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.

[SweetSakura]

Cooked breakfast, cereals, fruit juice, toast, tea, coffee, jam

(Dairy free and normal milk and butter)

Ideally some fresh fruit

Anything else would be a bonus.

[SweetSakura]

Cooked breakfast, cereals, fruit juice, toast, tea, coffee, jam

(Dairy free and normal milk and butter)

Ideally some fresh fruit

Anything else would be a bonus.

[Lightningrain]

I think the selection sounds absolutely fine and I’d definitely prefer to eat there than potentially have to queue for a table at a cafe.

I’d maybe provide the breakfast menu for people on the booking website or with the booking confirmation so that fussy people can make alternative arrangements for breakfast before they arrive.

[SabrinaThwaite]

I always like some cold meats, cheeses and fresh rolls in a continental breakfast.

We’ve recently been discussing starting up a small cafe where I work, and heat from frozen products were proposed by the consultants because it cuts down on food waste.

[CheesyOnion]

I've just spent a week walking, staying in a different B&B each night.

Both the quality of the rooms and the food were variable, but they all offered much more choice than I expected.

The least choice was:

• full English or your choices of the component parts, eggs cooked as you

choose
-Vegetarian alternative

• Smoked haddock
• porridge

Plus cereals, toast, fruit, yogurt

One offered a huge choice

• smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
• all the egg options on toast
• kippers
• Eggs benedict
• breakfast burrito
• Full English/vegetarian alternative
• French toast with avocado, bacon and egg
• porridge plain, with raspberries and almonds or with blueberries and pecans

Plus cereals, fruit, yogurt etc and that's what I can remember.

[ThisSummerBetterBeDarnGood]

Just came home from work one with absolutely standard fare.

Toaster to make own toast, waffles.
Numerous jams, honey etc by toast.

Bowl of yogut, apitmel etc by a bowl of fruit, apples, oranges, bananas.

Range of cereals, jugs of milk and two juices.

Then a full English offered but sadly no cooked tomatoe.

Absolutely standard, lovely and enough to keep everyone happy.
Dh had full English, dd wanted one piece of bacon and cereal plus waffles.

I had full English first day second, yogurt, fruit, toast and jam.

[CheesyOnion]

@CheesyOnion

I've just spent a week walking, staying in a different B&B each night.

Both the quality of the rooms and the food were variable, but they all offered much more choice than I expected.

The least choice was:

• full English or your choices of the component parts, eggs cooked as you

choose
-Vegetarian alternative

• Smoked haddock
• porridge

Plus cereals, toast, fruit, yogurt

One offered a huge choice

• smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
• all the egg options on toast
• kippers
• Eggs benedict
• breakfast burrito
• Full English/vegetarian alternative
• French toast with avocado, bacon and egg
• porridge plain, with raspberries and almonds or with blueberries and pecans

Plus cereals, fruit, yogurt etc and that's what I can remember.

No idea what happened with the formatting there, but should also say they all wanted breakfast orders the night before and an idea of what time you'd be down for it.

Fwiw its a long time since I'd stayed in B&Bs (rather than hotels) and the standard had improved significantly!

[ThisSummerBetterBeDarnGood]

That sounds fine, would be nice to offer waffles.

However all she needs to be do is put up her breakfast menu on her website so people know exactly what they are going to get

[BreakfastClubs]

Thanks again to everyone who's responded. The details of what's offered is available when booking but it doesn't seem to stop people expecting more.

[Dustybarn]

We own a B&B. We offer juice, homemade granola, yoghurt and fresh fruit, freshly baked muffins and a cooked breakfast. We also offer veggie stacks and a vegan version and dairy and gluten free and we have a brilliant and rather ancient Italian coffee machine. We are rated 10/10 consistently for our breakfast. The important thing is quality and local ingredients (our fruit, some veg, herbs and eggs come from our garden and our own chickens, the yoghurt, bacon and sausages from our town). Just do a limited range of things but do them really well.

[CheesyOnion]

@BreakfastClubs

She's been debating whether to send guests to the cafe opposite with a voucher instead because variety seems to be their main concern. Also complaints that the pastries are not fresh.(They're heat from frozen but good quality)

What's she charging? That will obviously affect people's expectations.

How would anyone know if pastries are fresh or good quality cooked from frozen? The only way I can see a complaint about pastries not being fresh is of they're stale?

[Porridgeislife]

I’d expect cereal (eg cornflakes/Fruit and Fibre), muesli and yoghurt, whole pieces of fresh fruit in a bowl, toast with jam, honey, marmite and peanut butter, plus some version of a Full English.

[BreakfastClubs]

She does cater for allergies too but she'll buy them specifically for that person/persons and ask which milks etc are most suitable. This is due to waste but also because vegans might like soya or oat milk milk but someone with soya allergies might need oat or another option.

I think it's just a peril of the business. There's always going to be some who expect more than is feasible from a small B&B. It's just that she's had a run of them.

[BreakfastClubs]

How would anyone know if pastries are fresh or good quality cooked from frozen?

