In a survey of 1,133 British adults, just 15% said they regularly eat sandwiches for lunch. In comparison, 42% regularly go for salads; 37% wraps; 36% flatbreads; and 31% sushi.
This comes from Spitalfields Market (London) – home to food outlets including Itsu, La Chapelle, Leon, and Galvin Hop – who sought to reveal how “growing demand for artisanal lunches is causing the sandwich market to die out”.
The results found the nation’s top 10 lunch foods to be:
- Salad (42%)
- Wrap (37%)
- Flatbread (36%)
- Sushi (31%)
- Burger (25%)
- Soup (24%)
- Pasta (24%)
- Pizza (23%)
- Sandwich (15%)
- Leftovers (11%)
What’s more, those who still enjoy a good ole sarnie showed ‘a clear bias’ towards ‘fancy’ fillings – avocado coming out as the most popular choice with 33% of votes. This was followed closely by pulled pork (32%) and smoked salmon (28%).
Traditional ham and cheese received just 11% and egg mayo 5%.
A Spitalfields Market spokesperson said: “Sandwiches have been a staple in British diets for centuries, but the 21st century has seen people opting for healthier options and wider varieties of lunchtime meals.
“In today’s overtly health and body conscious society, adults are becoming stricter with their eating habits. They want choices that will shake up their daily routine, are diet-friendly and importantly, give them something to look forward to at lunchtime.
“Street food is another trend that is contributing to this shift in eating habits. We’ve also noticed a significant increase in ‘clean eating’ with much higher demand for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the research also showed a differentiation in food choices across age groups, with millennials ‘far less likely’ to chose traditional sandwiches compared to middle-aged respondents. Just 5% of younger respondents admitted to making homemade sandwiches for lunch every day.