lunch! celebrates British Sandwich week!
During British sandwich week the nation celebrates all things sandwiches. The week was pioneered by the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association (BSA) as a salute to the sandwich industry for its contribution to the economy. lunch! – the industry event for café, coffee shop and food-to-go brings hundreds of influential brands together in one place, and sandwiches will always be at the heart of this vibrant sector.
Who pioneered the first sandwich?
If you want to dive deep into the history of the sandwich – we must look back to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, in England 1762. The British Statesman was craving a meal that he could eat with his hands, so his maid prepared two slices of toast with a salt beef filling (supposedly, the first of its kind!). Fast forward a century after the sandwich was popularised, Marks and Spencer sold the first store packaged sandwich in 1980. The sandwiches sold so well that within one year they were already planning factory production.
Shortly after, Pret a Manger opened its first flagship store in London in 1986 and started off making freshly prepared sandwiches inspired by the flavours of Italy. After eleven years it opened around 53 stores and today has a whopping 460 stores around the UK.
The humble sarnie has now revolutionised the way Brits eat lunch. For instance, today 72% of consumers buy pre-packed sandwiches, spending more than eight-billion pounds a year. Those opting for a grab and go sandwich rather than making it at home has equally helped to boost the economy and the British workforce. Statistics show that the sandwich industry now employs around 300,000 people and the market continues to grow at over 4% each year.
Sandwiches and Sustainability
The food industry has a huge part to play with climate change as food production makes up a third of greenhouse gas. Therefore, it’s vital for sandwich brands to make smart business choices to help reduce their climate footprint. Most brands are taking big steps in the right direction, for example, reducing the amount of plastic in their packaging or using more sustainable supply chains.
Sandwich and food to go brand Simply Lunch have several initiatives they are working towards. Specifically, they hold the Soil Association’s food for life accreditation, and they have a ‘Green Purchasing’ policy. We have also seen high-street brands such as Subway opt for non-GMO vegetables and Greggs redistribute 28% of unsold food (in 2021), which equalled to 1,000 tonnes of food going to those in need.
For vegans or those wanting to reduce their meat consumption, Wicked Kitchen (who are exhibiting at lunch! on stand L174) have launched its sustainable plant-based range. Whilst, companies like The Soho Sandwich Company are also using plant-based alternatives for chicken, to reinvent the much-loved classics – chicken and sweetcorn and coronation chicken.
Sandwiches at lunch! 2022
Versions of sandwiches can be seen everywhere – from the chip butty to the traditional finger sandwich, because we as a nation just LOVE sandwiches. And so, the lunch! show has some amazing brands representing them – helping to grow footfall in retailers across the nation.
With innovation at the heart of the show, there are some fantastic filling advancements happening right now. The tried and tested cheese, egg salad and BLT are now a thing of the past. Instead, we are seeing brands launch new and interesting fillings and flavour combos to suit a range of tastebuds and dietary requirements. From dairy-free to gluten-free, there is now an abundance of options on the market.
Here’s just a handful of sandwich brands buyers can see at lunch! 2022:
SOHO SANDWICH COMPANY – At the Soho Sandwich Company, we’re always hungry for what’s next and this is the reason we’ve partnered with THIS!, the UK’s fastest plant based business in the UK. Launched for Veganuary this year, our new THIS isn’t Chicken & Sweetcorn and THIS isn’t Coronation Chicken sandwiches are high in protein, fibre and are good for the planet. Come and taste for yourself at the show in September (stand L474).
RAYNORS FOOD – It’s easy to make one sandwich well. Making thousands of them perfectly day after day takes years of sandwich industry expertise. When you stock a Raynors sandwich, you can rely on it always being great quality. We’ve won awards from the Food & Drink Federation, the British Sandwich Association and business excellence bodies in recognition of our technical expertise and product quality (stand L851).
SIMPLY LUNCH – We’re a family-run sandwich supplier, Food to Go and lunch platter company in South London with over 30 years’ experience creating and delivering the most delicious sandwiches around. All our food is handmade at our kitchens in South London with the same care, love and admiration that we’ve shown since day one. Although we’re obsessed with sandwiches, we also make everything else that you’d need for lunch (stand L147).
Book a stand today
If you are considering exhibiting your sandwich brand, lunch! is the must attend event for the food-to-go sector. At the show, you will have the opportunity to speak to quality buyers and network with other brands in your sector.
If you would like to book a stand, please contact one of our sales team today:
Annie Lindsell, Event Manager
[email protected], Tel: +44 (0)1273 645 164
Vicki Balfour, Sales Executive
[email protected], Tel: +44 (0)1273 645 166
lunch! takes place on 27-28 September 2023 at ExCeL London and is co-located with Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen.
