Sandwich Filling Ideas That Work for Foodservice

3rd February 2026

The perfect sandwich filling. A controversial topic. From outlandish filling combinations to the right bread, making a sandwich in 2026 isn’t as simple as you think.

In the foodservice industry, your sandwich menu has to be a mix of familiar but inventive, quick to assemble yet worth the customer’s time, and a collection of meat feasts and plant-based options.

In our sandwich guide, we’ll go over the best sandwich recipes to upsell your selection, undiscovered ingredients for a more inclusive menu, and Kara’s sandwich bread selection.

Team room, Restaurant or Truckers Café?

Depending on the establishment, the type of sandwich fillings you serve can be very different. It has to make sense for the service and the customer. For example, at a trucker’s café, the obvious choice is a bacon sarnie. Lunchtime in a team room, however, you should expect egg and cress or cucumber sandwiches.

Restaurants are where the filling choices can venture into the premium side. They have more time to play with, generally larger kitchens, more ingredients and a wider variety of customers.

Gourmet sandwich recipes with new fillings you might use as inspiration:

• A classic Reuben sandwich consists of corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese, and sauce, typically served on rye bread.
• The Cubano sandwich is a pressed sandwich made with roast pork, ham, cheese, and pickles on soft artisan bread.
• The katsu sando is a Japanese sandwich made with a breaded and fried pork cutlet, served with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage, on thick-cut white bread.
• The Philly cheesesteak is a classic American sandwich made with steak, white or red onions, and cheese in a French baguette.
• The French dip sandwich is made with roast beef served on a soft bun, accompanied by a bowl of hot gravy for dipping.

Sandwiches can be made with different types of bread, from ciabatta and focaccia to baguettes and seeded rolls. Matching the filling with the type of bread makes or breaks the sandwich. Have you ever seen a bacon sarnie in ciabatta? Or a generously stacked BLT on a soft roll?

More Sandwich Recipes, But with Options

In 2026, having options is the first thing you should consider. From vegetarian and vegan fillings to gluten-free bread, your menu needs to be diverse so that every customer who comes through your door has a sandwich choice.

With plant-based diets still relatively uncommon, a lot of foodservice providers resort to unadventurous options by simply removing the meat and leaving plain salad or vegetables. However, there are many ways to make an indulgent sandwich with plant-based fillings that will make your spot the ‘go-to’ for a lot of customers.

Plant-based, moreish sandwich filling ideas:

• Spreads like pesto and hummus can add flavour and moisture as a perfect substitute for mayonnaise.

• Combinations popular across the world, such as Middle Eastern falafel, Italian caprese and Mediterranean hummus and roasted red pepper, are tasty and healthy alternatives that can be made either roasted or raw.
• Coronation chickpea uses curry powder and mango chutney for the sweet but tangy taste of a coronation chicken-style sandwich.

• Tofu Bacon BLT uses smoked tofu, lettuce, and tomato as a vegetarian sandwich option.

This goes hand in hand with bread options. Stocking gluten-free, whole wheat, and sourdough bread means you can cater to more allergies, as well as dietary requirements and health-conscious customers.

Upselling a Sandwich – How’s it Done?

Toasties or hot sandwiches are hugely popular, as they are seen as a premium or luxury over your classic ‘ham salad’. As a foodservice provider, offering hot sandwiches or toasties is an easy way to upsell your selection.

Hot Sandwich Recipes:

• Classic cheese toasties or tuna melts are most popular because the customer knows what to expect.
• Spice it up with the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich, which can be enhanced with various ingredients like kimchi, hot sauce or different types of cheese.
• Brie: with bacon and cranberry for a festive sandwich, with fig and apple for a sweet tooth, or with chicken in a panini.
• Halloumi is a brilliant, trendy option that goes delightfully with sweet chilli or roasted veg for a Greek twist.

Conclusion: people love cheese, if not melted cheese, and they don’t mind paying more for it.

 A Kids’ Sandwich Menu – Healthy, Tasty and Fun

Sandwiches are a popular meal option for kids because they are easy to prepare, highly customisable, offer balanced nutrition, and are a familiar option for picky eaters.

Some top tips on kids’ sandwich ideas that are healthy, tasty and fun:

• Using wholemeal, granary, or sourdough bread increases fibre content in sandwiches.
• Popular sandwich fillings for kids: chicken salad, tuna-sweetcorn, cheese and tomato, nut butter and banana, or just a classic cheese sandwich.
• Swapping mayonnaise for Greek yoghurt, hummus, cream cheese, or avocado increases the nutritional profile of sandwiches.
• Elevating sandwiches with binders like avocado or yoghurt instead of mayonnaise promotes healthier options.
• Hummus paired with grated carrot or apple offers a combination of fibre, healthy fats, and vitamins.

How to Make the Perfect Sandwich?

Making the perfect sandwich is a very personal experience, which is why it is so difficult in the foodservice industry. Some like tuna, others hate it. Some want a meat feast, others opt for the plant-based option.

So what’s the common denominator? The bread.

We can all agree that a soft roll, crusty baguette, fluffy loaf, tangy sourdough, and light flatbread are the unsung heroes of every ‘perfect’ sandwich.

At Kara Foodservice, we bake a variety of bread, from buns and baguettes to Genius Gluten-Free and artisan breads. Our bread is frozen fresh from the oven, so that when you serve it, no matter the filling, the bread will never disappoint.

Get in touch to learn more about our foodservice bakery, or browse our savoury selection while you redraft your menu.