A cut above...

KEEN READERS will remember that, a few months back, we ran a survey to find out which the trade's most popular sandwich varieties are. Many thanks to those who took part, and the winners of the survey have by now received their free packs of Hellmann's Sandwich Delight.

Cheese topped the poll, combined with onion, pickle or even ham. We'll be gathering more data on sandwiches as part of the annual survey of the pub trade carried out for The Publican Food Report l​ater this year.

In the meantime, one time-honoured way for pubs to keep up with food trends is to check out what the competition is up to. Menurama, the survey of food sales at branded pubs and restaurants, recently looked in depth at sandwich fillings across the major managed pub brands.

It found a price spread for sandwiches ranging from an easy-to-swallow £1.95 for a cheddar cheese and pickle wrap in some Spirit Group pubs operated by Punch, rising to a near-indigestible £7.99 for roasted vegetables in focaccia bread at Whitbread's Beefeater outlets.

Sandwich types were broken down into three basic categories:

Wraps ​

The average selling price of a wrap is £3.83, and they tend to be offered in a choice of plain or wholemeal. Menurarama's crack team of sandwich analysts discovered that there tends to be less meat in a wrap-style sandwich, supplemented with more salad. This may reflect lifestyle preferences, as these are often seen as a healthier alternative to a standard sandwich.

The range of fillings on offer also reflected the slightly more upmarket image of the wrap, and included southern fried chicken, salmon and lemon mayo, BLT, piri-piri chicken and roasted peppers.

Baguettes​

A baguette sells for £4.11 on average, reflecting its more premium image - pubs often list baguettes as an option at a higher price than sliced bread. Both brown and white baguettes are offered by all the managed pubs, with fillings including salami salad and crayfish and rocket on offer. Baguettes are more likely to be used for hot fillings than sandwiches or wraps - presumably because they offer better insulation.

Sandwiches​

The average price for an honest, old-fashioned sandwich is £3.83, the same as for a wrap. All sandwiches were offered in a range of bread styles by the pubcos and when served with a cold filling the principal ingredient was complemented with salad and in some cases chutney, mustard or another condiment. Hot sandwich fillings included the classic bacon and sausage, but other styles included club steak and barbecue chicken baguettes.

Tony Goodger, foodservice trade manager for the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), ran an experienced eye over the Menurama findings, aiming to develop a few ideas to help independent pubs grab a share of the sandwich market.

One of the first things he spotted was that many of the big managed chains are breaking the law when they put steak sandwiches on the menu, because they don't tell customers how much steak they're getting. "It's a legal requirement that the uncooked weight of a steak is quoted," he says. "But most overlook this when producing steak sandwiches." Other suggestions from Tony include:

- Innovate with meat-based sandwiches. They are great for using up roast meats from Sunday or as hot roast sandwiches throughout the week. Think about natural accompaniments and offer sandwiches along the same lines - roast pork and stuffing with apple sauce, roast lamb with minted mayonnaise, or roast beef with rocket and horseradish

- Ham is underused in pub sandwiches. "This is an ideal meat for all pubs to have in their kitchens, but not the paper-thin pre-formed stuff. Cook your own and use it not just as a centre plate but also as a sandwich filling"

- Offer premium sausages such as pork and leek or pork and apple in a roll or sandwich

- With bacon, use home-cured thick-cut rashers or get your butcher to cut thick rashers so the filling is really substantial

- Serve steak with optional additional items such as caramelised onions or home-made relish - and why stop at a beef steak sandwich? Flash-fry pork minute steaks are now widely available and are ideal for sandwich or baguette fillings.

Sandwich top threes

Fish​

• 1 Prawns
• 2 Tuna
• 3 Salmon

Meat​

• 1 Roast beef
• 2 Sausage
• 3 Bacon

Poultry​

• 1 Chicken
• 2 Duck
• 3 Turkey

Source: Menurama​