A Hoagie to Go and Hold the Mayo - European Sandwich Show - International Pages - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

AgExporter, June, 2001

The second French edition of the European Sandwich Show took place in Paris in March. The show had 140 exhibitors, mainly from France and other European countries. Three U.S. companies were represented by importers. More than 3,800 potential buyers from 28 countries visited the show, with sandwich recipe demonstrations offered by Norway the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

The UK has taken the lead in sandwich sales in Europe and the sector is very developed in supermarkets. These locations reportedly account for 29 percent of total sandwich sales in the UK. With 660 million sandwiches sold in France each year, this sector represents a billion-dollar market growing at a rate of 6 percent a year. It accounts for some 50,000 tons of food ingredients, including 15,000 tons of bread, 8,000 tons of ham and 4,000 tons of poultry. In France, supermarkets account for only 5 percent of sales, but this sector is increasing at a rate of 15 percent a year.