77% of French take long lunch – 73% of Britons snack
Survey shows stark differences between two countries’ habits at lunchtime
It is no surprise to Britons who live in France but France and the UK are completely different countries when it comes to lunch.
While 77% of French people take more than 30 minutes for their lunch on weekdays 73% of British people take less than 30 minutes – and 64% of Britons opt for a lunch box or take-away while 76% of French people prefer a restaurant.
More than one in two French people also took more than 45 minutes for lunch, enjoying the opportunity to get away from work to a nearby restaurant or brasserie… and order the full formule entrée-plat-dessert. Only 2% spent less than 15 minutes on lunch, with 21% having 15-30 minutes.
That is far too much time away from work for Britons with 28% taking less than 15 minutes and 45% 15-30 minutes over a sandwich or a salad.
A global survey in 14 countries by Edenred, which developed Ticket Restaurant luncheon vouchers and wants to promote healthy eating, found French people said what was on the plate was the main criterion for their choice – with that plate being balanced, home-cooked… and containing meat.
Britons said their key concerns were convenience, speed and cost and they spend an average of £11.68 on a restaurant meal and £5 on a bought option. Their meal preferences were vegetables, affordable and tasty.
However, the survey also highlighted that 23.9% of people in France are obese with 60.7% overweight as against 28.1% obese in the UK and 63.4% overweight.
