About the UK Sandwich Market

The size of the sandwich market, in terms of value and the number of sandwiches eaten, has increased dramatically over the past ten years. Its estimated that consumers in the United Kingdom buy around 2 billion of them every year, with a value approaching £3.5 billion. As a comparison the pizza market is valued at £1 billion.

No other daytime snack is as popular as the humble sandwich. We eat more sandwiches than any other kind of fast food snack, and that includes burgers and even crisps.

Factors driving sandwich popularity

The primary reason for this increased popularity, is that a sandwich is considered a healthier option to just about any other kind of fast food. It is a fact that more people than ever are becoming health conscious, and this trend will undoubtedly continue. Its not surprising that sandwich shops are becoming ever more popular, as people demand a healthier lunchtime food. Its also important to note that a sandwich is considered to be an affordable alternative to making a sandwich at home - due to rising levels of affluence. Shorter lunch breaks have also helped the rise of the sandwich.

Quality

Up until fairly recently, sandwich quality was considered to be pretty poor, with mediocre choices and ingredients. Two slices of white bread with a few slices of Cheddar cheese, and if you were lucky, some fresh tomato. If you were REALLY lucky, it was less than five days old. Perhaps thats slightly exaggerated, but overall, getting a quality sandwich on a regular basis was not a certainty.

Nowadays, the situation is vastly different, with increased choice and superior overall quality. The average independently owned sandwich shop will have a wide variety of fillings, many of them considered quite exotic just a few years ago. Not just that, but the range of breads available now includes Ciabatta, Naan, Stone Ground, Walnut, Rye and plenty of others.

In addition to increased quality and choice, organic offerings are becoming more popular, despite their generally being a small premium to pay on top of the normal price.

Independents dominate

Despite there seeming to be a Subway on every street corner, the truth is that the independent sandwich shops outnumber the big franchises by thousands, you don't have to buy into a franchise to own a successful sandwich shop, and there is absolutely no guarantee that a franchised operation will make you more money than a well managed independent outlet.

Facts and Figures

For all the facts and figures on the UK sandwich market, click the 'Sandwich Facts and Trivia' tab on the main menu, or click here