Brits are in the grip of a workplace “food larceny epidemic,” with nearly one in ten (9%) people admitting to pilfering food from their co-workers, according to a new national poll of 2,000 adults.
The study, commissioned for National Sandwich Week by Yorkshire-based Aagrah Foods, found that Gen Z (18–29-year-olds) are the UK’s biggest office lunch thieves. A staggering 13% of the younger generation admit to illicitly taking food from a colleague, grabbing an average of more than four items in the past 12 months. This compares to 11% of Millennials, 6% of Gen X, and just 3% of Baby Boomers.
According to the data, the main driver behind this culinary crime wave is boredom. The survey revealed that 80% of Brits are stuck in a lunchtime rut, while 86% are actively craving more exotic, flavoursome options.
The fridge is the primary crime scene, with 66% of thefts occurring from the communal refrigerator, though 36% have brazenly snatched food straight from a colleague’s desk, and 13% have lifted items while they were still cooking in the microwave. Geographically, Coventry was crowned the food theft capital of the UK, with 18% of residents admitting to the crime, followed closely by Newcastle (13%), Cardiff (12%), and Leeds (12%).
Shakil Hussain, Co-Founder at Aagrah Foods, said:
“Our poll found that two in ten (20%) people admitted to swiping a sarnie because their own lunch was just too bland and 86% are craving more exotic, flavoursome options. That might explain the thieving – but it doesn’t excuse it. It’s time to up our lunch game, pack more flavour into our pack-ups and curb this culinary crimewave.”
Hussain suggests that workers can easily beat the lunchtime blues legally by prepping ingredients like chicken, paneer, or halloumi the night before using Aagrah’s tarka pastes, or by adding a spoonful of chutney and pickled pink onions to a standard cheese sandwich.
