Almost no one has time for leisurely business lunches nowadays, says Yvonne Ike, an executive director at JPMorgan - which is why she is a "big fan" of the business breakfast. A quick lunch is often rushed and forced but a short breakfast feels relaxed and natural. "Breakfast hardly ever goes on for more than an hour and people usually get straight to the point," she says.

The business lunch - in its traditional, boozy, all-afternoon sense - has long been in decline. First went the alcoholic excess; then, with the advent of quick lunches, the third and even the second courses; now a sandwich in Starbucks can qualify as a business lunch. And, even in its stripped down form, many executives don't like to take a big chunk out of their schedule. Small wonder that many are choosing to meet and eat before they get to the office.