“Never work before breakfast, if you have to work before breakfast eat your breakfast first” – John Billings
Breakfast is an almost universal occasion, claimed to be the most important meal of the day with up to 95% of UK adults partaking of the meal. Over the past couple of years breakfast has been the main contributor of visits growth in the eating out market, due to increased penetration and choice as well as frequency of use.
One in four consumers in the UK really do enjoy having breakfast outside of their home – which is why it has been identified as a key growing trend for caterers. High street casual dining chains, pubs, bars and fast-food outlets historically linked with lunch and dinner dining have responded to the increase in consumer demand by adding breakfast offerings to their traditional fare to try and earn a share of this lucrative market.
According to data from foodservice baker Kara, Britons spend on average £13 billion a year dining out for breakfast, and with current growth at just under 1% its making headlines as the fastest growing eating out day-part in the total Eating out Market. As consumers lifestyles get consistently busier, we’re continuing to see the blurring of meal times with many consumers now undertaking a ‘brunch’ option or an all day heartier breakfast when dining out.
So, operators really should view breakfast as an opportunity to be embraced and could also hold the key to profitability and increased revenue for hotels, pubs and restaurants.
While 55% of people eat breakfast at home every day, almost half (49%) eat breakfast out of home, according to Mintel. Indeed, recent research from Lamb Weston reveals that 2.6 million adults in the UK now eat out of home between 10am and 12pm, up from approximately 1.3 million adults in 1974. Furthermore 20% of those who take breakfast out-of-home do so once a week or more.
Leonardo Hotels, recently surveyed 2,000 adults from all over the UK to uncover the truth behind our breakfast habits. Despite the rise of trendy alternatives like shakshuka, huevos rancheros and smashed avocado, the good old-fashioned fry-up continues to reign supreme.
• The ‘Full English’ came out on top as the UK’s favourite breakfast, with 83% of Brits saying they love this classic dish.
• It seems that as a nation, we still favour more traditional breakfast options, with cereal (81%), a bacon sandwich (79%), croissants and pastries (78%), and pancakes (77%) making up the rest of the top 5
Unsurprisingly, bacon came out on top as the most essential element of a Full English, with 69% of Brits wanting this on their plate. Sausages took the number two spot with 66%, followed by toast (62%), baked beans (57%) and a fried egg (53%). We’re choosing fried mushrooms (42%) over grilled (38%) and hash browns (44%) over chips (19%). When it comes to sauce, it’s tomato ketchup (29%) that we’re reaching for, closely followed by brown sauce (23%).
However, these aren’t the only sauces we’re adding to our fry-up. 5% of Brits would happily add BBQ sauce or mayonnaise to their Full English, while 3% would opt for chilli sauce. 
‘As we know bacon is still the number one ingredient in the cooked breakfast, says Denhay Farms marketing director Ellen Streatfield, “but it is amazing the number of premium food outlets serving up value bacon that has been imported from across Europe and is full of water. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why serve anything other than the best tasting dry cured British bacon? Too much focus is put on price over taste and welfare standards and that needs to change.’
With the versatile egg being one the great British Breakfast’s main ingredients , following on from the success of its round, free range poached egg, Just Egg Chilled Foods has added to its pre-packed, egg product collection with an oval version. The new, oval egg, which is aimed at chefs, hoteliers and caterers, is already proving to be a winner having scooped the award for ‘Food Innovation of the Year’ at last month’s National Egg & Poultry Awards.
The first British manufactured product of its kind, the oval poached egg is made with British Lion eggs and prepared and packed to ensure optimum freshness and to preserve flavour, following the same remit as its round counterpart. Thanks to Just Egg’s unique packaging, the eggs are less likely to get damaged when served and so look, as well as taste, the very best, appealing to those caterers who will use it as a key ingredient for starters, mains, and salads.
TRENDS
A report by food service company Délifrance, revealed the UK’s hottest trends in breakfast and brunch, lifting the lid on what consumers really want when eating out of home.
The nation is now swinging towards breakfast and brunch as social occasions (40%), but is divided on whether indulgence (23%) or health (22%) is the main consideration when choosing what to eat.
Convenience drives 48% of those polled in deciding why to eat breakfast out of home, closely followed by 40% viewing it as a social activity, and 40% because it’s a luxury.
Stéphanie Brillouet, marketing director – Northern Europe & North America, Délifrance says: “In Britain, the breakfast market is and is predicted to grow 5% by the end of 2019 . We’ve dug deeper into the trend, looking at what customers have come to expect.
Health Conscious
As the nation becomes more health-conscious than ever before, we’re also seeing an increase in healthier breakfast options. 61% of Brits said they enjoy a bowl of yoghurt and granola for breakfast, while 59% like a smoothie. 36% of those in our survey have made their own overnight oats, a new trend sweeping the nation, while 33% have enjoyed the millennial favourite, avocado and poached egg on toast.
According to research from market insights experts Kantar sales are up year-on-year on items like cereal bars (2.2% growth to £444.5 million), porridge (up 4.8% to £247 million) and marginally on ready-to-eat cereal (value of sales is up 0.7% to £1,318.1 million).
