The research also found that the British lunch time is continuing to shrink, with workers now taking an average of 34 minutes for lunch, against the European average of 37 minutes.
Louise Pilkington, marketing director at Compass Group UK and Ireland, said: “The grab and go market is showing no signs of slowing, having reached a staggering £20.1bn and continuing to grow over at over 5% a year.
“This reflects our research findings that more and more people are seeking portable food to fit in with their working day, as workers feel more time limited over the lunch time break. This trend only looks set to continue as the millennials spend more on and grab and go food than any other generation.”
The UK has seen a 29% increase in lunch spend during the working day since 2012, with consumers now spending £3.03 each a day. This is 78% of the overall working day spend on food and drink.
The favoured lunchtime choice remains the sandwich chosen by 63% of UK workers, with a further 28% having hot sandwiches or wraps.
Currently 52% of office-based workers eat alone at their desks. However, 45% of millennials say they wish to meet with colleagues more often over lunch in comparison to 23% of baby boomers.
The results showed 48% of workers reported that they worked better when leaving their workspace and 60% said engaging with colleagues over break periods boosted their energy levels. Additionally, 56% said engaging with work colleagues over their lunch break helped build a stronger team at work.
When looking at the main drivers behind people’s lunch purchasing decisions, it is taste (46%), price (43%), value for money (42%) and healthy options (23%) that lead the way. As the requirement for convenience food grows, it is important healthy options are made available to support the health and wellbeing of the UK workforce.
Pilkington added: “We feel employers should be aware of the risks of employees eating at their desks and help them to reclaim their lunch break. With over 50% of workers still eating at their desks, our research shows that employees feel this significantly impacts upon productivity.
“Ultimately, employees are more productive when they have opportunities to eat together, interact, think and recharge. Lunch is a really valuable part of the day, both to encourage greater motivation and engagement. Therefore, employers should do more to encourage better lunch time eating habits through the provision of break out space and facilitating a more collaborative culture over lunch time.”