UK | Brits are creating record demand for Italian bread, cheese and meat thanks to a major TikTok sandwich-making trend.
Recently, TikTok and other social media sites have been filled with recipes for the super-trendy Italian sandwiches, typically made using classic Italian bread, cheese, and meats, with salad ingredients added.
The trend has become so pronounced that in the last year Tesco has seen demand for the following Italian foods rocket:
- Finest Smoked Scamorza Mozzarella – up by nearly 400 percent
- Finest Italian Burrata – up by more than 100 percent
- Gorgonzola – up by nearly 70 percent
- Italian bread such as Foccacia, Panini, Ciabatta and Piadini – up by more than 40 percent
- Italian/continental meat platters – up 35 percent
“Quality sandwiches are very on trend right now, and across the UK you’ll find artisan takeaway shops in major cities creating sandwiches that are a complete meal in themselves with all kinds of luxury ingredients,” said Tesco cheese buyer Charlotte Gramlick.
“That trend is also being replicated at home with home chefs using social media sites and especially TikTok to show off their creations and recipes. As a result, we’re seeing really strong demand for Italian cheeses, bread and meat platters.”
As a result of the Italian sandwich trend, Tesco will launch Finest Mortadella and Mozzarella with Pesto Ricotta in Focaccia bread next month.
Food manufacturer Samworth Brothers, which collaborated with the supermarket to create the new Italian sandwich, is one of the UK's largest food manufacturers.
They have a team of dedicated researchers who travel the UK and beyond to find the latest sandwich trends.
“Authentic Italian food is a key trend right now, both as a sit-down meal and as food on the go. This new sandwich has been inspired by the quality sandwiches being made in Italian delis at the moment,” said Samworth Senior Development Chef Harry Dempster.
“Brits have a great love for Italian food and it’s been our favourite cuisine to eat at home for many years now, with pasta and pizza so popular that they are even part of our national diet,” added Gramlick.
“But now that fondness for Italian is having a major impact on the food to go business, with wonderful cheeses such as mozzarella and burrata, and meats like mortadella becoming favourite sandwich filling treats.”
As a further result of the trend the supermarket has two more Italian bread lines launching in May a Finest Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia Panini and a Finest Olive Focaccia Panini.
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