29 minute lunch break is now the norm

UK workers are taking on average just 29 minutes for lunch, according to new research from workplace catering company, Eurest Services.

This trend, which is reported in the caterer's Eating at Work report, is leading to a culture of 'desk dining' and 'grazing' in UK offices.

One in 14 (7%) workers are not stopping at all to take a lunch break and admit eating at their desks, whilst a further 76% of workers confess to 'grazing', or routinely eating on the move, throughout the day.

At the same time, the number of lunch breaks taken throughout the week has also fallen over the last couple of years. 

On average, workers now take 3.3 breaks per week, with women taking less than 3. 

This is compared with an average of 3.5 lunch breaks in 2006.

The report highlights that it is not the volume of food consumed which has changed, it is the way that workers are choosing to eat it. As workloads and stress levels increase, UK workers are taking a short, middle-of-the day pit stop but are more likely to 'graze' throughout the day to top up energy levels – confirming that the hour-long lunch break is consigned to history.

Nick Vadis, the Executive Chef for Eurest Services, comments: "Because we run restaurants in 80% of FTSE100 companies – we get a unique insight into the nation's workplace eating habits. Hectic lifestyles and long working hours mean that long lunch breaks are off the menu in 2008, as workers opt for quick grab foods and eat at their desks."

First published in 1990, the Eurest Services Eating at Work Report is the bi-annual barometer of the UK and Ireland's eating habits in the workplace.

Words: Clare Riley

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