 Attitudes - they are a changing among the lunching fraternity; and that also goes for the rest of the population who enjoy going out for a bite to eat at lunch-time.
We're at last waking up to the possibility that downing tools at lunch-time and heading for our favourite eaterie is not such a bad idea, after all. And, if the more cynical and driven amongst us aren't convinced, research has shown that taking a re-fuelling lunch break is likely to increase productivity, rather than slow things down - provided, of course, that we go easy on the claret!
The truth of the matter is that the head-down-at-your-desk-must-work-through-lunch-time mentality is beginning to pall. It's been tried and tested - and in recent times rejected! Office workers, home workers and indeed anyone who wishes to retain their sanity, are all discovering that there are more productive (and more pleasurable!) ways to get through the day. More importantly, lunching is good for both body and soul.
These changes in attitude have crept upon us slowly - yet subtly. The increasing popularity of lunching has been more of an evolution than a revolution.
For certain sectors of the population, an enthusiasm for "doing lunch" is nothing new; it is rather a way of life. Tradition dies hard. The "society lunch", for instance, is alive and kicking as indeed are the ladies who lunch! Then, there's the City lunch, with its power-wielding potential. Popular as ever, (though not as ostentatious as in the driven eighties) the "business lunch" with all its connotations, remains deeply entrenched in the very fabric of British commerce.
But, it is the increase in the popularity of lunching, across all sectors of society that presents an altogether more interesting phenomenon. People who, even a few years' ago, would have been satisfied with a packed lunch at their desk, or at best a supermarket sandwich, are now lunching out, instead. For many, it has become a way of life.
Most city pubs, cafes, humble food outlets and even top-notch restaurants are responding to demand, with enticing set lunches and fixed price menus that offer amazing value for money. And not surprisingly, those establishments with the vision to provide quality, lunch time fodder as well as fast, efficient service are witnessing a marked increase in turnover.
The bottom line is that lunch-time menus are generally amazingly good value for money; they also offer an ideal opportunity to sample superb cuisine, at a fraction of evening prices. And, what better way to "try out" the culinary repertoire of up-market eateries, without blowing your budget! For example, Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook Street, W1K 7QR does a set lunch for around £42 - a snip, compared with its à la carte menu and according to The Telegraph Magazine, "a delicious bargain . . .a glimpse of perfection".
One only has to look at some of the top restaurants, in London, to realise that even the finer end of dining is responding to the changing attitudes of the British public regarding "doing lunch". Take, for instance, that traditional bastion of "power lunching", the Savoy, or more specifically, The Savoy Grill. With new broom, Marcus Wareing, at the helm, this enclave of formality is diversifying; like many other swish restaurants; it is bowing to the pressures of supply and demand. The Savoy Grill, once the preserve of the city's movers and shakers, has been transformed into something altogether more relaxing and inviting. Its new look aims to appeal to a broader spectrum of potential customers and this, in lunching terms, is significant. The Connaught, 16 Carlos Place, London, W1Y 6A, is yet another instance of changing attitudes. Here we have the perfect example of Epicurean temptation, served up at lunch-time, where customers nowadays, are more likely to frequent the main restaurant rather than The Grill, for a "bite to eat" at lunch time.
The modern lunch break has finally undergone a transformation. Lunch, today, is no longer viewed as a re-fuelling pit stop, but rather something to savour and an opportunity to socialise. Expectations are high.
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