The Full English Breakfast
The Crown, Lyndhurst
One of the pleasures I enjoy in life, especially when I’m dining out or staying in a hotel, is having a Full English Breakfast. I like the fact that each one is unique, with potential additional ingredients and regional variations. But then there is the comfort of the familiar and knowing that key aspects of the dish will be present. It is also nice when elements are locally sourced which often means that they stand out. In Norfolk recently, the sausages included in my Full English Breakfast were exceptional. When in Hampshire, I find that the bacon is thicker cut and cured in a manner unique to the county. It is these aspects that make the Full English Breakfast such a pleasant and interesting dish. I also find that having such a robust and substantive breakfast is a great way to start the day and keeps me energised until mid-afternoon.
The "traditional" Full English Breakfast, if there is such a thing, is more of a dish than a specific meal. It includes fried bacon (traditionally back bacon but streaky is acceptable), poached, fried or scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, and sausages. Black pudding, baked beans and “bubble and squeak” are also often included. Sauté potatoes or Hash browns and even chips have been added in recent years. Fried bread or toast is served as well. In the North of England, fried or grilled oatcakes sometimes replace fried bread. The breakfast is usually served with tea or coffee, as well as fruit juices. Breakfast cereals are an optional entrée, as are croissants. In the past, alternative main dishes such as kippers, kedgeree and devilled kidneys were often included. Like many popular dishes, there are many variations, however the core elements remain constant.
The Old Railway Station, Petworth
The Full English Breakfast is a mainstay of British cuisine. The fried and substantive nature of the dish has not always found favour internationally where lighter breakfasts are often favoured. However, in the UK, this “fry-up” has grown in popularity and is viewed with cultural pride, similar to fish and chips and curry. It can be found almost anywhere in the country, from the humblest of local cafés to high end hotels and restaurants. It is that ubiquity that has rehabilitated its reputation. The roots of the dish date back to at least the 18th century and the essential elements have been consumed one way or another further back than then. However, the Full English Breakfast only began to gain traction as a popular start to the day, in the 20th century.
Some of its constituent elements found in the Full English Breakfast date back to the Bronze Age. Bread, for example, was a staple in Egypt and Sumeria as well as ancient Greece and Rome. However, tomatoes and potatoes were only introduced to the UK, from the New World, in the 1500s. By the mid 1700s hot bacon and eggs was established as a breakfast staple among the middle classes. Travel writer Patrick Brydone first referred to eating “an English breakfast at his lordship’s” while visiting a peer of the realm. Sir Kenelm Digby mentions in a recipe how “two poached eggs with a few fine dry-fryed collops of pure Bacon, are not bad for break-fast”. At the time, eggs were regarded as luxury items on a par with chicken itself. It was not until the early 20th century when animal farming increased that eggs became part of Victorians breakfast. The eating of eggs and bacon grew in popularity as the urban population sought to imitate the lifestyle of a country estate.
The Crab and Lobster, Bembridge
The spread of the Full English Breakfast after World War I may be due to the increase in popularity in cookery columns in newspapers and in books. Contrary to modern dietary advice, the Full English Breakfast was advocated as “healthy eating”.The actual name became popular after World War II as British Army general Bernard Montgomery was said to have started every day with such a dish during the campaign in North Africa. By the late 1950s, after the end of rationing in the UK, it became the basic breakfast on offer in most UK hotels. Over the following decades additional elements were added such as leftover potatoes, which were fried. Mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and black pudding similarly became regular additions. A few items such as kidneys as well as gravy, fell out of favour over time and have vanished from the dish.
The Full English Breakfast is now perceived not only as an essential aspect of British cuisine but part of the UK’s culture. It is one of the few British meals to have found favour with non-Brits and as a nation, we are proud and protective of it. It was once a meal reserved for the affluent but is now a dish accessible and enjoyed by people from all walks of life. Furthermore it continues to evolve, as Hash browns are now a regular addition to the existing classic elements. There are also vegan and vegetarian variants served, however contradictory that may seem. In many ways, the Full English Breakfast is a microcosm of the UK itself and a reflection of its diverse identity. As the nation continues to change, so does the dish. Hence, the Full English Breakfast of the next century may be very different from the one we enjoy now.
