While many cling to the financial comforts of meal prep and yellow stickers, others in London are experiencing a lunchtime renaissance. Step out for a midday meal in the city and the queues are everywhere, winding round shopfronts, made up of a mix of City types and WFH escapists.
Meal deals, of course, are something of a hot topic this summer: last month, Sainsbury’s quietly hiked the price of its sandwich, snack and drink package by 20p — and it sent the internet into a bit of a tizz. What was once a bargain has slowly crept into pricier territory, offering less value for money.
Now, restaurants have come up with their own riff on the formula. A set menu? Not quite. It’s not three courses for £30, or caviar and champagne as alternatives — it’s a proper lunch, but executed with a little more finesse, and designed for a little more speed. The setup is firmly in proper meal deal territory: a sandwich (or salad/soup/other equivalent), with a snack (often crisps) and a drink, for a rounded sum that comes in at a discount compared to buying it all individually.
£11 buys a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a drink from the fridge. Nostalgia thrown in for free
There’s an unmistakable formula to these places, which are popping up all over London: clean aesthetic, fast-casual service, a grab-and-go setup. The difference is that diners part with anything between £9 and £13 — which, these days, is an easy spend at the likes of Pret or Itsu.
My Favourite Sandwich fits the bill. Newly opened in the heart of Shoreditch, the brand has paired a millennial-pink shopfront with a menu of freshly made sarnies featuring meatballs (plant-based, also very good), coronation chicken, and a take on a banh mi — all priced between £8 and £11. A decent chunk more than one off the fridge shelf in Tesco, but made then and there. And the lunch deal? £11 buys a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a drink from the fridge. Nostalgia thrown in for free. “We wanted to give customers something that feels like a win,” says founder Damien Aiudi. “You’re getting top-quality ingredients, made fresh every day, at a price that’s hard to beat. It’s value without the compromise.”
Just sales speak? Well, put it in context: Shoreditch, lunchtime, freshly made, hot filling, a good range of drinks — it makes a strange kind of sense.
There’s something clever, almost admirable, about the way these businesses have tapped into the Gen Z/millennial lunch psyche. In a city of eye-watering rent costs and unpredictable footfall, it’s a low-risk model with a relatively high chance of reward. No wonder these places keep popping up — and drawing in crowds, too. Just watch out for the “meal deals” that are hardly deals at all, like a burger, fries and drink coming in at £25. Buyer beware.
Still, the luxe meal deal is decidedly now a thing. Recognise the shift, one sandwich at a time.
Eight of the best in London
The shepherd
Tim Atkins
From newly-opened boutique lunch spots to restaurants getting in on the action, these deals are grab-and-go friendly and promise not to break the bank. Some offer the traditional meal deal trio, while others are examples of newly-opened cafes/delis offering Londoners a refreshing lunchtime choice.
You can figure out what this place does. A sandwich, with crisps and a drink is £11.
The longstanding vegetarian favourite does a salad, snack box and a drink for £12.
Three quesadillas, papas al árbol or a green salad and an agua del día (bottle of water) is £12 at this Mexican hit.
Perhaps not strictly a meal deal, but a small grilled marinated chicken sandwich comes with two sides and a soft drink for £12.50.
Salad, pitta bread and a piece of fruit? Just £6. Tack on a drink fancied and it’s still under a tenner.
Look, yes, it’s Honest Burger. But it’s also a burger, chips and a drink for £8.95. Hard to beat, this one.
Lunch-sized ramen or hiyashi noodle salad, lunch-sized side and a soft drink is just £12.
The Turkish chain offers a main and two sides for between £10.20-£11.20, and salad bundles from £9.20. Sticking to a sarnie? Sandwiches (and toasts) are from £6.25, with a drink to complete the “deal” for between £2.20-£3.20.