Top 40 less ordinary lunches Brits are dishing up

Brits are turning their backs on ‘boring’ lunches and opting for trendy open sandwiches, bruschetta, and burrito bowls - as working from home gives them more time to plan their meals.

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A study of 2,000 adults found popular lunchtime dishes today include linguine, French toast and poached salmon.

Other dishes in the top 40 list included club sandwiches, frittata, avocado on toast, buttermilk chicken and sweetcorn fritters.

The most boring

On the opposite end of the scale, the research confirmed salad, cheese and crackers, or soup were the most boring.

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It also emerged 59 per cent are keen to try new things when it comes to their lunch or get creative with lunchtime meals, with a quarter even admitting they ‘live for food’.

Louise Crighton at Allinson’s Bread, which commissioned the research, said: “The research shows that those days of eating the same food for lunch every day are numbered.

“With more time spent at home over the past year, we’ve challenged how we think about lunch – from what we eat to where we eat it – pushing boundaries and enjoying a lunch less ordinary.

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“Sandwiches, salads and soups are just the beginning. It’s good to reimagine and reinvent Groundhog Day lunches as something that bit more maverick and ground-breaking.”

Places to indulge

Popular places to indulge in lunch were found to include outside seating (57 per cent) and in a park (51 per cent).

Almost half also said lockdown has allowed them to eat their lunch from more adventurous places, with one in five people opting for lunch whilst rambling.

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People typically make four different meals a week for lunch and get their inspiration from supermarkets (21 per cent), TV shows (14 per cent) and social media (13 per cent).

And a sixth of those surveyed via OnePoll even share images of their own lunchtime creations on social media.

Of those who have worked from home during the past year, 44 per cent believe they have learnt new skills in the kitchen.

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More than a third have had more time to prepare their lunchtime meals during the lockdown period, making for more of an elaborate mid-day experience.

As a result, more than a fifth have become more experimental with their meals.

Louise Crighton added: “We’re all for lunchtime experimentation.

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“Allinson’s has been challenging the norm and rethinking bread since 1892 when Thomas Allinson, a passionate baker and trailblazer of his time, challenged the status quo to promote the benefits of wholemeal bread.”

Trailblazers

And according to the research, ‘trailblazers’ continue to inspire people today as 55 per cent have been inspired by foodie pioneers to be more elaborate, as well as creative (46 per cent) with their lunch dishes.

Trailblazers of today were found to include Jamie Oliver and David Attenborough.

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Now, Allinson’s has teamed up with Valentine Warner, adventurous chef and trailblazing foodie in his own right, to create a range of surprisingly different bread-based dishes.

The unique recipes show how bread can be used in exciting new ways for lunch, including a crispy Mexican sausage roll made with bread ‘pastry’ and fried breadcrumb Migas – a popular Spanish one pan dish.

The recipes can be made in 30 minutes or under - with research showing this as the top consideration for those who make lunch at home.

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Valentine Warner said: “Thinking outside the box, or the bread bin perhaps, will take lunch into extraordinary new places, especially when we have more foods to experiment with than ever before.

“The versatility of bread means it can be used for so much more than the obvious.

"That’s why, in the spirit of Thomas Allinson’s own’s pioneering and alternative approach, we’re inviting you to enjoy some delicious and easy ideas for a satisfyingly different lunch.”

Top 40 less ordinary lunches Brits are dishing up:

1. Open sandwich

2. Poached eggs

3. Pasta and sauce

4. Burger

5. Club sandwich

6. Quiche

7. Salmon

8. Stir fry

9. French toast

10. Flat bread

11. Mac n cheese

12. Avocado on toast

13. Couscous

14. Minestrone

15. Fajitas

16. Chilli

17. Steak

18. Noodle salad

19. Falafel

20. Risotto

21. Salad jar

22. Prawn cocktail

23. Croque monsieur

24. Frittata

25. Eggs Benedict

26. Bruschetta

27. Stuffed pepper

28. Quinoa

29. Linguine

30. Sushi

31. Gnocchi

32. Buttermilk chicken

33. Sweetcorn fritters

34. Burrito bowl

35. Tabbouleh

36. Courgetti

37. Shakshuka

38. Tagine

39. Pesto pinwheels

40. Galette

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