Kingsmill has this morning launched a new range of sandwich thins – coupled with the announcement of an £8.4m investment at its bakery in Glasgow.

Kingsmill Sandwich Thins are square, pre-sliced thin rolls, available in both white and 50/50 varieties.

Kingsmill, owned by Allied Bakeries, said the launch was to capitalise on £30m-worth of growth in the sandwich thins market and it apes the move by Warburtons into the sector some years ago

Janene Warsap, head of Innovation at Kingsmill, said: “Our in-depth research shows that consumers want both variety and healthier alternatives when it comes to bakery. Kingsmill Sandwich Thins, which have 99 calories each, are an easy way to make delicious sandwiches or snacks, such as mini-pizzas or dip accompaniments that all the family can enjoy.

Infrastructure

“Not only are we investing in our bakery infrastructure to build capacity and distribution, but we are also committing £5m over two years to a significant and sustained marketing campaign, including TV and shopper marketing, which demonstrates our belief in sandwich alternatives as the growth engine for bakery.”

The RRP is £1.29 for a pack of six thins and they will be available in store from September.

Chris Longbottom, from Kantar Worldpanel, added: “As a nation we eat 5.1 billion sandwiches a year – seven times more than our next favourite food, pizza. However, people are seeking out lighter alternatives and more variety from all their meals and snacks, which is evidenced by the staggering growth experienced in sandwich alternatives. In fact, we’ve seen nearly £30m of value growth in sandwich alternatives come from incremental sales alone - a level of growth that is far outpacing the growth rate of plant bakery overall.”