If you’ve noticed that your office seems to be getting busier throughout the week, you’re not imagining it, Britain’s lunchtime spending proves it.
Corporate catering platform, Feedr has analysed what UK workplaces are spending on lunch and found that the post COVID trend of being absent from the office on Mondays and Fridays might be coming to an end.
Analysis of workplace catering and employee lunch benefit spending from 2025 shows that while Tuesday to Thursday remains the most popular part of the week to head into the office, the start and end are experiencing a steady rise in lunch orders.
Managing Director of Feedr, Katie Fenton said “What stood out in 2025 wasn’t how often people came into the office, but how thoughtfully employers invested when they did.”
Feedr’s individual meal plan service, Cloud Canteen, where employers provide daily lunch credits for employees, also showed an increase, suggesting employers are trying to make in-office lunches more appealing to employees.
Could this be employers bribing their workforce back with delicious food?
Fenton said: “Food has become a strategic tool for connection and culture, helping organisations encourage attendance without losing the flexibility employees value.”
In 2025, Feedr recorded a 6.26% year-on-year increase in typical employer-provided credit spend across Cloud Canteen main meals, rising from approximately £10.70 in 2024 to £11.37 in 2025.
No more boring cheese sandwiches.
Aside from just spending more, there seems to be a shift in the way we enjoy food at work too.
Pop-up food stalls increased by 22.2%, reflecting workers’ growing appetite for variety.
Seasonal and cultural moments continue to drive the highest demand for corporate catering with Christmas, Black History Month, Pancake Day and Summer Parties leading the way.
Food is increasingly being used to create shared moments and reinforce workplace culture, rather than just filling a hole before you get back to your desk for the afternoon.
So, can we expect the office to be buzzing again during 2026?
Feedr expects this gradual rebalancing of the working week to continue throughout the year, as organisations focus on maintaining strong midweek collaboration while encouraging more consistent attendance across the full week through flexible incentives.
Feedr works with hundreds of UK workplaces, connecting them to high-quality, diverse food suppliers while giving employers full control over spend and employee experience.
You can read more about Feedr here.
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