Food & Drink

Since the rumblings of economic uncertainty were first felt two years ago, cash concerns have prompted a rapid rise in the trend for so-called 'Al Desco dining'. In order to cut costs, nearly half of Britain's workers now regularly eat at their desks, and one in ten do so every day.

40% of people say they now eat Al Desco. Two thirds of them say it's because it saves time and a third say it's because it saves money. A side-effect of all this self sufficiency is that we're inadvertently rediscovering the joys of the classic British sarnie. And we're finding out too that we can eat like royalty without having to spend a king's ransom.

Cheese and pickle and the BLT are the UK's joint favourite sarnies according to the research by I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Traditional English fillings have clearly not gone out of style, despite the abundance of exotic flavours seen in chains throughout the country, as ham and cheese and egg and cress came third and fourth respectively.

But what about those among us who want to create gourmet sandwiches for under a fiver? Watch our video for all you need to know about shopping at the beginning of the week to create a 'capsule sandwich wardrobe.' Learn which ingredients go together, how to pick the fillings that won't go off between purchase on a Monday and the Friday eat, plus everything you need to create the perfect lunchbox . . .