When it comes to food and drink choices, decisions are largely made based on health (28%). Millennial consumers, accounting for 23% of all breakfast consumers, are especially seeking health benefits at breakfast – 253 million MORE breakfast servings they enjoyed last year were based on fulfilling this need. 190 million more were chosen based on being ‘more natural/less processed’.
Nestlé Cereals announced the launch of its new Box Bowls range – a six pack of Nestle Breakfast Cereal favourites that can be eaten straight from the box. All that is left to do is to pour milk into the specially-designed bag inside the box, and grab a spoon for a tasty and convenient breakfast to be enjoyed at home, or on the go.
All elements of the box bowl are recyclable – from the specially designed inner bag that holds in moisture, to the unique cube-like outer carton.
Toby Baker, Marketing Director UK & Australia, Nestlé Cereals, said: “Consumer research tells us that Brits want more variety and convenience at breakfast time. Our new Box Bowls provide a tasty breakfast choice for almost every day of the week, pre-portioned and ready to eat straight from the box. “Box Bowls have also been designed to fit around ever busier lifestyles – they can be enjoyed at home, or while out and about. The toughest decision you’ll face is which one to choose.”Consumers are eating more fruit (up 8.5%), porridge (up 7.4%) and eggs (up 2.7%), confirming the trend towards more ‘natural’ breakfasts
However, signs are pointing towards a generational shift in breakfast eating habits. The older generations are more likely than younger cohorts to eat breakfast at home every day and also have a lower repertoire of foods typically eaten.
In contrast, more fragmented routines appear to be taking root among the younger generations. They are more likely to eat breakfast out of home, many doing so while on the go, and to eat a wider range of foods for breakfast. Additionally, the young’s propensity to snack is also impacting on breakfast eating, seeing them graze on smaller breakfast items throughout the morning rather than eating one big breakfast.
Breakfast beverages
Out of home breakfast visits have been fuelled by a market-wide focus on coffee. 25% of coffee is consumed at breakfast and 16% as part of a morning snack, so many operators have introduced a credible coffee range as a way of maintaining customer loyalty.
While fruit juice came out as the most popular drink across the board, there were some variations when it came to hot drinks. According to studies, men prefer white coffee (68%) while women would rather have a cup of English Breakfast tea (70%).
The increasing popularity of brunch has also led to a rise in brunch-friendly cocktails. And when it comes to cocktails, Brits are ordering a Bloody Mary (24%) before anything else, closely followed by a Bellini (23%) and a Mimosa (18%).
With the coffee culture showing no signs of slowing down and a greater demand for premium product as consumers develop a more discerning coffee palette, Roger Heap from Swiss owned Jura says hoteliers should be serving quality coffee. “JURA manufactures premium, Swiss-made 
bean-to-cup coffee machines that are ideal for commercial use – producing from 50, up to 200 cups per day. The JURA WE8 is perfect for a small hotel offering as it’s capable of producing around 35 speciality coffees per day. This machine features 12 programmable specialities, from a latte macchiato to a flat white.
It also has a 3l water tank capacity and a 500g bean container capacity with an aroma preservation cover. For optimum convenience, the WE8 is compatible with the JURA Coffee App, so you can control it wirelessly via Bluetooth.”
We spoke to Teasup, a family run business who supply premium whole leaf teas to restaurants, pubs, cafes and hotels to find out more about their about their Smoked Guava Tea from Africa’s Great Rift Valley in Malawi. “The smokey aroma of this tea is reminiscent of sitting around a camp-fire, yet the taste is beautifully delicate”, says Philip Joseph, Founder of Teasup. It is mind-blowing to drink on its own, but also pairs well with smoked salmon, red meats, chicken, cheese dishes and marinades.
High quality, ethical sourcing and the environment are priorities for Teasup and their Smoked Guava Tea comes from The Satemwa Estate in Malawi, a third generation family business employing whose workers are provided with education and health services.
To brew this tea, Teasup suggest infusing 1-2 teaspoons of loose leaf or 1 biodegradable pyramid bag for 2-4 mins at 95-100ºC.
“We want our clients to be able to have premium quality classic teas, as well as the option to have unique teas with real wow-factor”, says Philip. This Malawian take on a Lapsang Souchong certainly does that.
Grab the opportunity
So there you have it, breakfast as an opportunity to be seized. Nigel Phillips, Lamb Weston’s National Sales Manager Matt Scott breakfast 20 says: “The UK breakfast and brunch market is experiencing a big boom, with 58% of people now seeing it as the most important meal of the day and as a crucial element of a venue’s offer. The times and occasions for breakfast and brunch are also evolving with breakfast no longer viewed as a functional meal to start the day but as a sociable, indulgent occasion.
“Breakfast is a large and innovative market, presenting a great opportunity for casual dining venues and pubs to diversify their offer and grow. Operators need to shape up their offers to capitalise on this significant opportunity
www.justegg.co.uk 0116 742822
www.denhay.co.uk 01404 518712
www.uk.jura.com 01282 868266
www.teasup.co.uk 07855 666078
www.nestlecereals.co.uk