Leading market analysts, Datamonitor, reveal that less than one in five people take an hour for lunch even though they are entitled to do so by law. In a survey of 2000 people it was revealed that most workers take only 20 minutes for lunch, and that the trend today is to grab a bite to eat at the desk. Datamonitor claims that the majority of workers feel guilty about taking a lunch break.

The current lunch pattern shows a change from the eighties and nineties when the working lunch was used as an occasion for social and business interaction. Workers can now see lunch as a "pit-stop" to allow refuelling before the afternoon session.

The survey also revealed that eating habits have changed, and healthy options are to the fore. The majority of workers now choose to eat fresh salads, freshly made sandwiches and sushi.

The survey found that 14 per cent of workers skip lunch altogether whilst a further 16 per cent take less than 20 minutes.

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