Faster food replaces the leisurely lunch

AS THE recession bites, a gastronomic indignity is nibbling its way through the land of fine dining: the humble sandwich. Last year the French munched their way through 1.3 billion sandwiches, 50m more than in 2007, according to GIRA Foodservice, a consultancy. The traditional sit-down lunch with the plat du jour at the local brasserie is, it seems, under threat. In 2008 bankruptcies of restaurants and cafes, affected also by the smoking ban, leapt by 26%. Is the global slump turning a nation of civilised lunchers into one of convenience snackers?

Even before the downturn, the French had acquired a taste for the sandwich. Between 2003 and 2008, the market jumped by 28% in volume. It is now worth some €4 billion ($5.1 billion) a year. This includes the triangles of bread favoured by the British and the French version made with a baguette. In recent years, boutique sandwich bars, offering such fillings as foie gras with onion confit, have spread across the business districts of Paris, attracting long lunchtime queues. Chains such as Paul, Lina’s (slogan: le beautiful sandwich) or Dailymonop’ have also taken root. ...