Office professionals are sparking a major packed lunch revival. Driven by rising costs, workers across the country are swapping store-bought lunches for homemade creations to stretch their budgets further, new supermarket data reveals.
Data from Ocado.com, the UK’s largest dedicated online supermarket, highlights a clear shift in consumer habits. Searches for “lunch bowls” are up 79% year-on-year, alongside strong growth in meal prep staples like microwavable rice (+23% YoY) and ziplock bags (+60% YoY.)
Nearly half of UK professionals (46%) now bring a packed lunch to work more frequently than they did a year ago. The push is largely financial: seven in 10 (69%) say that buying lunch near the office has become too expensive, while 72% say bringing food from home helps them better manage household finances. Nutrition is another core driver, with two-thirds (66%) noting that packed lunches make it easier to eat healthily and track macros or calories.
And social media is accelerating the shift. Content creators like Frankie Parker (161k Instagram followers) regularly share lunchbox ideas as 61% of workers turn online for inspiration. Although traditional sandwiches remain popular (52%), Ocado shoppers are increasingly seeking out more inspired options, with searches soaring for salad bowls (+100%), pasta salad (+24%), and grain bowls (+173%).
Convenient grab-and-go lunchbox snacks are also thriving. With searches for lunchbox snacks spiking 79% and sales of Babybel having risen by 34% on Ocado.
This shift is being driven by younger generations establishing long-term habits, with a quarter of Gen Z and Millennial employees (25%) saying they bring a homemade lunch every day they are in the office. With 64% of this demographic admitting they bring their lunch to work more often than they did last year.
Dan Elton, chief customer officer at Ocado Retail, commented: “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.”
With eating out costs continuing to rise, the humble packed lunch has cemented its place as an essential tool for smart household spending across the UK.
