Some of us forego breakfast altogether, for many of us it comprises a quick bowl of cereal or slice of toast. But the first meal of the day has a rich heritage and is a great way of providing hospitality.

Victorian Breakfasts

Victorian country house breakfasts were astonishingly elaborate affairs, famous for an array of huge serving dishes piled high with grilled kippers, devilled kidneys, kedgeree and eggs of every description.

As with all social occasions, the etiquette of the breakfast was clearly delineated:

“In the country the breakfast hour varies from 9 to 10.30, and in some country houses it is an understood thing that the guests are at liberty to come down to breakfast at any time between nine and half-past ten. In not a few country houses the hostess and the ladies breakfast in their own rooms, and the gentlemen of the party breakfast with the host in the breakfast-room.

The breakfast gong is a signal for assembling in the breakfast-room or dining-room, but it is not the custom to wait for any one beyond five or ten minutes… The servants should remain in attendance during breakfast to wait upon the guests…There is no general move made from the breakfast table as in the case of luncheon or dinner; the hostess generally remains until the whole of the guests have at least commenced breakfast, save in the case of very late comers…“

Manners and Rules of Good Society, by A Member of the Aristocracy, first published 1879

Many Victorian breakfast dishes are rich and spicy and a very far cry from our fruit compotes, granolas and lightly buttered toast. Devilled kidneys were cooked in a spicy sauce, generally comprising Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, mustard, butter, salt and pepper. Kedgeree is an Anglo-Indian dish (from the Hindi Khichri), which was commended in Mrs Beeton’s famous book of Household Management. In her version it comprises flaked fish (often smoked haddock), basmati rice, butter, mustard and boiled eggs. Even scrambled eggs were heavily flavoured; ‘Scotch Woodcock’ combines eggs with cayenne pepper, gentleman’s relish, anchovies and capers.

During hunting season, participants were provided with an even more hearty breakfast than usual. Grilled pheasants and lamb chops were standard offerings and Mrs Beeton suggests game pie is a suitable addition to the groaning breakfast table.

What about Brunch?

It is thought that brunch, a meal that is normally taken between 10am–1pm, originated with these heavy-duty hunt breakfasts. Brunch is a portmanteau word, combining ‘breakfast’ and ‘lunch’ and is believed to have been coined in 1895 by a writer for Hunter’s Weekly named Guy Beringer. He deplored the heaviness of Sunday lunch and advocated instead a much more palatable meal: “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Punch magazine commended his idea in 1896 and the whole notion of brunch soon spread across the Atlantic.

As the idea of brunch became more popular during the roaring 1920s, it was increasingly common to incorporate alcohol into the proceedings, especially for male guests. The Bloody Mary is believed to have been invented in Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s. Famous for its ’hair of the dog’ qualities, it became a popular hangover remedy and an ideal brunch-time drink. It could also be served without vodka for those who wished to abstain.

Today, brunch is a hugely popular meal to eat out. It is generally less expensive than lunch, it doesn’t necessarily involve alcohol, the timings are circumscribed. It is therefore ideal for business meetings or for an enjoyable hour or two socialising in an otherwise busy day. 

But brunch (or breakfast if you prefer) is also a good meal to host. As with afternoon tea, your guests will recognise that the invitation is not open-ended and that they are expected to leave by the early afternoon. You can also organise food which does not offer too much of a culinary challenge.

How to Host Brunch

It is generally best to start brunch at around 11am-noon. By then, all your guests will have had time to wake up and get ready and it will not be in too much of a rush.

Always offer plenty of tea, coffee and fruit juice. As for food, the main priority is to provide plenty of choice – much of this will not involve cooking:

•If you feel up to cooking, consider taking a leaf our of our Victorian ancestors’ book and serving a large dish of kedgeree (you can add Indian spices such as cumin, coriander and cardamom) and garnish it liberally with chopped parsley or coriander. Alternatively, a large platter of scrambled or fried eggs, with crispy butcher’s bacon on the side, would be an attractive, and not too onerous, choice.

•A generous array of ham and cheese with fresh bread rolls (continental style) is a good non-cooked option. Croissants and Danish pastries always go down well.

•If you’re catering for vegans, you could cook a spicy dish of chickpeas in tomato sauce, and serve them with a dollop of thick yogurt, mashed avocado and toast.

•Home-made muesli or granola is always a popular choice.

•A plentiful supply of fruits and Greek yoghurt provides an alternative for guests who do not want to eat heavy food early in the day.

•If you want to serve alcohol, you could offer a jug of Bloody Mary. For something less potent, you could offer Bucks Fizz or Mimosa (a simple mixture of orange juice and champagne or sparkling wine). The only difference between these two drinks is the alcohol content: a Mimosa combines two parts orange juice to one part champagne, whereas the Bucks Fizz reverses these proportions.

Serving Breakfast to Overnight Guests

Breakfast can be a difficult time, especially if not everyone around the table is a ’morning person’. If you are blessed with a constitution that gives you an enthusiasm for the morning, then approach breakfast with caution and read the mood before inflicting your sunny disposition and get-up-and-go attitude on your companions.

Respect the slower, quieter and more relaxed pace that is often preferred first thing and allow everyone a cup of something in peace.

Conversely, no matter how tired, unrested or apprehensive you feel about the day ahead, it is equally bad manners to bring a bad morning mood to the table.

It is wise to have a selection of breakfast options available, Tea and toast will do for most, but guests may find a cooked breakfast an enjoyable indulgence, especially at weekends. Remember, if you are planning a substantial lunch a full fry-up might be too ambitious.

Give your guests a rough idea of what time you usually take breakfast – it is very embarrassing to hear guests rummaging around in the kitchen while you are still lazing in bed.

Guests and hosts should get dressed before going down to breakfast – save slopping about in your pyjamas for when you’re home alone or en famille.

Freshly brewed coffee and a large pot of tea are a must, along with a good selection of jams and spreads. Fresh juice should be readily available, and a well-stocked fruit bowl and a selection of pastries are also a welcome addition. If guests bring children, a couple of packets of cereal are always a good idea.

Even if you do not really eat breakfast yourself, you must assume that your guests do, and make sure that you cater for them. Try and eat something, however small, yourself; sitting on the sidelines with a cup of black coffee and nothing else is a discouraging sight.