Leaders of the pack

Can't face a year spent eating canteen sandwiches at your desk? Michael Bateman picks up some tips from experts who can really pack a lunch

The great British business lunch is a thing of the past. And that's official. You may have already come to this conclusion from your own experiences, but new figures, released by Reuters Business, reveal that the time dedicated for an average lunch break has now shrunk to just half an hour.

And the figures reveal the astonishing fact that, on average, Britons spend just £2.10 on this meal. That's the second lowest in Europe – only the Germans spend less (by all of 10p). Scandinavians spend around £4.70 on their lunch, the Spanish £4.10, the French £3.80, Italians £3.10 and the Dutch £2.80.

Why neglect such a major meal? Reuters Business analyst Daniel Lord explains: "Traditional meals have deteriorated, with consumers snacking throughout the day. But lunch is rarely missed altogether." However, the average "lunch", if you can call it that, usually consists of no more than a bought-in sandwich or a pastry.

For £2.10, can't we do better by cooking something ourselves? It's not too late to make a New Year's resolution to tackle the problem head-on. That means pledging that you will eat no more garage sandwiches, no more microwave pies. That may sound like the sort of "nice idea" that never works in practice, but to show what can be done, and inspire some creations of your own, I consulted three experts and set them a challenge: produce an appetising, tasty, healthy solution to lunch at the office. And we set some real-world rules: preparation can be done the night before, but it shouldn't involve much fuss. And, because good food needn't blow the budget, the total cost of the meal should not exceed £2.10.

On these pages you can see the recipes the results of their labours. From Paul Gayler, the cookbook author and executive chef of London's Lanesborough Hotel, we have two offerings. The first is a pan bagnat, a juicy Provençal sandwich, pressed under a weight overnight. Of course, you can vary the filling endlessly, perhaps using mozzarella, or Gruyère, maybe some smoked ham and mustard. His second lunchbox contains a goats' cheese and pasta frittata, a kind of Italian omelette, which can be served cold.

Anthony McNamara, chef at leading party caterers Urban Productions, has come up with the Spanish version of an omelette, a nourishing tortilla stuffed with feta cheese, peas and mint (not pictured). The second idea is a little more ambitious – noodles with tiger prawns and miso soup.

The third of our experts is Penny Stanway, a doctor and writer who, with co-author Sara Lewis, wrote The Lunchbox Book (now in paperback, Hamlyn, £4.99), which is filled with healthy packed lunches for schoolchildren. Her two offerings for our challenge are, 1) a Lebanese-style fruit, rice and red-lentil salad, and 2) a modified felafel, easier to make than the Middle-East version if not quite authentic, using frozen or canned broad beans, raw onion, cumin and parsley, and served with a separate carton of raita or spicy yoghurt.

What's that? You want some nice disposable cutlery to eat them with. Sorry – can't help you there.