Breakfast menus aren’t just for hoteliers – schools, hospitals, prisons and corporate canteens also order wholesale food for morning consumption.
Breakfast, it has been said, is the most important meal of the day – the emphasis here being on the word ‘meal’. While people no longer break their night-time fast with turkey pie, pickled oysters and cream cakes, as they did in Samuel Pepys day, there’s still a lot more to choose from than cereals and toast.
Doing the Continental
In the 1960s, the ‘full English’ was a staple of practically every B&B in the British Isles. While it’s still a popular choice with holidaymakers, it has been supplemented by the lighter Continental-style breakfast which, despite its name, offers far more choice than coffee and croissants.
Served as a buffet, and generally including a selection of juices, fruits, cereals, breads, pastries and beverages, the Continental is both cost-effective and nutritious. Caterers can customise their menus, for example by adding yogurts, cheeses, cold meats and international variants. Foods such as melon and grapefruit can be ordered in bulk for use at both ends of the day, saving the caterer time and money.
For event organisers, a continental is the ideal choice for corporate ‘early starts’ like meetings and training events.
The traditional touch
Breakfast menus should offer variety of choice as well as value for money. Traditional breakfast buffets offer all the benefits of a full cooked breakfast, but without the expense or inconvenience of table service.
An increasingly common compromise for hoteliers, canteen managers and event organisers, especially when large numbers are being catered for, traditional menus are usually an ‘upgrade’ to the regular continental selection, with eggs, cooked meats, grilled vegetables, kippers, hash browns and other regional favourites.
Through a good wholesale food company, caterers can offer innovative, nutritious breakfast menus throughout the year. If you want a Samuel-Pepys-themed brunch, it’s possible.