The humble sandwich faced some stiff competition at this autumn’s Lunch trade show at Excel London. Targeting lunchers who want options beyond a couple of slices of bread, NPD ranged from steamed buns to salad rolls. Here’s our pick of the top innovations.
1. Kaleidoscope Salad
Ever wished you could eat a salad without the fuss of cutlery? Kaleidoscope’s range of salad rolls are aiming to make eating your greens as easy as possible. Described as salad without a fork, each 100-calorie roll contains fresh ingredients wrapped up in a thin, transparent rice paper for easy eating and dipping. The rolls are available in vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free variants.
2. Gazpacho to Go
In Spain, gazpacho is a lunchtime staple. In the UK, wariness of cold soup has left sales struggling to reach the £1m mark. One company hoping to change all that is farmer cooperative Crealine, which launched its Gazpacho to Go at the show. Its 240ml bottles of Original, Tomato & Basil and Tomato & Beetroot soups are squarely targeted at the on-the-go lunch trade. Set to retail at between £2 and £2.50, Crealine hopes the all-natural ingredients and low calorie content (75 calories) will attract the UK’s health-conscious shoppers.
3. Bespoke Bowls
Widely tipped as the next sushi, poke bowls have become a common sight at trendy London eateries. Now Deli Lites is hoping to take the trend mainstream with its Bespoke Bowls, a twist on the Hawaiian favourite. The three-strong range of Italian, Asian and Moroccan pots is already available in Applegreen forecourts in Ireland, and the company visited Lunch with the aim of securing some UK business. With plenty of virtuous credentials – the bowls are dairy-free, high in protein and contain one of your five a day – they may just tap the healthy lunch market.
4. Ninkee Rolls
Fancy your chilli con carne served in a frozen roll? Hear us out on this one. With fillings ranging from Celtic Veggie to Welsh Rarebit and Chilli, just a quick blast in the microwave turns these frozen Ninkee rolls into a soft, steamed bread. As they are heated without breaking the wrapper – the patented design contains a steam valve – they are designed for retailers who don’t prepare food but want to offer a hot option. Promising relatively low salt, sugar and saturated fat content, Wales-based Ninkee hopes its snacks can be a healthy alternative to a sausage roll.
5. Trang’s Bao Buns
Fans went wild when Sainsbury’s unveiled its first on-the-go steamed buns last year. Appetite for bao buns has shown no sign of abating since, with specialists such as London’s Bao regularly pulling in the crowds. To capitalise on this boom, Trang’s Group is hoping to bring its Vietnamese-made product, which needs just two minutes in the microwave, to the supermarket aisles. Including a gluten-free and vegan option, the group is determined to ensure its range is “on trend” for the UK audience. And it revealed it had already initiated discussions with major retailers at the show.
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