Sandwiches and rolls tick the boxes for value and menu repurposing
/While market fads come and go, sandwiches and rolls continue to be a takeaway and dine-in mainstay – and according to Darren O’Brien, Bakery Innovation Manager at Tip Top Foodservice, it’s partly because they tick boxes for value perception as well as menu repurposing.
“Bread is good value because it’s filling,” Darren points out. “When customers buy a sandwich or a roll they feel satiated. And with foodservice operators highly focused on finding ways to minimise waste, it’s great to be able to repurpose leftover ingredients rather than throwing them out. You can almost always do this by using them in sandwiches and rolls.
“Garlic bread is super simple – everybody loves it and it’s very low labour”
“Similarly with bread itself, we have smaller cartons today to fit in smaller footprint freezers, which makes it easy to use what you need when you need – again cutting down on waste. Even presliced bread is saving you on labour costs – so whichever way you look at it, they’re a value-efficient and waste minimising menu option.”
This focus on value is driving innovation in the category – such as two new seven inch Garlic Bread Rolls, as opposed to the standard nine inch variety. “You’ve now got a value version that you can buy – we haven’t changed the recipe, it’s just shorter, but the same quality as always and comes in small cartons that are easy to manage,” Darren says. “Garlic bread is super simple – everybody loves it and it’s very low labour, making it great value for the commercial kitchen.
“We’re also launching two new burger bun products – one of which is an indulgent Gourmet Bun, but its pricepoint is below that of our other premium buns and it’s a nice soft product with bold glazing for that visual appeal. It’s just a little under the price of your brioche, potato and milk buns so it’s ideal for people who want to elevate their offering without it costing too much.
“The other new one is a milk style bun, but it’s dairy-free and vegan – it’s made with coconut milk powder, so eliminating dairy milk which is an allergen for some people. The coconut powder imparts that same creamy softness and sweetness of a regular milk bun, but without the dairy. And it doesn’t taste of coconut – it delivers the texture, not the flavour. That’s also priced a little cheaper than our premium milk buns – again it’s focusing on helping operators on the value side, while leaning into the new and different indulgent market.”
International trends soon to hit our shores
Part of Darren’s role includes keeping his finger on the pulse of international trends which are likely to reach our shores. One which has already landed is deep-filled sandwiches – “great, big, thick ones that the Americans have been expert at for years,” he says. “They have lots of layered fillings all between two pieces of bread – you might have three slices of cheese, a few pieces of meat, veg and salad all layered into a high stack, so you get these definite colour lines through the whole sandwich, then you cut it in half and present it and it delivers great visual presentation.”
Using multiple slices of vegetables is also on trend. “Vegan and vegetarian is becoming so popular again, and it’s not so much the plant-based protein substitutes that are trending but the natural stuff out of the ground.”
“There are more and more people who are looking for a higher quality gluten free product so we’ve worked hard to be responsive to that”
Contemporary sandwich stylings which are fast becoming takeaway and eat-in mainstays include Chicken Katsu – which Darren describes as “so tasty but a really simple build. Japanese cuisine is really popular right now and putting your chicken katsu into a sandwich just makes it easier as a takeaway option; it’s really worth having a look at to elevate the menu. Another popular favourite over summer has been seafood sandwiches – rather than a traditional lobster roll, people have moved towards lobster sandwiches, just soft white bread with lobster, crab or prawn in a variety of presentation styles.”
Sides of dipping sauce for sandwiches is another innovation which is gaining ground. “This has started with burgers and now spread to sandwiches – a nice ham sandwich with a side of melted cheese to dip in, or a dipping relish. One which is a really fun experience for the customer is a grilled chicken sandwich with Indian butter chicken sauce on the side for dipping. Obviously it’s not for grab and go – it’s a sit-down occasion, but a fun way to trick things up for customers dining in.”
A popular trend throughout Europe, South America and the US and now being rolled out here is the use of croissants in place of bread or rolls – “it’s more of an indulgence, being a sweeter, buttery pastry but which still carries all the fillings. One trick people are using is to put them in a sandwich press to flatten them down and give a toasted texture with a crisp bite.
“The other popular indulgence, particularly at breakfast, is building a sandwich out of French toast – with fillings like bacon and egg. Again it’s simple to prepare and not particularly expensive, but it’s very tasty and something that stands out on the menu.”
Chefs are also experimenting with adapting rolls or subs into sandwiches – “It used to be that Italian meatballs were always served in subs but now we’re seeing them on bread. We’re also seeing banh mi sandwiches and burgers – people are taking those fillings and putting them between bread.”
Another contemporary take on an old favourite is the Pattie Melt – “the fillings are those of a traditional hamburger, but served on thick toasted bread instead of a burger bun. And with that toasted top slice you get extra bite.”
“Whipped soft cheese is a really popular option for open sandwiches”
Open sandwiches are still popular – typically served on sourdough, which delivers a firmer texture and crispy crust. “Whipped soft cheese is a really popular option for open sandwiches,” Darren says, “sometimes also incorporating a brightly coloured vegetable puree – like a whipped ricotta with beetroot. Texturally you have the firmness of the bread contrasting with the softness of the ricotta, then you can add other toppings – it’s a nice alternative to your standard avocado on sourdough.
“The other one I have to mention which I think is an ideal option for the Australian market is using a horizontal cut garlic bread sub to make a steak sandwich. Give it a quick toast to melt the garlic butter, add your steak and onions and serve up – the seven inch garlic loaf is the perfect size for this. It’s great for pubs and clubs in particular because it trims down the cost of the steak – you don’t need to serve as big a piece as you would to fill a standard nine inch garlic bread.”
Vietnamese rolls, designed for banh mi, are also being filled with everything from salad to carvery roasts and Darren says the category is growing all the time. “The reason is the texture – it’s light and airy inside, so a softer, lighter eat, but it has a nice crisp exterior. Soft Turkish oval rolls are also very popular because they have a great rustic look and their texture makes them ideal for sandwich presses. You might also try panini rolls for Italian deli serves like meatball sandwiches.
“Using different bread carriers can add to the customer experience by elevating the traditional fillings”
“The thing to remember about sandwiches and rolls is that they’re as good for grab and go as they are for dine-in. When customers go to a café or pub they’re familiar and comforting food. And using different bread carriers can add to the customer experience by elevating the traditional fillings.
“It’s also a category that’s easy to innovate. It can often be as simple as taking a popular plated dish and putting it between some bread – that’s where many of these great ideas came from, people asking themselves how can I adapt this dish into a sandwich or a roll? I think when it comes to food Australians are great explorers and this is a great way of leaning into that.”
