Gourmet Toasties

 Life of Grey Gourmet Toasties in Brighton

 @lifeofgrey20

Freshly Toasted

Powerful word - fresh

True Meal Deal

 99p baguette value at Meal Deal in Birmingham.

 £1.74 meal deal - baguette, fries and can of drink

 £1.49 Jacket Potatoes and Panini

Image & Reality

 It's tough when you don't have a kitchen and rely on pre-packaged food - Starbucks' Croque Monsieur looks good on the A-board but less so in the chiller.

All the chains have this issue - see Costa's challenge at http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/freshly-toasted.html - and it is the independent's greatest weapon if they have some on-site preparation.

Freshly Toasted

 Pre-prepared hot food is a tough one to advertise and makes the case for those cafes with kitchens.

Toasties EATen

Sourdough Toasties at EAT - Reuben, Ultimate Four Cheese and Firecracker Chicken.

My taster spy commented: "Very enjoyable toasted cheese sandwich. Sourdough bread really nice.  

Slight criticisms: Some of the cheese squashed out of sandwich and in wrapping; One side of the bread crispy, the other side a bit wet and damp next to silver foil wrapping. Would have preferred crispy both sides."  Thank-you Bob.

Grilled Cheese

 It;s the simple things that are in great demand - grilled cheese sandwiches at the Cheese Truck.  Note the Fondue Fries and Bloody Mary Beans.  We can learn so much from the street food traders who have such original thinking and creativity.

Clever Costa

 Sourdough ciabatta rolls at Costa are the first time we have seen any of the multiple cafe operators take advantage of the fashion for sourdough.  Ahead of Pret - well done Costa.

Goats Cheese & Beetroot Panini or Brie, Bacon & Caramelised Onion Panini both in stonebaked sourdough ciabatta.  @CostaCoffee

Latte & Lager

 Bars are going to have to watch out as more and more cafes sell beer/alcohol and extend their hours and customer base.

 Bulldog Edition is the cafe inside the Ace hotel in Shoreditch.

The Mull cheese and truffled leek toasted sandwich (at £4.80) was original and excellent.  Note the beer taps.

£3 Mini

 Mini £3 and gourmet paninis at Illy's Regent Street Espressamente cafe.

Video on the Shelf

Caffe Nero have gone high tech on their multideck chiller shelf with video selling the virtues of panini

Plus the old-fashioned back up - poster on easel