England breakfasts: A bucket list for every traveler

A traditional English breakfast is a delicious subject to write about. It is also a delicious subject to sample and enjoys while traveling around England. When it comes to an English breakfast, almost everything gets to be included. English breakfast is a potentially large meal in which several types of foods are included such as bacon, sausage, eggs, beans, tomatoes, black and white pudding, kidney kippers, mushrooms, toast, potatoes, coffee, and tea.

When you are taking a holiday the traditional English breakfast is one that should not be missed. Fortunately, this is a tradition enjoyed all across the country. There are cafes serving up English breakfasts all over the country. Many are within walking distance of your own hotel. If you are taking a free walking tour in London, then walk your way into almost any café you can find and enjoy this amazing meal.

The traditional breakfast history

This traditional breakfast dates back to the middle ages. There were only two meals a day then and nobility were frequent recipients of such a lavish breakfast. A lot of them were also connected to weddings and after-ceremony, everyone would sit down to have breakfast together. There are a lot of ways this tradition spread around the country and was enjoyed by many. These breakfasts were casual meals with plenty of friends and relatives and food provided.

Scotland & Ireland

There are regional variants for Scotland and Ireland, England’s close neighbors. The differences include things that would be considered regional differences like Irish soda being served at breakfast in Ireland.

The Working Class

What is also amazing about this meal is that it was enjoyed by the working classes as well. These people would be working in factories all day long so they would start their days with a large breakfast. A lot of the work in those days was very hard physical labor and with long hours so those people were doing what was necessary to keep themselves going. This tradition was enjoyed by the working classes up through the 1950s because the labor situation didn’t start to change until then.

The English Breakfast Now

Now English breakfast is a tradition enjoyed all over the world not just in England. It even appears in countries such as India and China, though there are some culturally influenced variations to the meal plans. Such as tikka masala that gets served traditionally in India. This, unsurprisingly, appears often around the United States as well; though the United State’s version enjoys more cheese and hotcakes.

There are several walking tours available all over England and the Traditional English Breakfast is included in several. This is one thing you should not miss when you take your next trip to England. It is a taste experience. The tours will have other things you will be doing such as visiting one of many historical castles or the bridges of London. If you cannot make the traditional English breakfast an event on one of these tours, do your own research and take time to include on your own. In fact, there are several handy web pages you can view that has information about the types of food you will enjoy and where you can find them by region.

The Queen’s Breakfast

Does the queen of England enjoy this tradition of her own country? Usually, no she does not. She enjoys a Spartan breakfast of tea with a few biscuits (cookies). She tries to avoid starch though fruit and cold cereal are part of her normal breakfast. Traditional English Breakfast is only for special occasions and even then she eats sparingly. She does have a country to run so taking a long post-breakfast-lunch nap is probably not something she does often. When she does enjoy them, they are often attached to state functions and does not overindulge.

On your next trip abroad to England, try to find a morning to enjoy this piece of the English tradition that has been enjoyed by the rich and the poor alike for decades. There are restaurants everywhere and I know if you follow the links I referenced above you will find not only pictures of these amazing dishes, but links to where you can find the best of all of them. If you can’t, a quick search will bring up restaurants in the region.

Lirika Hart is a young ambitious girl who has been researching self-development for the past three years and is now focusing on her career. Her mission is to inspire others to live their dreams and be the person to whom they say; “Because of you, I never gave up.”