‘It’s part of our history’: can the menú del día survive Spain’s changing eating habits?

Established under the Franco dictatorship, the lunchtime ritual is in decline but all is not lost

A little before lunchtime each working day across Spain, evidence of one of the lingering, if less notorious, legacies of the Franco dictatorship is carefully traced in chalk, marker pen and printer ink.

Beckoning to hungry workers from blackboards, whiteboards and pieces of paper hastily taped to windows, the competitively priced menu del dia, or daily set-price lunch, has been part of everyday Spanish life for more than half a century. But while 4m menus are still served each weekday, Spain is slowly losing its appetite for the familiar ritual.