The tale of sandwiches becoming a global favourite
A sandwich is a dish in which slices of meat, jam, cheese, or vegetables are stuffed between two or more slices of bread. It can also have food items placed on a slice of bread.
The snack is said to have been named ‘sandwich’ in 1762, when John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich (an English town). He consumed a helping of roast beef between two slices of bread while playing cards.

It is another matter that people consumed bread or items akin to bread from the first century BC. Historical accounts say that in the first century BC, Hillel the Elder, an ancient Jewish rabbi, ate meat wrapped in soft matzah, a flat unleavened bread, during Passover.
Flatbreads that varied slightly from one another are said to have been used to cover small amounts of food in Western Asia and Northern Africa.
Trenchers, thick chunks of stale bread, were reportedly consumed in medieval Europe. Meat and other food items were spread over the top of this item, which individuals consumed using their hands. As these trenchers were said to be thick and stale, they easily absorbed the sauces, juices, and grease.
The surge in the popularity of sandwiches worldwide
In the 19th century, sandwiches became highly popular in Spain and England during the Industrial Revolution. This was largely because they could be prepared quickly and were also cheap to buy. Furthermore, they could be eaten out of hand and did not need to be stored.
By 1850, sandwiches had become a staple dish in London, with the city having around seventy vendors on its streets. Meanwhile, in the western part of Holland, sandwich bars had sprung up selling these snacks with salt beef and liver stuffed into them.
From England, the sandwich went to America in 1840, where an English woman wrote about it in her cookbook. Initially, people in the United States were not eager to accept a British dish. Sandwich rooms, however, became popular over time by the early 20th century. It received a further boost in the U.S. after the invention of sliced bread in the 1920s.
Until the 1970s, stale unwrapped sandwiches were sold in the United Kingdom. It all changed when a British store chain, Marks & Spencer, started selling pre-made sandwiches. They stored them in boxes to keep them fresh. With this, sandwich rooms became even more popular in the UK.
Meanwhile, in the US, sandwich chains opened in the latter part of the 20th century. It began when the Blimpie restaurant opened in Hoboken, New Jersey. Then, Pete’s Super Submarines, now known as Subway, opened.
The most famous sandwiches in the US, UK, and Europe include club sandwiches, Cuban sandwiches, po’boys, Reuben sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches, shawarma, etc.
Grand View Research, a market research firm, says the global pre-packaged sandwich market was worth USD 1.74 billion in 2023. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% to USD 2.44 billion during the period 2024-2030. Europe has the largest market revenue share at 34.4%, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific. Greencore Group is the top global sandwich maker. Marks & Spencer and Tyson Foods are second and third, respectively.
Entry of sandwiches into India
In India, sandwiches made their appearance first in the city of Mumbai. The famed ‘Bombay sandwich’ became popular in the mid-20th century. Also, Vada Pav, a Maharashtrian dish, an Indian variant of a sandwich, is a bun in which a fried potato fritter is stuffed.
Sandwiches became popular among migrant workers in Mumbai who wanted a quick and filling bite. Most Goans, who shifted to Mumbai in search of jobs, opened bakeries in their adopted city. This also led to Mumbai becoming the sandwich capital of India. The Portuguese bread came to be known as pav or pao. That is how Vada Pav got its name.
By the 1960s, British white bread loaves reached India’s middle-class homes. This was due to the rise of large industrial bakeries. Soon, street vendors and fast-food chains started selling sandwiches as street food in the 1970s. Sandwiches became popular with students and office-goers.
Gradually, they made their way into railway stations and pantry cars in trains, making it a universal dish in India. A bread omelette is now one of the most sought-after sandwiches in India. After India became a top tech hub, it became a staple food item in cities like Bengaluru, NCR, Hyderabad, and Pune, where most IT firms are located.
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