Few people are better qualified to talk about sandwiches than Apollonia Poilâne. As daughter of the late Lionel Poilâne, and head of the artisan French bakery he founded, she was practically born with bread in her blood. “There was definitely a sandwich philosophy at home,” she says. “We’d go to the fridge and be creative. I think that’s the best way to be on picnics: just fill a basket with whatever you have and experiment when you get there.” Does she have a favourite sandwich? “It was my father’s favourite: he used to toast a piece of bread, scrub garlic on it, dice some tomatoes and then add a drop of olive oil and some sea salt. It’s an extraordinary sandwich: very simple, but very good.”

Remember that the type of bread you choose, your fillings and how much you use is infinitely flexible and really a matter of personal preference. The ideas below are to get you started and to show the possibilities out there — once you move away from a ham-salad or egg-and-cress mindset.

- Top a slice of walnut bread with some soft goat’s cheese and slices of dried fig.

- Thinly slice different types of radishes. Arrange them between two thin slices of rye bread and, if you like fish, add a few pieces of smoked eel or herring, to taste.

- Roughly purée some fresh peas, broad beans and string beans with a blob of ricotta. Spread on a slice of sourdough bread and top with a poached egg.

- Pan-fry some thinly sliced aubergine in olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side. Arrange on slices of sourdough bread with sliced avocado, culatello or parma ham, parmesan shavings and rocket.

- Layer fromage frais, salami (or ham, or coppa), sliced artichoke hearts, black olives and a sprig of chervil on 2 half-slices of sourdough bread.

- For a light lunch or tea, spread a decent dollop of taramasalata between two slices of milk bread and finish with small watercress leaves.

- Pile beef tartare, sliced red pepper, chopped chives and cucumber slices on 2 slices of sourdough bread and finish with a dash of olive oil.

- Thinly slice some beef fillet and place on your choice of bread, adding some horseradish mayonnaise, lettuce leaves and chopped pickles.

- Spread a layer of tapenade (olive spread) over a slice of sourdough bread. Top with thin slices of roast pork, a couple of sprigs of parsley and some lightly crushed soya beans.

Poilâne, 46 Elizabeth Street, SW1; 020 7808 4910

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