The amount British workers spend on their lunch has rocketed over the past decade, according to a new study - the "Eurest Lunchtime Report". British workers now splash out an average of £1.98 on lunch a day – a 65% increase on the 1990 figure of £1.20. Londoners spend most on their midday meal, forking out an average £2.40. The North-East is the cheapest place to do lunch – workers there spend an average of just £1.51.

Based on surveys of nearly 2,500 adults across Britain and Northern Ireland, the Eurest Lunchtime Report chronicles key changes in Britain’s working and eating habits. At an average 36 minutes, workers are taking the longest lunchbreaks in a decade, with Londoners taking the most time (just under 39 minutes) and Wales and South-West workers the shortest (just over half an hour). Yorkshire workers are most likely to skip lunch (one in five never take a lunchbreak) and those in Northern Ireland are the keenest on staff restaurants (28%). But across the country three workers in five take a lunchbreak every day. The old saying that there’s no such thing as a free lunch is fast becoming true – only 5% get lunch courtesy of their employer. In the North-East it drops to 2% against the 8% of workers in the South and Northern Ireland enjoying this perk.

Sandwiches remain the nation’s favourite lunchtime food, chosen by nearly half the workforce and we prefer them made with granary or brown bread (favoured by 35%). Despite the rise of the takeaway and microwave, we still love home cooking: more than half of us (53%) eat a homemade evening meal five times a week or more. However, there are some culinary blackspots: nearly one in ten (9%) Londoners confesses that they can’t boil an egg and only 52% of men are up to baking a cake.

In her foreword, Prue Leith welcomes the Eurest Lunchtime Report’s findings that Britain’s workers are enjoying more leisurely lunchbreaks. "There is nothing wrong with working hard – but, in order to work hard, we need good food and time to enjoy it," she says. "Good midday refreshment provides the fuel for a productive day."

"It’s good to see that we are making more time for lunch at work," says Robin Hay, Eurest managing director operations for England and Wales. "The report also shows that people are increasingly prepared to spend more on food which is tasty, healthy and convenient."

Anna Lagerkvist