UK and French sandwich trends - according to Taylor Nelson Sofres survey - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Eurofood, April 26, 2001

A survey published by Taylor Nelson Sofres' (TNS) has revealed that cheese is the most popular sandwich filling in the UK, with more than one in six sandwiches sold last year containing cheese. The survey also found that ham was the second most popular filling, representing around 13% of all sandwiches sold last year.

In contrast, research found that French consumers prefer ham, with around 30% of sandwiches being filled with ham. Just 8% of French sandwiches were made with cheese.

UK SANDWICHES BOUGHT IN THE WORKPLACE

Another interesting difference between the two countries was that in the UK, workers are more likely to purchase their sandwiches in the workplace. Sandwich bars in France account for one third of all sandwich sales, compared to one fifth in the UK.

Other less surprising facts from the survey, which involved approximately 24 000 people in the UK and 1 000 people in France, include the `baguette classique' is the most popular sandwich in France, accounting for 58% of the marketplace.

In the UK, the `wedge' is most popular, the diagonal shaped sandwiches represent 46% of all sandwich purchases in the UK.

ONE IN THREE PURCHASE SANDWICHES EVERY WEEK

One fifth of adults in France purchase sandwiches every week, while in the UK, the figure is one in three. However, the average weekly frequency of sandwich purchase is the same in both countries, standing at 1.9 sandwiches.

David Armes, business development director at TNS said, "There are clear differences between sandwich preferences in the UK and France. Whilst this in itself is not surprising, these findings demonstrate that sandwiches are a key component in the weekly diets of adults in both countries."