Craving lunch at 11am? You’re not alone!
© Coco Di Mama
Brits mentally clock off for lunch at 11:13am, according to new research commissioned by Coco di Mama, the Italian food-to-go brand marking its 15th year, as part of its Made to be Craved campaign.
The study of 1,000 UK adults reveals the exact moments food and drink cravings take hold throughout the day, from the first coffee urge of the morning to the hunger pangs that hit on the journey home.
Britain’s Three Daily Craving Strike Points
The nation’s first craving arrives at 7:44am, when the urge for a morning coffee kicks in. Two thirds (67%) say the craving strikes before they’ve even left the house, while nearly one in five (18%) admit they’re a ‘completely different person’ or ‘genuinely unpleasant’ until they’ve had their first brew.
Britain’s lunchtime craving lands at 11:13am, well before midday and earlier than many might expect.
The final craving strike point comes at 6:10pm, with finishing work and the commute home among the biggest triggers for evening hunger.
When Cravings Hit, Britain Gets its Fix
A good lunch appears to have a powerful impact on the nation’s mood, with three quarters (77%) agreeing it makes everything better. When lunchtime cravings strike, action follows quickly. One in ten Brits act immediately, while more than half (53%) seek out food within 30 minutes.
The research also reveals some of the lengths people go to satisfy a craving:
17% have Googled food during a work meeting
One in three have already planned dinner while eating lunch
One in three say they crave food more when WFH because it’s always within reach
More than half (56%) admit they usually give in to cravings when temptation strikes
Millennials Are Most Likely to Give In
Millennials appear to be Britain’s most craving-driven generation. 36% admit they’ve overspent because a craving was too strong to resist, while more than half (52%) have ordered food delivery even when they could have walked and collected it in the same amount of time. Four in ten (41%) also confess to adding extra items to an order purely to reach the free delivery threshold.
Britain’s Most Craved Foods
1. Sweet treats - 47%
2. Pizza - 45%
3. Comfort food (e.g. lasagne, mac ‘n’ cheese, and garlic bread) - 29%
4. Coffee and hot drinks - 24%
5. Sandwiches and baguettes - 20%
6. Pasta -15%
Gen Z is Opting Out of Caffeine
While coffee remains Britain’s most common morning craving, younger generations appear to be breaking with tradition.
One in ten Gen Z adults (10%) skip a morning hot drink altogether, compared with just 1% of Boomers, suggesting a younger generation less defined by caffeine dependency and more by craving on their own terms.
“This data tells us something we’ve felt for 15 years: that Britain doesn’t just want food as fuel, it wants food that’s genuinely worth craving. Every item on our menu is built to satisfy a specific craving moment: the strong and smooth coffee that makes the morning make sense, the craveable but feel-good lunch that you have often eaten before midday, and the little pick me up that powers your commute home. That’s what Made to Be Craved really means. After 15 years, we still feel like we’re just getting started.”
