The cost of living crisis has absolutely ruined lunch. As prices rise and disposable income shrinks, the simple act of popping out for a sandwich now represents a hefty outgoing. Five Tesco meal deals a week will now cost you £100 a month. Meanwhile, a chicken caesar bacon baguette bought from a central London branch of Pret now costs £6.50. Buy one of those every weekday for a year and you’ll have spent £1,560.
Little wonder, then, that we’re relying more and more on packed lunches. Research from the data insights company Kantar has shown that last year, Britons brought 57m more lunchboxes to work last year than they did in 2022. But the problem with lunchboxes is that they easily become expensive, boring or a total faff. Here, top chefs share their recommendations for weekday working lunches that are delicious, affordable and not too fiddly.
Curried corn
Riaz Phillips, Caribbean food expert and author of East Winds
With a pestle and mortar, mash a small chilli and some garlic. Add this to a bowl with two tablespoons of curry powder and four tablespoons of cold water, and stir until the mixture resembles a paste. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat three tablespoons of oil over a medium-high heat. Add some chopped onion and spring onions and sauté for three minutes. Add the spice paste and stir for five minutes. Next, chop up two corn cobs into four round chunks and stir to combine with the paste. Add a teaspoon of salt and stir. Pour in one can of coconut milk, cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with a tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander. Serve with plain white rice.
The ultimate Italian sandwich
Matteo Delnevo, founder of The Rising Sun and Delnevos
This delicious meaty sandwich is open to interpretation and can contain whatever you fancy, or have to hand. Simply pile rocket, parmesan, your cured meat of choice and roasted peppers between focaccia slices. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a little olive oil. For an extra kick, spread on some chilli pepper paste. This is a far cry from your average shop-bought ham and cheese. Buon appetito!
Sambal Telur
Rahel Stephanie, Spoons supper club
Indonesians love doing all sorts of different things to their eggs. One of our favourite ways to cook eggs, which I’ve never actually seen in the UK – or even other parts of the world outside south-east Asia – is to hard boil an egg and then deep fry it in two or three inches of oil. This bruises the exterior to give you this crispy golden goodness. That texture grips on to any kind of sauce you douse it in. My favourite sambal to throw in is super-easy – made with tomatoes, shallot, garlic and a big red chilli.
Lettuce wraps
Tommy Heaney of Heaneys Cardiff
I love lettuce wraps – they’re a bit lighter than a sandwich and super-refreshing. You can fill them with anything – chicken is a crowd-pleaser, but I love lamb with an Asian twist. Fry strips of lamb, toss with soy, sweet soy, oyster sauce, ginger and garlic. Pair with a simple salad; spring onion, cucumber, coriander and loads of fresh mint, and finish with a big spoonful of salsa verde and crispy fried noodles. Delicious.
Indian spiced roll
Aktar Islam, chef Patron of Opheem
Simple but not to be underestimated. It all starts with a spicy omelette; add a little chilli and curry powder to your egg mix, then chuck in some green chillies, onion and coriander. Cook until coloured on both sides, and then transfer on to your tortilla wrap. While your omelette is cooling, chop your salad toppings of choice. I like to have mine with cucumber, tomato and onion. Finish off with some sriracha sauce and mayo, then you’re good to roll-and-go.
Folded Korean kimbap sandwich
Judy Joo, founder of Seoul Bird
Folded Korean kimbap sandwiches are a fun, easy and tasty version of the traditionally rolled street food snack. You can make them with whatever filling you like. All you need is a piece of nori (dried seaweed sheet). Make a cut from the middle of one side to the centre. Then spread steamed short grain rice over one quadrant, and then do the same with three different ingredients of your choice. My favourite combo is a fried egg, cheese, and some kimchi. To make your “sandwich” simply fold each quadrant on top of each other to create a packet. Slice in half and devour.
Lentil dumplings
Rohit Ghai, chef patron of Manthan and Kutir
My favourite dish includes leftover lentils. Heat some oil in a pan, then saute some cumin, ginger, green chillies and chopped onion until the onion is golden. Add chilli powder, turmeric and salt, and cook for a while. Add 50g chopped tomato and cook down until the tomatoes become mashed. Add 30g of cooked yellow lentils, 40g of cooked rice and some chopped coriander, then turn off the heat. Once cool, shape into balls, coat in panko breadcrumbs and fry. Serve with green chutney. Super-easy and great for when you’re on the move.
