What’s your idea of a cracking breakfast?
Ah the January days of abstinence are now thankfully behind us and the excesses of December just a distant memory. The diet is smugly finished / abandoned, so it feels pretty safe to discuss the topic of food once again.
One of the enjoyable aspects of staying in a good bed and breakfast is having someone else prepare breakfast for you. Most of us understand the importance of eating a good breakfast, but in our busy lives it can often be a rushed experience, taken ‘on the run’ or skipped altogether. (A survey conducted by Canadean Customer Solutions found that 43% of British adults skip breakfast at least once a week.)
Taking the time to savour a good breakfast is a real treat, so when we do have the opportunity to enjoy a ‘Full English’ – especially one cooked by someone else – who can resist? The smell of sizzling bacon following a late night is pretty hard (for meat eaters) to resist. Certainly, the vast majority of my bed and breakfast guests tend to opt for a fry-up. And for those health conscious individuals amongst us, make a few subtle changes (scrambled eggs rather than fried) and the calories tumble!
You can’t beat a good fry-up
A survey of 2,000 British adults by The Co-operative Food last year confirmed the allure of the fry-up. This dish comfortably topped the table of the nation’s favourite breakfast foods. The Full English brekkie attracted 31% of the vote (with the accompaniment of an English breakfast tea) placing it well clear of the second placed bacon sarnie on 17%.
The top 20 are listed below…
- Full English breakfast
2. Bacon sandwich (Apparently most popular on a Saturday morning after a ‘heavy’ Friday night!)
3. Tea and toast
4. Porridge
5. Cornflakes
6. Croissants and coffee (Ooh La La)
7. Scrambled egg on toast
8. Muesli
9. Weetabix
10. Poached egg on toast
11. Fruit and natural yoghurt (A few healthy people out there…)
12. Scrambled egg and smoked salmon
13. Eggs Benedict
14. Crumpets
15. Shredded Wheat
16. Jam on toast
17. Bagels with cream cheese and salmon
18. Cereal bar
19. Danish pastry
20. Rice Krispies
But liking it and cooking it are two very different things. The same survey confirmed that for most, time is of the essence in the morning. 36% agreed that breakfast was usually hurried and 66% of respondents didn’t eat breakfast at the kitchen table. 18% of people surveyed allegedly ate breakfast standing up! I suppose that helps the food go down…