French woman faces backlash after hitting out at London meal deal culture
21 June 2025, 12:31
A French TikTok user has slammed British lunch culture, prompting backlash from views.
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A French woman has sparked debate after revealing her confusion about meal deals in the UK, prompting both criticism and agreement from viewers.
The TikTok creator, known by her handle @alizeecharet, shared a video suggesting that workers in the UK could benefit from taking more substantial lunch breaks rather than quickly grabbing sandwiches at supermarkets like M&S, Sainsbury’s or Tesco.
Her video received over 7,660 likes, but not everyone agreed with her views.
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In the clip, Alizee said: "Okay, so someone needs to explain to me this culture in the UK, where for lunch people go to M&S, Sainsbury's [or] Tesco, and they just get a lunch deal [for example] a quick sandwich.
"I just don't get it, because I know you guys don't have time, and I know you guys are trying to grab a quick lunch."
Alizee argued that workers have enough time to choose something more satisfying, saying: "30 minutes is enough for you to get something nicer. I don't see you want to escape the matrix. You want to escape this rat race, but you are in it.
"You feed on it. It's like you have 30 minutes and you stress about it. It's like you're giving your life to a workplace."
She also raised concerns about physical health, noting: "You sit the whole day, for eight hours in front of a desktop, and you wonder, 'how did I gain so much weight?'" attributing weight gain to "the bread [and] the lack of exercise."
She said feeling sluggish after these meals often leads people to rely on caffeine to boost their energy.
"I'm not saying don't do that. I'm saying look for other alternative and be conscious of the actions you're taking [...] Those are the small actions you can start doing."
Many viewers disagreed, arguing cost and personal preference as key reasons for their meal choices. One commented: "Respectfully it's absolutely not this deep I genuinely like Tesco meal deals."
Another viewer stated cost was the main factor, writing that many are "over worked and underpaid".
"A lot of the things you're talking about is a privilege to a majority of us," a comment said. "Also, one hour is not infinite time - a lot of us use that hour to do personal tasks too."
