The penny-conscious among us are returning to our lunchtime 'local' - the staff restaurant!
As the start of the Millennium saw working Britain spending the most time and money recorded in a decade over their midday meal, todays situation couldn’t be more different.
This is one of the findings of the Lunchtime Report , from workplace catering organisation Eurest.
It says that the impact of world events, job fears and increased work pressures has seen the lunch hour drop nine minutes to a 27-minute low, the lowest ever recorded since the first Lunchtime Report , in 1990. Spending too, has dropped for the first time in 12 years, as workers tighten their belts, and count their pennies.
Not so surprisingly, the staff restaurant is experiencing a major comeback, with more cost-conscious workers choosing to lunch in rather than lunch out.
Key Findings across the UK (excluding Northern Ireland)
More than half of British workers (57%) take a lunchbreak every working day, and the same 18% who didn’t take a break in 2000, still don’t!
The number of women who never take a lunchbreak has fallen considerably, in the last five years, from an all time high of one in three (35%) in 1997, to less than one in four (24%) in 2002
At an average 27 minutes, the working lunch in 2002 is a significant nine minutes shorter than it was in 2000. Hi-tech workers and researchers take the longest lunches (30 minutes) followed by professionals, who take one minute less. Manual workers at 25 minutes take the shortest breaks
While average daily expenditure on lunch is £1.95, down slightly from £1.98, two years ago, almost half the workforce (45%) spends less than £2 on lunch, compared to just a third in 2000. Almost one in four (23%) spend less than £1
Where a staff restaurant is provided, 35% of workers use it regularly (4/5 times per week) compared to just 16% in 2000
Workers who purchase their lunch are most likely to buy it from their staff restaurant / cafeteria (19%), a local sandwich shop (15%) or a supermarket or food retailer (5%)
Workers choose their lunch on the basis of taste (66%), healthy option (49%), price (47%) and convenience and speed (41%)
Sandwiches are the most popular lunchtime food cited by 65% of workers compared to 49% in 2000. Tea (41%) and coffee (33%) are the favourite lunchtime drinks
Nearly two thirds of workers (63%) are not prepared to pay more for organically produced food for lunch. Of those who would pay extra, over half (55%) would pay no more than 15%
After eating, the most popular lunchtime activity for just over one third of workers (34%) is to relax and not do anything
Key Findings in Northern Ireland (NI) and Republic of Ireland (RoI)
Irish workers are by far the most committed lunchers, with the vast majority (77%) taking a lunchbreak every working day with eight out of ten workers (80%) doing so in the RoI
The average length of the Irish lunchbreak is 38 minutes, with the RoI taking the longest (39 mins) compared with NI workers’ 36 minutes
Irish workers spend an average £2.16 (€3.46) on lunch each day
One in five Irish workers (22%) eats lunch in the staff restaurant five days a week
The most popular sources of lunch are the staff restaurant (24%), a local sandwich shop (23%) and a packed lunch (21%)
Irish workers choose their lunch on the basis of taste (75%), convenience (54%), healthy option (53%), high quality (50%) and price (49%)
Sandwiches are a firm favourite with most Irish workers (70%) followed by salad (34%), fruit (27%), jacket potatoes (22%), soup (22%), and traditional meat and two veg (21%)
Of the 60% of Irish workers who are prepared to pay more for an organic midday meal, the majority would pay no more than 15% extra for it
Tea is the most popular lunchtime drink amongst Irish workers - 100% drink it often
After eating, the top lunchtime activities for Irish workers are rest and relaxation (34%) followed by socialising with work colleagues (27%), walking (26%) and general shopping (25%)
One in five Irish workers (19%) smokes during their lunchbreak
More information available in Dining Out, Eating In, Healthy Alternatives, Vegetarian, Incentives & Rewards, Work Environment