The story of the saddest lunchbox

Cathal Stack, data analytics

I’d like to think this the picture speaks for itself, but let me tell you how this magnificent feast has already brought me my 15 minutes of fame online.

Originally the delicacy you see pictured also contained a piece of chicken. But an innocent stroll through my kitchen on the eve of this “sad lunch” found me shamefully weak willed, resulting in a moment of impulsive indulgence. I consumed the chicken in a glamorous fashion, standing over the sink, and washed it down with half a pint of cold milk. What remains is one sad, leftover baked potato, and a handful of sweet corn.

The next morning, forgetting about the previous night's indulgences, I unknowingly shoved a lunch destined for blogging fame into my bag, and made my way to work. After a regular morning at The Irish Times, lunch time came around, and the masterpiece hidden in my opaque lunch box was revealed.

My colleague and neighbour at work was so moved by this feast of corn and potato that it was photographed and posted on an American blog called saddesklunch.com. The story does have a happy ending; my colleague also took pity on me and insisted on buying lunch, and needless to say I slyly ate the potato and sweet corn as a cheeky afternoon snack.