What is it about British holiday makers and full breakfast?

[MonaLisaDoesntSmile]

The other day I was wathing randomly Four in a Bed. The hosting B&B had an amazing (for me) choice of breakfast foods- loads of nice cereal, yoghurts, fresh fruit, cold meats, cheeses, freshly baked bread, most locally picked/made, seasonal whenever possible. Every couple on the show complained that there was no cooked breakfast option and rated the B&B really low on the breakfast front because they didn't get to have their fry-up.
Another time I watched snippets of a programme showing people to travelling around France, again all complaining that they don't get to have their bacon and beans, but were offered French breakfast instead. There was a time when I worked in a hotel abroad over the summer and likewise saw plenty of British tourists who would refuse to have breakfast if they didnt get their fried eggs and would moan there was no bacon or fried beans. Now mind you, I love eggs for breakfast, but I also ate plenty of other stuff that are available.

Asking here as I am a foreigner and back home we are not really religious about our breakfasts- sometimes we have cooked breakfast, sometimes a sandwich, sometimes cereal, and I have never in my life met a fellow countryman who would complain as much about not having specific foods on offer, especially when abroad. And out of all the British people I know, very, very few actually have a fry up for breakfast, not mentoning having it every day. I didn't get that vibe to from tourists from other countries, not the same extent at least.

I know that while abroad or generally on holiday you sometimes want to eat something familiar, but don't really understand why people are so upset to not have the food they don't even eat at home every day offered while away every day?

YANBU, I’m Scottish and don’t get the obsession with a greasy fried breakfast.

Well we had to stay in a hotel for a few days (we got flooded out) and it turned out that the clientele was generally from farther flung corners of the globe (than ten mins up the road in London).

The breakfast was a glorious selection of noodles and curry (DS though it was bloody brilliant).

I thought I’d found some nice bread to toast but it turned out to be onion bread (I found out after I put honey on it and to be honest I wouldn’t recommend it).

Breakfast is odd... but if I’m staying away and someone else is cooking then yes, I want the full monty to keep me going until lunchtime.

It is what people pay for in a B&B to be fair - if you're paying hotel prices to stay in someone's house, I'd expect a good cooked breakfast.

On holiday though, I find most hotels try and cater for international tastes. They provide ham, eggs, cheeses and meats for those people who typically eat those and hot food for the British.

The sort of people who want British food everywhere they go are typically the sort of people who go to AI hotels rather than trekking in the Atlas Mountains though.

Now. Half of family arent British, I was born here as was my dad, my mum is Spanish. In Spain, I love a lighter breakfast - tostatda con tomate is one of my fave all time breakfasts. However, on a cold British holiday, with a hangover my British half takes total control and I want ALL THE FRIED THINGS. A good fry up, in the right context is heaven. And that is a hill my half British soul will die on....

I would never have a cooked breakfast at home, but I do think it's part of the whole experience if you're on holiday.

It's not something I really think about when booking somewhere. If it's offered I'll generally have it one morning but not again if I'm staying multiple nights. And I'm perfectly happy with toast, pastries, fruit etc. and actually find that much nicer to have during a longer stay.

It hails, back to the days of needing a good breakfast to set you up for a hard day's work, usually in the cold/rain.

Then life moved on, but a cooked breakfast is considered a treat, so people want it on holiday.

Tell us where you're from and we can find something about your culture to slag off.

Actually the best place we stayed in offered pancakes as the hot option. They were glorious.

Im Scottish and I don't do that.

I make a big breakfast on Sunday’s (it fits around early morning activities and late morning activities for our crowd) but it’s usually waffles, french toast, sausage... we have a late lunch before late afternoon sports so a good feed is nice.

It also reminds me of when I was a kid and mum would make a Sunday big breakfast (as a bribe to get us to go to church I suspect).

Ah the sight of my BIL slapping jam on fried bread... (he wasn’t from round these ‘ere parts and didn’t know what it was).

Yabu

The English breakfast is the highlight of a b&b stay here.

Cereal is ok at home, but having a meal cooked for you is a lovely treat

The only country that can compete with the fried breakfast is Mexico (huevos rancheros, chilaquiles etc) yum! am hungry now

Good point from a pp in that it is a bed and breakfast and a packet of rice Krispies would cost pennies so I suppose you're looking for your money's worth?
But abroad I prefer cold fruit!

@onlyoneoftheregimentinstep- holiday in the country or abroad? Would you expect similar when out of the country and if yes, woudl that be something that informed your choice of place to stay? Just curious as unlike @Clymene I found most hotels (unless they were in big resorts with loads of Brits) cater for locals more than specific groups of tourists, and not many European nations have huge cooked breakfasts. Mushroom, beans or bacon was pretty much unheard of when I travelled. I was never bothered, but it made me wonder how many people want the taste of home for breakfast, even if it's not something they actually have every day.

I get it when people are holidaying in UK, but demanding full English abroad is bit... Off

I don’t know what it is. But I can rarely be bothered to make a full English so when I go away it’s all I have. That, fried bread and a strong cuppa. It’s bloody lovely, even if it is unhealthy

At home I would rarely have a cooked breakfast, might have one for dinner sometimes.

On holiday in the UK (in a B&B/ hotel, not SC) a fry up is glorious.

Abroad, it wouldn't occur to me. I do like a pastel de nata for breakfast though

I don’t get it either. Also, why do they go nuts over those little square of butter? I use one for two slices of toast but I noticed that many British people take at least 4 for the same when we’re on holiday. What gives??

YABU on the Four in A Bed thing - I'd like the choice of a cooked breakfast if I was in a B and B/hotel in the UK.
Seeing as it's traditional and all that and it's a treat as I never usually have one at home!
YANBU in regards to being abroad though and moaning about their traditional choices - surely (for me, anyway!) going abroad is embracing the local dishes and food?!)
I'd be expecting croissants, cold meats, cheeses, or rye bread smorgasboard type stuff depending where I was... I definitely wouldn;t want a fry up!

@Horehound- This was more than just cereal, they had a huge cold buffet with a lot of stuff that was quite expensive, like fresh fruit, local honeys, jams, organis stuff, so not exactly a bowl of cornflakes or a slice of cheap greasy bacon and tinned beans :)

If in the UK and osmeine else. Is cooking then yes I want it all. Bacon, sausage, egg, mushrooms, toast etc
No black pudding tho.
I can make cereal at home, I never both making a cooked breakfast tho.

If I'm abroad I'm happy to have whatever is normal / offered asong as it's palatable

In a British hotel or B&B a full cooked breakfast is part of the treat/holiday vibe. It tastes delicious and is good fuel for a day of sightseeing/walking about.
Apart from a fresh French croissant, the continental breakfast doesn't do much for me. When choosing a British holiday I will always try to find one that does a full English.

It's a bit different if we're abroad obviously but if a full English is available, that's a nice bonus

I wouldn't want a 'full English/Scottish/whatever' as I don't like most of the ingredients - no to black pudding for example and I wouldn't much want the slop of tomatoes. I'd expect a hotel to offer it though but only in the UK. I'm more likely to have fish than bacon for breakfast.

I love a fried breakfast , but I hate the washing up it creates...I also dislike the way you're making 15 things at once that need to be served hot , it's so much fuss in my tiny kitchen.

I guess that's why it's a holiday treat for me , toast and cereal is pretty standard and a normal every day thing.

I am a heathen that only eats breakfast on holiday - but the kind of heathen who wants that breakfast to be Middle Eastern salads . I wouldn't downgrade a British b and b on that, mind you - but I would a Lebanese one!

I wouldn't expect or want a full English breakfast abroad, but I do in this country. I love it.