Packed Lunch Revival Drives Surge In Demand For Salad Bowls And Meal-Prep Staples

Britain’s office workers are rediscovering the packed lunch as rising food-to-go prices push more people towards homemade meals — creating fresh opportunities for retailers across salads, vegetables and convenient meal-preparation ingredients.

Nearly half of UK professionals, 46%, are taking a packed lunch to work more frequently than they did a year ago, according to data from Ocado reported by Talking Retail.

Financial pressures are driving much of the change. Some 69% of respondents said buying lunch near their workplace had become too expensive, while 72% said bringing food from home helped them manage their household finances more effectively.

Health is also influencing the shift. Two-thirds of respondents, 66%, said packed lunches made it easier to eat healthily and keep track of calories or macronutrients.

Ocado’s customer search data points to a particularly strong appetite for bowl-based lunches. Searches for “lunch bowls” increased by 79% year on year, while searches for salad bowls doubled and interest in grain bowls soared by 173%.

Pasta salad searches were up by 24%, highlighting growing interest in lunches that can be prepared in advance and customised with fresh vegetables, grains, proteins and dressings.

Demand is rising for practical preparation products, too. Searches for microwavable rice increased by 23% year on year, while searches for ziplock bags climbed by 60%.

Although sandwiches remain the most popular choice, selected by 52% of workers, the figures suggest consumers are broadening their lunch repertoires beyond traditional bread-based options.

Social media is helping to fuel that experimentation, with 61% of workers saying they look online for lunch inspiration. Content creators including Frankie Parker, who has 161,000 Instagram followers, regularly share lunchbox and meal-preparation ideas.

The trend is particularly pronounced among younger employees. A quarter of Gen Z and Millennial workers said they brought a homemade lunch every day they were in the office, while 64% of this group said they were taking lunch to work more frequently than last year.

Convenient lunchbox snacks are also benefiting. Searches for “lunchbox snacks” increased by 79%, while Babybel sales through Ocado rose by 34%, according to the figures.

Dan Elton, Chief Customer Officer at Ocado Retail, said: “Consumers are looking for smart, practical ways to save money, embracing packed lunches as part of their routine to curb everyday on-the-go spending. Our search trends show there is a clear demand for affordable, inspiring options amongst our customers.

“From grab and go lunchbox staples to nutritious salad bowls and a variety of ingredients that make batch-cook lunch prep easy, Ocado is helping shoppers get more from their lunchboxes whatever their budget or taste.”

For the fresh produce sector, the rapid growth in searches for salad, grain and pasta bowls points to an opportunity to position fruit and vegetables as colourful, versatile and cost-conscious foundations for the new generation of workplace lunches.