British "lunch" times at the weekend - why so late?

[Howdoyoulikeyoureggsinthemorning]

Riddle me this, MN. (I'm British myself btw).

Been invited to yet another pub "lunch" with the family. What time have they booked? 3pm!!!!

I just don't understand this tradition.

At school, lunch is usually 12ish, if not 1ish.

At work, lunch is usually 12ish, if not 1ish.

For this reason, most of us have been pretty conditioned to get hungry around the same time of day.

So whenever I'm invited to one of these super late lunches, I end up either:

• Making a pre-lunch for myself anyway because I'm too damn hungry to wait (which often leads to overeating that day...)
• Waiting until I'm so weak that I barely feel like socializing by the time I'm in company (morning ruined) and just counting the seconds till food is in front of me...

Oh, and these late lunches always ruin my appetite for dinner as well!

What gives?

YABU: Weekend lunches are not, nor should they be, like weekday lunches.

YANBU: You're correct and the standard for all pub lunches/roasts/buffets should be brought forward a couple of hours.

I hate a late lunch. YANBU.

Pubs used to shut at 2:45pm anyway. I think they still should. Too many people spend all weekend in the pub getting sozzled.

@TrophyWifey because science! It's how insulin works. It varies from person to person but roughly the window is 2.5 - 4 hours. When I say eat, I don't mean a roast with all the trimmings or full English. I mean a nutritionally balanced meal depending on individual needs.

Please cut the obesity narrative! It's way too old and boring

I wouldn't be hangry at dinner. I'd be hangry at 11pm having got into bed and brushed my teeth and then unable to think about anything else than how bloody hungry I am, ruining my night's sleep!

How would I react to a 12 o'clock lunch invitation? I would think it a bit odd but skip my usual breakfast and prepare to have a wonderful time.

We usually have brunch at 10/11 so then it doesn’t seem late to eat lunch at 3pm

@Florenz

ah give over!
a boozy Sunday is nice very so often !

@Twinsforthewin

im sure you’d cope for one night!
and hopefully you would have such a good night with your pals it would counter a slightly less good nights sleep 😊

Maybe have a bowl of yoghurt or some toast before bed so you’re not lying awake hangry?

There’s some very inflexible (restrictive) eating patterns on here.

Yes because the argument 'I don't need to' so that must be the case reeks of scientific validity and scholarly thinking! Oh Mumsnet, you never fail to entertain! 😂You will find I am basing my thinking on science. You're basing your obesity narrative, which had nothing to do with what the OP was saying, on flawed, biased thinking!

@TrophyWifey Yes because the argument 'I don't need to' so that must be the case reeks of scientific validity and scholarly thinking! Oh Mumsnet, you never fail to entertain! 😂You will find I am basing my thinking on science. You're basing your obesity narrative, which had nothing to do with what the OP was saying, on flawed, biased thinking!

What deleterious effects are there from missing this window of opportunity and what is your source of information? I note you also said ‘technically’ we need to. What do you mean by that. Thanks

Not if they don't get there until 3.

I don't know anyone that has lunch that late on a Sunday. Me and DH, and most people we know, still eat our main meal in the evening on a Sunday. We eat about 7.30.

@NoNameNowAgain Oh I can do that as soon as you guys share the literature for 'This works for me so it's a fact' statement. Over and out, forgot how toxic and silly this place can be.

@Twinsforthewin

right, so have a yoghurt or a banana before you clean your teeth and go to bed then

easy

See my earlier post, I'd have cheese and biscuits for dinner at a normal time, I wouldn't go to bed hungry!! That's what I'm saying 😜 going to bed without dinner is a terrible idea. I would never do it. I can see there's people on here who do, that's fine for them.

What OP asked is, AIBU to be annoyed by the concept of having lunch at 3, to which I am saying emphatically she's not being unreasonable, it leaves you in this weird twilight hinterland where you're not hungry enough for a proper dinner! To which the solution is little snacky dins. But there are people on here staying the answer is no dinner, which is, IMO, wrong.

@Twinsforthewin

i will have a small snack if I’m hungry if I’m not I won’t 🤷‍♀️
I don’t have dinner for the sake of it
It doesn’t do anyone any harm to miss a meal
sometimes

If you eat a big meal at 3.30/4 - which will be the time it is served. A sandwich or a light meal at 7/8/9 is fine!! Just switch things around.

I never understood why we ate a big roast dinner on a Sunday at 2pm when growing up, I always enjoyed it but it’s never made any sense to me.
If I ever cook a roast I cook it to be ready at our normal dinner time.

What!? That’s so late I’d be in so much pain, I’m usually starving by 5pm and have dinner ready by 5:30/6 on a weekend!