New Circle K research reveals the public’s favourite lunch ‘to go’

The public have spoken. Ireland’s beloved chicken fillet roll has maintained its reign as the nation’s favourite lunch, with 41% voting it their top lunchtime food ‘to go’, over other sandwich staples such as Chicken and Stuffing (14%), BLT (14%) and Chicken Caesar (13%). That’s according to new research commissioned by Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience retailer, Circle K, that examines how the nation feels about food ‘to go’.

In fact, the chicken fillet roll has almost doubled in popularity in recent years. Previous Circle K research revealed 22% would rank the chicken fillet roll as their deli food of choice in 20202. However, a succulent chicken fillet roll is not the only food people would queue up at the deli counter for, as 51% are firm fans of a delicious breakfast roll to start their mornings, more so than a sausage roll (27%) or a jambon (12%).

Whatever people’s preference for food ‘to go’ is, Circle K has made it even easier to enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast and lunch at terrific value. Circle K’s brand-new meal deal including delicious, freshly prepared deli options are now available across all stores nationwide (excluding Circle K Express). The new meal deal features a wide range of food and drink options, including the brand’s hugely popular Grab and Go range including, Sweet Potato Pakora Wrap, Pesto Chicken & Emmental Sandwich and the new Premium Roast Beef & Caramelised Onion Bloomer, to name a few.

Starting at €6, Circle K’s meal deal features a selection of Ireland’s favourite freshly prepared deli food, including the Chicken Fillet Roll and Breakfast Roll, and the deal lets people choose between a cold drink or upgrade to a hot beverage for only €1.

Make the cut

When it comes to how the public like their freshly prepared sandwiches, people know what they want, with 61% preferring their sandwiches cut diagonally rather than in half. Choosing the spread is easy for most too, with butter chosen as the top spread (52%), over mayonnaise (30%) and chutney / relish (5%).

Near, not far

While as a nation we love a good deal, the research interestingly reveals that most are not willing to travel for it. Almost a third (30%) will only travel up to 2km for food ‘to go’ regardless of cost, even though a staggering 92% buy food while on the go at least once a month, 28% enjoy food ‘to go’ several times a week.

Circle K’s brand-new meal deal

Convenience (39%), value (33%) and quality (24%) are the key factors the public considers when choosing food ‘to go’, and almost half (44%) will spend between €5-€9. Circle K’s brand-new meal deal hits the sweet spot starting at just €6, and with 169 Circle K sites conveniently located across communities in Ireland, people no longer need to travel far for delicious food and superb value too.

Commenting on the deal, Gillian McGowran, Market Development Director at Circle K Ireland said:

"At Circle K our goal is to keep innovating to provide customers with a strong variety of high-quality options, made in Ireland, for on the go snacking. We have extended our food ‘to go’ range and created this new meal deal to make it easy for our customers to have great tasting food, drinks, and snacks, conveniently in one place and at great value. Interestingly, our research shows that when it comes to Ireland’s favourite food ‘to go’, the public’s love for the chicken fillet roll has doubled in popularity in the last four years."

For more information on Circle K’s new meal deal, visit www.circlek.ie.