Retailer claims to have recipe for ‘ultimate' fish finger sandwich

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New research conducted by frozen food retailer Iceland Foods claims to have determined the ideal ingredient combination for the ultimate fish finger sandwich, a firm favourite of the British public.

Iceland Foods

The most popular recipe among Brits comprises four breaded fish fingers, a dollop of ketchup, a sprinkling of lettuce and sliced white bread with a layer of real butter

Using the results of a survey of 2,000 fish finger sandwich eaters in the United Kingdom, conducted in September 2023 by Iceland Foods, Birds Eye and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), it was found that the most popular recipe comprises four breaded fish fingers, a dollop of ketchup, a sprinkling of lettuce and placed between classic sliced white bread with a layer of real butter.

However, the research did find some polarising choices:

64% of the Brits who eat fish finger sandwiches believe the sandwich should be cheese-free
Just 9% would opt for gherkins
44% put ketchup on the sandwich versus 31% who prefer tartare sauce and mayonnaise
43% of respondents voted for cutting the sandwich sideways in order to have whole fish fingers on both sides of the bread (10% aren’t cutting it at all)

“We know our fish fingers are not only great value, but they taste good too – making them a quick and easy meal that is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser for families,” said Andrew Staniland, Group Buying Director at Iceland Foods & The Food Warehouse.

The more serious side of the research looked at shoppers’ buying habits and their likelihood to choose seafood from sustainable sources. In this regard, it was found that 76% of people want the fish fingers they buy to be sustainably caught and 64% are keen to make more sustainable choices. But 44% of respondents said they don’t know where to start and 56% don’t know what “MSC certification” means.

Additionally, 39% said they cared about the planet but couldn’t afford to make changes to their weekly shop.

Jim Shearer, Marketing Director Birds Eye UK & Ireland said: “We are very proud to be working closely with the MSC. Fish is good for our health, and so for the good of our oceans the Birds Eye fish range is 100% MSC-certified to make sure future generations can enjoy fish too.”

George Clark, Programme Director for MSC UK & Ireland, said: “The creators of the fish finger, Birds Eye, helped to co-found the MSC to help protect seafood supplies, while Iceland, who won MSC UK Newcomer of the Year in 2020, has made great progress in increasing the availability of sustainable seafood to its customers, and now offers the highest percentage range of MSC certified wild seafood among all UK retailers.”