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.