They asked if they were made on site and she answered. (I don't think many people would expect made from scratch pain au chocolat/raisin and croissants though.

[AtomicBlondeRose]

That sounds like the absolute classic B&B offer for breakfast tbh. Other choices are nice to have but I’d never expect more than the standard full English (and the option to choose a smaller breakfast from those components eg scrambled eggs on toast or a sausage sandwich). Sounds like they have some entitled customers. A B&B is not a hotel!

[Kimchikeffir]

Gluten free options for either full English or continental, gluten free toast . Also to have gluten free sausages and pains au chocolate etc, or as I have had in the Ritz and other posh hotels, just not catered for properly. I mean you can buy all the gluten free stuff in Asda , it’s not difficult.

[CheesyOnion]

@BreakfastClubs

She does cater for allergies too but she'll buy them specifically for that person/persons and ask which milks etc are most suitable. This is due to waste but also because vegans might like soya or oat milk milk but someone with soya allergies might need oat or another option.

I think it's just a peril of the business. There's always going to be some who expect more than is feasible from a small B&B. It's just that she's had a run of them.

Is there some other reason that they're feeling dissatisfied, if she's had a run of complainers?

Agree no one's expecting homemade pastries, except maybe if she's marketing herself as very high end?

[BreakfastClubs]

Agree no one's expecting homemade pastries, except maybe if she's marketing herself as very high end?

One of the customers was disappointed that they weren't made by her.

No idea why she's had a run. It just happens I guess. She's so new to it that it was bothering her but it seems that she's generally fine. She has more patience than I do. I wouldn't last 5 minutes.

[Caspianberg]

I would except good quality ingredients but happy with less options. I would expect cheap yogurt or frozen pastries

Most local b and b to us (not uk), don’t do any Cooked breakfast as such as it’s too much work for one person, who’s also trying to clean up, have guests chat, and top up regular breakfast items

Most here do: ( breakfast just 8-10am), all self service, but hot drinks as you want.

Hard boiled eggs - just a lined basket with thick cloth so they stay warm.
Fresh rolls, and crossiants.
Some kind of traybake baked cake/ homemade muffins/ cookies depending on season and day
hams and cheese
Yogurt, fresh fruit
Selection of cereals.
Fresh apple and orange juice.

Advertise on website with pictures the selection, and it’s no problem saying it’s ‘continental breakfast’ and guests will get exactly what they see.

[Kimchikeffir]

I’ve had in a posh hotel my husband been offered a full selection of pastries and different types of bread and toast, and I’ve f all. Not an effort with gluten free cereal. And I always mention the gluten free aspect when booking. I’ve paid £20 to watch my husband gorge himself whilst I’ve had a yogurt and some fruit, not acceptable.

[Rapidtango]

Depends on B&B - could be cereal, juice, toast or the full monty:
Cereal, yoghurt, fruit/grapefruit, juice.
Full English/Scottish/Ulster Fry with regional specialities i.e. tattie scone or white pudding.
Vegetarian cooked breakfast
Options like scrambled eggs with smoked salmon or ham and cheese croissant.
Toast with jam/marmalade.
Tea (variety), coffee including decaf.

[Caspianberg]

Re milk and allergy stuff. Most non dairy mills like soya, oat, almond are uht or can be. So it’s easier if she just buys some of those ie oatly oat milk. It’s only 1l size each. So she can just have in kitchen to use for drinks as needed and just put a selection out unopened with cereal stuff. It won’t go off unless opened, so if no guest uses for several weeks it’s no loss.

Also gluten free, most celiac gluten free items come pre wrapped individually so it’s not contaminated. So a few things kept in is handy. Gluten free granola can be bought in small one person serving boxes for example and she can put them and other bits in are area labelled ‘gluten free’

[starfishmummy]

Tea/coffee
Juice
Cereals (porridge too)

Full English
Toast and marmalade

Fruit, yogurt, pastries all nice if offered but would depend on the place. A true b&b - as opposed to the small hotels masquerading as b&bs they have on 4 in a bed - I would expect less things than at a hotel.

[LubaLuca]

Your friend must know that the person who was disappointed the pastries weren't made on site was an unworldly loon. She can disregard that sort of feedback.

[Rapidtango]

I think what your friend is offering sounds lovely. Having run a B&B for twenty years, you'll always get someone complaining about something. I bet your friend has more compliments than complaints - she just needs to focus on the compliments! I know it's hard not to take the complaints to heart, especially when it's just her running the business but honestly, some people will complain about EVERYTHING.

We had a couple staying and the woman sent her husband to complain that there was no milk on the table - he met me coming out of the kitchen with their milk jug. Next morning she sent him to complain that the milk jug was on the table with the milk getting warm and it should have been kept in the fridge until they came down. Then the husband was sent to complain that the choice of jam/marmalade wasn't varied enough (2 types of jam, marmalade, peanut butter, Nutella). I offered another 2 varieties of jam - still not good enough). Her poached eggs were overcooked one morning and undercooked the next. I ended up feeling incredibly sorry for her husband.....