If you stay in a B&B, what breakfast options would you expect?

[BreakfastClubs]

Specifically a small B&B as opposed to a hotel.

Which/how many options would you expect?

Asking for a friend.

Having worked in hotels/ b&b’s for a few years, for somewhere small I would expect There to be Cereal, fruit juice & full English.

Juice. Cereal. Toast. Croissants. Cooked English. Vegetarian It also depends on the price as some places only offer a continental and if its all cooked in advance they don't want to be throwing it away.

I would expect whatever options had been specified on the website before I booked. So, usually, a full English, but I know that some small places aren't able to do that (quite justifiably & priced accordingly). So, if they say up front that they just leave a tray of coffee & pasties outside the bedroom door, then that is what I expect.
If I had particular food allergies etc, I would also have checked before booking.

I would generally expect a choice of cooked or continental. Cooked to be bacon, egg, mushrooms as a minimum. Toast, choice of cereals and juices. Tea/coffee.

But so long as they list it all on the website accurately then it's fine to have fewer options.

Depends on what was specified in the details at the time of booking surely?

We used to run a B&B - we're in France and cooked breakfasts aren't the norm here (more's the pity!!), but I think in the UK I would expect a cooked breakfast to be an option.

We've just watched an old series of Four in a Bed.

One venue didn't offer any cooked options at all which would immediately be a no from me, and another provided a sachet of instant porridge and a cereal bar in the room but gave guests directions to a nearby cafe - for which guests had to pay full price.

Cooked breakfast
Cereals
Croissants and pancakes
Fruit and yoghurt
Tea/Coffe/fruit juices.

That's it really.

tea / coffee.
ideally hot chocolate made with milk but that seems more rare in UK.

fruit juice, preferably a choice
cereals, choice of

toast & choice of spreads

cooked English

fresh croissants would be an added bonus

I'd expect whatever was offered when I booked the room

I'd have different expectations based on location really.

Fir example Peak District where activities would likely be hiking etc... full cooked breakfast.

Tourist city where its lighter activities like museums... Nice continental breakfast.

I went to a great one in Exeter recently that had a small menu that you chose from
the night before - Greek yogurt with berries and granola. Eggs on toast. Avo on toast. Bacon or sausage sandwiches. Table had couple of cereals and juice on it.

B&B breakfast varies. Some are more comprehensive than others. Some have cereals and milk set out for you to help yourself, maybe with a toaster and stack of white and brown bread and jams, perhaps yoghurt. Some will do a cooked breakfast to order and may offer porridge. One post covid did hot croissants and a selection of jams, and another sausage sarnies that they brought to us. I don't remember going to any that offer fresh fruit like a hotel. Nor cheese ham and bread . Nor pancakes, which is a shame.

It can also mean a pack with cornflakes, UHT milk and orange, a plastic wrapped long life croissant and individually wrapped strawberry jam.

Why? Have you never been to a B&B?

Cooked breakfast to which you can choose your items from a list

tea and coffee and fruit juice. Apple and orange, may be cranberry or another option. Water too.

Toast with butter and jams and marmalade.

Yoghurt and some fresh fruit.

A bonus would be pastries and pancakes or waffles.

It would depend on the price and what they said they said offered as long as the website was clear about their offer and I knew what I was buying I would be ok about it.
The perfect range to suit both DP and I would be
A range of cooked options including vegi (eg full breakfast, eggs Florentine/Benedict , scrambled eggs etc)
Toast with jam, marmalade etc
And a range of cold options breads, croissant, fruit, cereal, yoghurt

Usually cooked

But as long as they say what the options are, that’s fine

Why? Have you never been to a B&B?

Yes I have been to a B&B though I don't eat breakfast(whether in a B&B or at home)

I'm asking on behalf of a friend who has just started running a B&B because she's being expected to offer numerous options rather than just a few and we wondered what most people expect.

Cooked breakfast with tea, coffee and juice.

Take orders the day before if its a small place and you want to avoid waste and waiting around.

I rarely eat pastries or cereal and am always surprised about how popular pastries in particular are on MN given how carbon fearing and protein obsessed the consensus is.

I think, along with what the others have said, that if you’re clear about the option on booking you’ll be fine - their choice if they want it or not. We used to stay in one down in Cornwall, I think there were 3 rooms. The options were always full English, eggs any way you liked, cereal/yoghurts/fruit, and then mackerel fillets - I suppose they’re locally caught and very easy to source! Dh used to go for them. I had egg and soldiers.
We stayed at one in Dorset and the options were more limited to toast/fruit/yoghurt but they were upfront about what they offered and we opted to go out for breakfast instead.

I’d generally expect some cold options and a full English option.

Maybe a cold buffet with cereal, fruit, yoghurt and pastries. Jams and spreads for toast. Fruit juice.

Whenever I’ve been to a B&B they’ve had a full English or you can order just the items you’d like such as eggs on toast, bacon and eggs or a sausage sandwich.

I also went to one where you did your order the night before and left it on your door but I always find that difficult as I don’t know how hungry I am until I wake up.

Strange.

I'd be surprised if there was no cooked breakfast (full English options to choose from plus vegetarian). There should also be toast with preserves, cereal and fruit. Bonus if there are pastries and yoghurt too.

I'd happily order the night before.

small selection of cereals, pastries, fruit yoghurt and option of a cooked breakfast.

small selection of juices, tea and coffee

She offers a cooked breakfast and a mini continental. Cereal and various forms of eggs are available plus yoghurt and pastry. Fruit juice and various toppings for toast.

What she's being asked/demanded in some cases for are things like pancakes, waffles, Eggs benedict, smoked salmon etc which might be perfectly normal breakfast options but it's only her and a small B&B and she can't offer a selection to match Wetherspoon's as one guest told her that they have a better selection.

Yogurt should say fruit and yogurt.

This.

I definitely expect nice hot drinks. A French press on each table isn't that hard, there's no need for instant in a B&B.

I only drink tea or hot chocolate and the places that serve good ones go to top of the list. I've declined going back to somewhere where you could tell they made no effort on the drinks.

It's reasonable though to say you get one or two and then there's a surcharge.

We all deserve something lovely before setting off in the morning!

Stayed in a Yha recently, which I know isn’t quite the same and there were 2 price options - one for continental and one for everything. You had to pre order. It was packed so buffet style but must still have reduced waste.

I’d expect as a min
tea
coffee
orange juice plus one other juice
musli
toast (white and brown) and a choice of 3 jams/spreads
a “full English” consisting of sausage, bacon, mushrooms, beans, fried egg.

Nice to have
croissant
pastry
choice of juices
fresh fruit
yoghurt
3-4 cereals
hot chocolate and different tea/coffee

black pudding
tomato
hash browns
choice of egg