Rise and fine dine: Can breakfast be a luxury leader?

“Smoothie and granola bowls topped with mixed berries, chia seeds and honey are driving footfall from health-conscious consumers who are seeking filling, wholesome breakfast options without compromising on taste. 

“Similarly, avocado toast continues its reign as a breakfast staple. Operators can elevate this simple dish with toppings such as turkey rashers, poached eggs, chilli flakes, feta cheese and cherry tomatoes, to create Instagram-worthy plates that encourage social sharing and repeat visits.”

We need a hero

Erwan Inizan, Northern Europe sales director for bakery supplier Bridor, agrees that there is still mileage in the classics: “Viennese pastries remain breakfast bestsellers, with croissants being the first choice for 95% of consumers. For cafés, hotels and food-to-go venues, the croissant is a genuine hero product.”

However, he did caution that operators cannot rely on just offering plain croissants if they want to stand out. To that end, Bridor has recently added a pistachio-filled croissant to a range that also includes custard lattice and apple lattice.

Stéphanie Brillouet, marketing and innovation director at pâtisserie supplier Délifrance, says: “Consumers are increasingly seeking affordable indulgence at breakfast; products that feel high-quality and comforting, but without a premium price tag.

“Pastries continue to resonate strongly and remain staples of the morning occasion. Consumers are also leaning into savoury-led breakfast choices that feel satisfying, portable and versatile. Products such as Délifrance cheese twists and ham and cheese baskets answer this demand perfectly, offering bold flavour, strong visual appeal and an easy grab-and-go format that works across breakfast, brunch and snacking occasions.”

Multi-use mania

With bakery clearly the foundation of breakfast menus, versatile products with multiple uses offer advantages. Charlotte Perkins, commercial manager at Pan’Artisan, says “Many of our customers use our dough ball range to make customised items for their operation. With a little effort and creativity, anything from breakfast pizza slices, cinnamon swirls, breakfast rolls or calzones are easy and quick to produce.”

Ian Hartley, co-founder of specialist hotel supplier Out of Eden, says: “It’s important to provide the staple supplies and family favourites, but we are seeing an upward trend toward more wholesome, artisan and healthy options. And don’t underestimate the impact of presentation. Wooden display crates and baskets can add a little rustic charm to the breakfast buffet, and using serving pots for jams and sauces is a good way to cut plastic use.”

Broadening the breakfast offer can help to drive consumer take-up. Samantha Windsor, marketing manager at Lantmännen Unibake, says: “Skipping breakfast is becoming a more socially normalised behaviour, driven in part by dieting trends such as intermittent fasting and, more recently, the increased uptake of weight-loss medications.

“The key is for outlets to add more engagement to their breakfast ranges, from an increased range of healthy options to indulgent treats, appealing grab-and-go choices, and showing how traditional breakfast choices could be eaten later in the day.”

Everything stops for brunch

Shifting breakfast trade later also creates opportunities to upsell. Rachel Porter, Country Range Group own brand manager, says: “Brunch often involves groups and is a key social occasion, so chefs can generate fantastic word of mouth promotion and sales if they can add a little pizazz.

“To succeed, operators have to make the brunch occasion a spectacle. That means imaginative brunch dishes, great coffee, attentive staff, bottomless brunches, creative ‘hair of the dog’ cocktails and even Champagne or prosecco. It’s about getting the guests in early and keeping them there as long as possible.”

David Colcombe, UK chef ambassador for Maple from Canada, says: “All-day breakfast with interesting globally-inspired healthy dishes, such as maple-baked eggs with spinach can add a significant additional revenue stream, while Korean fried chicken with fluffy maple pancakes taps into the current trend for southeast Asian-inspired eats.”

Marrfish’s operations director Ben English believes that fish is “the perfect choice” for the growing brunch trend. “Smoked salmon with eggs and avocado or British kippers served on hot buttered toast and topped with a poached egg are always going to be crowd-pleasers,” he says. “But if you want to offer something more global, try grilled fish such as mackerel or salmon served with a bowl of miso soup sprinkled with pickled vegetables; light yet highly nutritious.” 

Fabien Levet, commercial manager at Pidy UK, adds: “Breakfast and brunch are as much about the experiential element of dining out as about the food offering, and having a stunning, social media-worthy spread is vital. Elevated presentation can be achieved with simple tweaks.”

Consumer expectations of quality increasingly extend to the grab-and-go market. Mohammad Shaikh, chief executive of quick-service operator Eatphoria, says: “In our breakfast brands, Eggsquisite and Holy Bagel, we are seeing a trend from consumers seeking the same quality, flavour and level of choice that they would expect when purchasing a meal for lunch or dinner.”

In response, Eatphoria has worked with Bidfood to develop products such as a halal-friendly breakfast sausage, halal maple turkey bacon and a rapid-to-cook steak product. Shaikh adds: “We think more steak-based breakfast items will be a big trend over the next 12-24 months as consumers continue to explore opportunities to add more protein to their diets.”

Suppliers

Bidfood www.bidfood.co.uk

Bridor www.bridor.com/en-uk

Booker www.booker.co.uk

Country Range www.countryrange.co.uk

Delifrance delifrance.com/uk

Lantmännen Unibake www.lantmannenunibake.co.uk

Maple from Canada www.maplefromcanada.co.uk

Marrfish www.marrfish.co.uk

Out of Eden www.outofeden.co.uk

Pan’Artisan www.panartisan.com

Pidy www.pidy.co.uk

Main photo: dchachlas/Shutterstock