The First Sandwich of the Month - Time to revisit the BLT?
Is it time to revisit the BLT? That’s the challenge being posed by BPEX (part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board which represents pig levy payers in England) in supporting the first Sandwich of the Month in March 2012.
The BLT has for long been the 'Cinderella sandwich' within the fixture, a permanent feature in the chiller but rarely getting more than passing attention in terms of NPD. So, to coincide with the annual Bacon Connoisseurs Week (19th to 25th March) BPEX is challenging the sandwich industry to take another look at what they do with the BLT and, perhaps, give it a lift into the premium market.
What does this mean?
"We’d like to see sandwich manufacturers and sandwich bars critically challenge their existing BLT and re-construct it as an improved BLT, perhaps adopting the theme of Connoisseurs Week - 'Red, White & Bacon' ," says David Goodger, Trade Sector Manager – Foodservice BPEX. "This focus month provides the sandwich industry with the opportunity to trial an improved BLT and see if consumers like it.
"It would be good to see the sandwich industry follow the very great change that has taken part in the sausage industry, namely to use bacon that has been produced from pigs that have been raised to UK production standards by the British Pig Industry and to flag this fact on the front of pack or at the point of purchase.
"Costa Coffee has already done this successfully with their bacon sandwiches?"
BPEX suggest the industry should use bacons such as 'Sweetcure', 'Maple Cure' or 'Oak Smoked' to add perceived value to their products. They also suggest that in remodelling the BLT consideration might be given to using a different lettuce such as Battavia (widely used by McDonalds) and sliced vine ripened tomatoes with maybe a sun dried tomato or herb based bread.
There are lots of options for creating a BLT with a difference giving plenty of scope for operators to make something unique to them.
Pictured are a premium BLT sandwich in traditional and wrap formats. The triangular version is on a wholemeal bread, using maple cured streaky bacon, little gem lettuce and plum tomatoes. The wrap is the same idea but using pieces of streaky bacon rather than slices, shown with cos lettuce, yellow cherry tomatoes and some watercress leaves.
