It’s a daily dilemma faced by independent retailers whether to stock fresh foods to give shoppers a greater choice, or avoid fresh and the inevitable wastage that comes with it.

But now Booker has come to the rescue with the launch of a new range of sandwiches with an incredible 14-day shelf life.

The six-strong range includes chicken & bacon, chicken tikka, ham & cheese, cheese & onion, cheese ploughman’s and tuna mayonnaise, all of which have an rsp of £1.49.

They are available to retailers in packs of six, with both the ‘meaty pack’ and the ‘non-meaty pack’ carrying a wsp (wholesale selling price) of £5.35, giving retailers a 40% return.

Sandwiches generally have a shelf life of two to three days, so the new range would not only minimise wastage but also complement retailers’ food-to-go ranges, the C&C giant said. “Booker is committed to increasing our choice of products,” said Booker’s sales director for retail, Steve Fox. “They are convenient and, with shelf-ready packaging, easy to introduce into stores. They look and taste great and are ideal to reduce wastage.”

“Retailers should buy these products little and often to maintain fantastic availability and make their store a destination for food-to-go,” he added.

The range is the latest in a string of longer-life products to be launched this year. In April, The Grocer revealed Bistro Express, a range of ambient ready meals made by Enterprise Brands, was looking for further retail listings. Heinz, Mars and Organix are also launching ambient ready meals later this month.