THE lunchtime sarnie may seem like an old-fashioned and simple product but the adoption of bitcoins to pay for them is an intriguing digital step forward.

JimBob Baguettes in Magdalen Street is opening and will take the digital currency “over the counter” and it is believed to be the first such shop in the city to do so.

Bitcoins are relatively new and, it must be said, have already had their first problem with the collapse of the Mt Gox exchange company.

So, it should be a case of buyer beware before sinking all of your hard-earned hard currency into this digital offering.

Bitcoins may or may not be the future but for companies like JimBob’s it is all about making yourself as flexible as possible for your customers.