Leftover burrito
Meriel Armitage, founder of Club Mexicana
Get some leftover dinner – ideally a mix of veg and protein. Something like tofu stir-fry would work well. Layer cooked brown rice, shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber, any pickled chillies or hot sauce you have. Pop in your leftover filling and add a creamy sauce that works with it – satay might work for a stir-fry, mayo for something more classic, or even dijon mustard. Top with any fresh herbs you have – coriander or mint works well. Place it all up in a wrap, turning both ends inwards, then roll, so as to avoid drippage when you eat!
Leftover fish patties
Andy Beynon, chef patron of Behind
Use any leftover from fish trim or offcuts from dinner the night before; my go-to is usually salmon or mackerel. Mix with egg whites, breadcrumbs, cumin, chilli, lemon juice and garlic. Make falafel-style shapes and shallow fry. Simple and delicious. Enjoy on their own or with your dip of choice.
Lamb barbacoa with spiced chickpea puree and totopos
Yahir Gonzalez, Zapote, London
Coat a lamb shank (or you can use a cheaper cut like pork shoulder) in some ancho chilli paste (available at most supermarkets) or a homemade spice rub if you have the time. Sear in a hot pan and then cook very slowly overnight in a covered pot with a couple of inches of water. In the morning, pour the juices over the crushed chickpeas, add a squeeze of lime for acidity. Shred the lamb, which will fall apart from the bone. Serve with tortilla chips or totopos – either warmed through or equally delicious served cold. Alternatively, you could serve on corn tortillas.
Roast chicken office pot noodle
James Cochran, 12:51
Had a roast the night before? Give it a new lease of life the next day. Add a stock cube or miso soup packet to a jar and top with your shredded leftover chicken. Add grated carrots, greens such as sugar snaps or spinach, baby corn, bean sprouts, sweetcorn – or even a big handful of ready bagged stir-fry mix. Top with rice noodles, a huge spoon of crispy chilli oil, and maybe crunchy peanut butter if you want to add some creaminess, and put the lid on. When you get to lunchtime, pop the kettle on and top your jar with hot water. Let it sit for 10 minutes before enjoying a warming office pot noodle! It works with lots of leftovers and different sauce combos too. I like using leftover roast beef and adding spring onion and sesame seeds, or even silken tofu if you want to make this vegan.
Sweet potato and feta wrap
Ioannis Grammenos, Heliot Steak House
Smash some sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl then add olive oil, sweetcorn, crumbs of feta cheese and chopped lettuce. Add in cooked and shredded chicken thighs, smoked paprika, a pinch of cumin and a tablespoon of hummus if you wish. For extra taste and goodness, you can add diced peppers and onions and grated cucumber before mixing well. Place your mixture into the wrap and roll. Those who like heat can add a pinch of chilli powder or even sliced jalapeños.
Bread pudding
Graham Hornigold, co-founder of Longboys
A true kitchen-raid dish. Use up any leftover bread – this can be croissants, sourdough or the panettone still knocking around from Christmas. Place in a large tray and add whisked eggs, milk, fruit, zest and spices of choice. I always go for dried fruits and a bit of cinnamon. Cook in the oven until golden, slice into squares and enjoy on the go hot or cold. This also keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days and is freezer friendly.
Falafel
Ollie Couillaud, Hilton OXBO Bankside
Falafel is an ideal vegetarian option for a quick and hearty lunch. To a pan add chopped red onions, red peppers, garlic, grated fresh ginger, cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, dried chillies, some good quality olive oil, sea salt, a drop of water, lid on, bosh! Cook until completely soft, then place in a food processor with some drained chickpeas (keep a few aside and crush for texture) and blitz with a squeeze of lime. Once blitzed you should be able to shape the mixture into balls. Flatten, fry and bake. Serve your falafels in a wrap with some hummus, a fresh carrot salad and some diced red onions and peppers. Et voilà, the most amazing lunch!
• This article was amended on 7 February 2024. Riaz Phillips’ curried corn recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt, not a tablespoon as an earlier version said.
