It is believed that the first sandwich was created in England in 1762, when John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, asked to put fried meat between two slices of bread – so that he could have a snack without getting his fingers dirty while playing a card game. Today, the variety of sandwiches available would satisfy the taste of even the pickiest eater. Here on the Internet you can find more than 200 different sandwich recipes, including many sandwiches that have become dishes of national cuisine, such as Polish “zapiekanka” or Italian “panini”. Sandwiches are also popular in Lithuania, so manufacturers are responding by producing more and more of these snacks every year.

“With their combination of many nutritious ingredients, sandwiches are perfect for satisfying hunger during a break at work, when traveling by car or when you simply don’t have time to prepare a hot breakfast or even dinner. The rhythm of life is fast, so sandwiches are very popular due to their convenience,” says Ramunė Puzinienė, Head of New Product Development at Mantinga, the largest producer of bread, snacks and frozen products in the Baltic States.

According to R Puzinienė, the growing production volumes of sandwiches in Lithuania demonstrates their increasing popularity – in May of this year, Mantinga produced a record number of sandwiches, almost 2.3 million pieces.

“In July of last year, we reached the record of 2 million sandwiches for the first time. This year, it seems, we will beat it again – by monitoring consumer needs and trends in the market, the production of sandwiches may reach 2.5 million pieces already this summer,” says R Puzinienė.