Fuelling On the Go

Eating on the go is a multi billion pound market that food operators can’t ignore. But satisfying customers means a wider offering. Sheila Eggleston reports.

The phrase "grazing" was coined back in the '80s, a phenomenon that epitomised the new breed of consumer – smart, sassy and fast moving and wanting food to match, and today that doesn't mean just sandwiches. The sarnie sector is worth more than £5bn but, in recent times, the competition has been hotting up as the demand for more variety increases.

Chicken product specialist Love Joes says that according to the latest figures, Brits are shunning traditional sandwiches in favour of continental alternatives. It says sales of old favourites like bread, baps and rolls have slumped by 1.2%, meanwhile retail sales of croissants have increased by a third, bagels by 11% and tortillas 18%. The company says it has helped revitalise the sandwich market by introducing three flavours to its premium handheld Wrappe range: all day breakfast, falafel and sweet chilli, and meatball and tomato.

"Research shows that operators who are better equipped to tap into consumers' rising demand for better value, healthier eating, convenience, authenticity and added experience, will be winners this year, while the best performing establishments are forecast to be those that specialise in fast casual, healthier and hot food to go," says operations manager Toni Koumi.

"Newcomers to the Wrappe range have been developed with this in mind." Wrappe products are cooked to order from frozen and there is no direct food handling as it is cooked in a plastic wrapper and served in a cardboard wrap.
 
For those that miss breakfast at home new from Cornwall based Crantock Bakery are Breakfast Bites that come in two versions: sausage, cheese and beans, and bacon, cheese and beans in a flaky pastry case. Crantock's Becky Hornabrook says: "Recent research shows that one in five people are too busy to eat breakfast before they leave home in the morning. Our customers told us there was demand for a smaller product for people who are picking up breakfast on the way to work. At 150g, the Breakfast Bites are the perfect way to start your day."

Other new lines include La Pizza Company's Tascas – fully baked, folded soft bread pockets, which it says are perfect hot or cold for the cost sector, and offers a choice of plain, Caesar, red onion and multigrain to create interesting combinations. Also, the French hotdog baguette from Unibake, a fully baked baguette that has the centre removed so is ready for the caterer to defrost, heat through in a panini grill or oven until warm and crispy and then fill with hot fillings such as chicken and lamb kebabs, and speciality sausages.

John McKears, foodservice sales manager at Jus-Rol Professional, says: "Baked off products are a simple way for caterers to introduce something different to their menu and keep customers on site when dealing with the increasingly competitive high street."

He says freshly baked products can offer caterers a point of difference and their taste and aroma can prove key triggers in increasing customer spend. "Even traditional offerings such as sausage rolls that are easy to eat on the go at lunchtime make a fantastic addition. Greggs sells more than two million sausage rolls a week so there is certainly a market that caterers can take advantage of."

For 2010, as the focus for school feeding changes and moves towards more food on the go, Premier Foods has improved ways of producing hand held snacks to capture the trend. Its McDougalls cookie and muffin mixes are 2010 FSA compliant and, for a healthier hand held breakfast snack, the company has developed a flapjack that contains pumpkin seeds and apricots made with McDougalls flapjack mix. For sweet and savoury food on the go, the company has created the Loaded Pizza, a savoury recipe with grated carrot and courgette in the base, and the Fruit Pizza that helps towards consumers' 5-a-day intake.

Following research into the school wraps opportunity, Rollover has relaunched its wraps offer increasing the size of the bread and chicken by more than 30%, making the value much greater, and it will be supported by a free POS package, a new fully compliant fish filling and new sauces.

Sales and marketing director Tony Owen says: "Since 2008 our school wraps offer has been well received nationally because of the really high quality of the bread, chicken and authentic sauces. Recently though we have done some research which came up with some key recommendations. To make the most of the opportunity, caterers felt that increasing the size of the product would make it easier operationally and more attractive to the students. They also wanted an alternative to chicken as a filling so we've brought on a non fried coated fish.

"The feedback is that there is a massive opportunity for a high street quality grab 'n' go offer presented in the right fashion that ticks all the right nutritional boxes."

But it's not just the product but the delivery as well. Just Food & Drink Co has introduced a way of bringing theatre to bread fillings. Using special trays that can be prepared in advance with a variety of fillings, its simple equipment can roll the filling into the bread holder in seconds on demand.

Bel Foodservice, which supplies brands such as Leerdammer, says that despite the recession the sandwich still remains a favourite out of home meal choice, with the overall number of commercially made sandwiches sold rising in the last year bringing its market value to just under £5.5bn. Marketing director Ian Greengrass says: "The market is especially strong at lunchtime – with the average cost of a sandwich being £1.91.

They represent a more economical lunchtime option than visiting a pub or restaurant for a sit down meal."

He says operators need to offer a wide variety of high quality fillings and bread, and communicate this clearly to customers. "A Leerdammer, rocket and pesto baguette for example is more appealing than a cheese and salad sandwich. If operators want to break through the cost barrier and up sell to increase margins they need to give consumers good reason to spend more.

Sandwiches that contain recognized quality brand names are an excellent way of doing this and a great way of reassuring the customer they are getting a product that they know and trust."

Throughout winter, he adds, people are looking for warm lunchtime options and this is an area where the sandwich traditionally might have lost out to soups and microwave meals.

"However, the growth in demand for heated sandwiches such as toasted wraps demonstrates that the sandwich is a great winter option when served hot," he says. "Ingredient choice is crucial here as they react differently when heated and this can compromise the taste and quality of the sandwich."

Atlantic Foods commercial director Nigel Parkes says there are many challenges when providing a successful sandwich menu. "With the responsibility of feeding people on a daily basis, they must meet consumer trends by offering a selection of traditional and popular fillings such as chicken, cheese and ham while providing a balance of healthier options.

We are also becoming more adventurous in our tastes and there is a growing range of international flavours entering the market. Unsurprisingly, men buy nearly two-thirds of all sandwiches and worry less about health, so a good balance of traditional, indulgent and healthier fillings is essential."

'Walkers makes any sandwich more exciting' – that's the message from the Pepsico's heavyweight, celebrity led campaign targeting all Brits who currently don't eat crisps with their sandwiches at lunchtime. The campaign has featured a host of A list celebrities making surprise appearances in the town of Sandwich in Kent. These include top chef Marco Pierre White and England footballer Frank Lampard.

The company says nine out of 10 Brits currently enjoy sandwiches at lunchtime and are expected to spend a staggering £4.2bn on them this year. It says by offering meal deals caterers can capitalise on this opportunity, targeting the three in four consumers who don't regularly eat crisps with their lunch.