- Asda appoints its first ‘Sandwich Architect’ Victoria Watson
- Asda appoint official ‘Sandwich Architect’ to bring an end to soggy sandwich nightmares
- Brits’ classic sandwich pitfalls include soggy bread, sauce spillages and poor ‘bread to filling’ ratios
- Bacon, cheese and ham remain Britain’s favourite sandwich fillings, research to mark British Sandwich Week reveals
LEEDS, England, 2017-May-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — On average Brits eat 150 sandwiches each a year but, despite being around for almost 3,000 years, we still haven’t mastered the art of making this perfect lunchtime staple. Pitfalls like soggy bread (48%) poor bread to filling ratio and sauce spillages (32%) top a long list of teeth-grinding sarnie bugbears.
The ultimate sandwich is made on sliced white buttered bread, with a minimum of two fillings – meat and salad proving essential with a dollop of sauce – and cut diagonally into two large triangles. There’s no doubt – the traditional sarnie reigns strong against wraps, baps, flatbreads and rye.
Marking British Sandwich Week, new research from Asda has revealed that when it comes to the humble sarnie, Brits surprisingly lean towards more classic ingredients.
The majority love to keep it simple with traditional combinations like cheese (25%), egg and cress (22%) and prawn mayonnaise (14%), but trendier options also make mouths water, including fish finger (9%), brie & bacon (7%) and pulled pork (5%).
Asda has appointed its first ‘Sandwich Architect’, Victoria Watson, to oversee the precise building and development of all the sandwiches in the supermarket’s new Food to Go range.
With a scrupulous eye, she tests over 1,092 sandwiches every year, travelling the globe to find the next food trends to deliver the next exciting lunch opportunity. She brings a degree in Food Science and Technology into use every day as a product developer, and claims a ploughman’s sandwich as her go-to favourite.
When it comes to sandwiches, she keeps a close eye on bread to filling ratios, making sure fillings are layered to avoid dreaded spillage when biting into a sandwich, and taste-testing products in the range to guarantee flavour combinations are spot on.
Victoria, Sandwich Architect and Product Development Manager at Asda, said: “The formula for the perfect sandwich needs to be carefully considered, balancing freshness, flavour, taste and stability with the utmost precision. It’s a knack, but there’s no reason why sandwich lovers can’t replicate the sandwich architecture that goes into our Food to Go options at home.”
The nation’s top 10 favourite sandwich fillings:
- Bacon (26%)
- Cheese (25%)
- Cheese and Ham (22%)
- Egg and Cress (22%)
- BLT (21%)
- Prawn and Mayonnaise (15%)
- Sausage (13%)
- Roast Beef and Horseradish (13%)
- Chicken Club (10%)
- Fish Finger (9%)
Victoria’s Top Tips 5 for constructing the perfect sandwich:
– Lay the Foundations – Quality bread is the solid foundation to any delicious sandwich, thick or thin, the texture is a vital support
– Damp proofing – Avoid sandwich sogginess by considering the careful positioning of every ingredient… watch out for those tomatoes!
– Careful Construction – It’s the sandwich sequence that makes all the difference! Alternate hot and cold fillings, layer ingredients carefully to avoid spillages
– Edible Glue – Condiments don’t only add flavour and texture, they are also the secret to cementing all your fillings together. Spread a layer on both pieces of bread, not forgetting a dollop in the middle. Even better mix it in with your ingredients for extra sticking power!
– Cut with Care – Cut diagonally into triangles to optimise balance and minimise messy sandwich slides
Asda has 49 sandwiches in its Food to Go range, with the newest additions including the Extra Special Ploughman’s Grab Box (£2.00), Extra Special Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Club (£3.00), Rainbow Chicken Wrap (£3.00) and Gluten Free Chicken Wrap (£2.20). See the full range: www.asda.com.
Source: Asda
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