“To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day,” wrote Somerset Maugham. A new cookbook, featuring the extraordinary variety of breakfasts served by Britain’s B&Bs is launched March 21 by eviivo.com, to coincide with National B&B Day on March 24th.
The recipes, which include the traditional alongside the exotic and unusual, include award-winning entries from eviivo’s annual Tastiest B&B Breakfast Awards, and range from the classic fry up to the rather more ‘specialist’ Sardines in Custard. The award-winners were chosen by a panel of elite judges, including Michel Roux Jr, Prue Leith and Dan Lepard.
Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr said: “Britain’s B&Bs have experienced a renaissance in recent years and I was really impressed by the finalists for the tastiest breakfast award. I’ve always been passionate about good, authentic cooking and it’s great to see such a variety of breakfast dishes from B&B owners alongside traditional bacon and eggs!”
Michele Fitzpatrick, CEO of eviivo, said, “We are delighted to publish this feast of recipes which demonstrate the care and extraordinary culinary craft of British B&B owners. There are recipes to suit all tastes – from the traditional to the exotic and for the carnivore and the vegetarian. eviivo are proud to launch this book to coincide with National B&B Day and we are equally proud to be supporting the important work of the Family Holiday Association. Bon appétit!”
Recipes in the book include: special fluffy eggs; smoked tofu kitchiri; mushrooms on toast, with garam masala and savoury crunchies; devilled lamb’s kidneys and porcini mushrooms on brioche with pea salad; duck egg, chorizo and guacamole on cornbread; sardines in custard; and knickerbocker breakfast glory.
The Great British B&B Breakfast Cookbook is available to purchase either as an e-book file, or as a printed version through Amazon. Proceeds from the book, which goes on sale today, will go to the Family Holiday Association. For over 40 years, the Family Holiday Association has provided breaks for UK families struggling with issues such as disability, severe and sudden illness, bereavement, mental health issues and domestic violence.
Breakfasts are a major point of differentiation for accommodation providers and the variety of options on the menu have grown enormously in the last decade, reflecting wider cultural influences, enthusiasm for local produce and increasing confidence on the part of accommodation owners. According to eviivo analysis, regular viewers of Masterchef will have spent more hours watching cooking demonstrations than it takes to complete a Cordon Bleu cookery course.
If B&Bs are just your ticket, why not read up about the Best B&Bs in Britian, 2017.
Traditionally, British Bed and Breakfasts have served bacon, sausages, eggs and a beverage such as coffee or tea, colloquially known as a “fry up”. English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish versions are subtly different. Other ingredients can include black pudding, white pudding, baked beans, toast, fried bread, hash browns, liver, soda bread, mushrooms, fried or stewed tomatoes, laverbread, potato scones and even a pork chop
The idea of the English breakfast as a national dish goes right back to the 13th century and the country houses of the gentry. In the old Anglo-Saxon tradition of hospitality, households would provide hearty breakfasts for visiting friends, relatives and neighbours.
The full breakfast is among the most internationally recognised British dish along with bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, roast beef, Sunday roast and the Christmas dinner. The full breakfast became popular in Britain and Ireland during the Victorian era, was standardised during the Edwardian Era, and appears in home economist Isabella Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861).
