1 most popular filling in commercially made sandwiches – we ate over 33,000 tonnes of chicken in sandwiches last year.
• Cold meat and hard cheese tend to be the top fillings in sandwiches made in the home.
• 73% of sandwiches are purchased without anything else – yet most of us tend to have a drink with our sandwiches and many like to treat ourselves to a bit more – such as a packet of crisps or chocolate bar.
• The record for creating the most expensive sandwich ever made is claimed by chef Tom Bridge whose Lancaster Cheese Sandwich which was sold on ebay in 2006 for £345. The creation included L’Aquila white Umbrian truffles at £1700 per kilo. The full recipe can be found on the British Sandwich Association web site at www.sandwichesonline.co.uk. This year Tom Bridge is out to beat his own record with a sandwich going on sale on ebay in aid of the Fred Hollows Foundation. (see separate information)
• The world's largest 'pre-packed' sandwich is believed to be one created by Roberts Bakery in Norwich that was 2.5 metres long (down the longest edge) and encased in 1/2" thick perspex packaging. It was filled with Marmite, Princes Tuna & Hellmann's Mayonnaise and weighed the same as 1,000 loaves.
• The world’s biggest sandwich retailer is thought to be the American franchise chain Subway which now has over 1,000 shops in the UK alone.
• The first sandwich – in name at least – was created by the 4th Earl of Sandwich in 1762 when he called for some ‘cuts of beef ‘ to be placed between toasted slices of bread so that he could continue gambling while he ate. At least it was the first toasted sandwich!
• 66% of all commercially bought sandwiches are made with traditional square sandwich bread.
• Wraps account for 4% of commercially bought sandwiches and are becoming increasingly popular.
• More sandwiches are consumed in hot weather than when it is wet or cold.
• Those living in Scotland, Wales and the South West spend the least per head of population on sandwiches every year – Londoners spend the most.
• Some 2.7 billion sandwiches are carried out of the home each year in lunch boxes.
• The three most important issues when buying a sandwich outside the home are enjoyment (top with 40% of consumers); practicality (39%) and health (21%).
• The UK sandwich industry employs more people than the UK agricultural industry. It is estimated over 300,000 people are now employed in the commercial sandwich sector.
• 'Sandwich' is also a town in Kent, although the name has no connections with a sandwich. It's origin comes from the Saxon meaning for 'Sandy Place' or 'Place on the Sand'. The town is likely to have been formed in Roman times although the first recorded mention is in 640AD. The town is also the birthplace of the Viagra pill.