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?

On holiday in Britain I’d feel cheated if I wasn’t offered a cooked breakfast, would want to try other things in the rest of the world, though.
It’s about value for money, B and B creates the expectation of a full English being on offer, if it’s not it feels like false advertising.

I think it's because the full English/ Scottish breakfast is only truly enjoyable if someone else cooks it

As with others - it suits England especially in the winter but its not my personal favourite. Wouldnt expect it abroad and woukdnt want it anywhere warm. I like trying local food.

I do understand your point but I can’t help question why you are surprised English people want an an English breakfast in England (4 in a bed) but should accept a French breakfast in France?

I’m not really a breakfast person but I do like the treat of a full English in a hotel if I’m away (or the local Irish pub, judge away 😂), it’s unlikely I’d eat lunch after.

@Ponoka7 Not slagging a culture, just really curious what it is about people demanding certain breakfast foods while away, which is not something I necessarily saw elsewhere.

Unless you are one of the people travelling the world and complaining you can't buy cheddar, not sure why it would offend you?

I never eat breakfast at home but love it on holiday. I’m like eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms or lots of fruit. Occasionally I like waffles or pancakes with syrup and fruit.

"Would you expect similar when out of the country and if yes, woudl that be something that informed your choice of place to stay?"

In my experience people do expect at least a version of it, wherever they are.

Some people do let the food dictate where they go.

There's a Mickey Flanagan sketch about how Spain was a bit shit when we first started going there. But we taught them what a decent breakfast was and how to play bingo etc, so now it's worth a visit.

When we were last in Egypt we found somewhere that did bacon etc and went for a fry up for tea. There was a load of us, we hired a mini bus to go.

The British are the only people critised for sticking to what they want.

A lot of British people on holiday prefer to have cooked breakfast, no lunch (or a minimal lunch), and a dinner. Most Europeans I know have a light breakfast, big lunch, and a lighter dinner / series of dinners.

So I guess it just depends on what else they have planned that day

I love a full English in the UK but I wouldn't seek it out abroad, I don't see the point. I am also more than happy to have a good quality continental spread. However I can see that for a lot of people a full English part of their holiday experience no matter where they are.

To be fair to, what you watched was a competition and on shows like this and come dine with me the participants find absolutely anything to score down on to ensure the competitors are out!

I don't eat breakfast and certainly not a fry-up EXCEPT when staying at a b&b.
I find that they inflate their prices to cover a breakfast, so I have an English breakfast. I wouldn't pay separately for it though as it's much cheaper elsewhere.
Abroad I'd tend to have eggs or that nice sweet cake slice that tends to be in a lot of hotels in warm climates.

I enjoy the kind of breakfast you do OP, but many people don’t. It’s also obviously done so that the B&B owners don’t have to cook/wash up as much.

YANBU overseas.

I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a hotel that didn’t offer some form of cooked breakfast actually, alongside continental. But going ‘out’ for a fry up is the ritual not the food, it’s a treat as it’s not done everyday.

I'm perfectly happy with a good continental breakfast if I'm on the continent, although I do appreciate some bits of the traditional Full British if I'm nursing a hangover. In the UK the Full British is a vital part of the experience, especially as by far the most likely reason to be staying in a hotel or b&b is that we've been to some 'do' or another and we will undoubtedly be nursing hangovers!

I do make cooked breakfasts at weekends although of course I've cherry picked my favourite bits and have found a way of utilising the fewest possible implements. Today was served mid morning, frozen hash browns and halved tomatoes cooked on the same baking tray in the oven, sliced mushrooms cooked at the same time as the bacon in the frying pan, then same frying pan immediately afterwards for eggs.

If I go to a hotel or B&B in Britain or Ireland, I want a cooked breakfast! It's the best bit. Obviously not if I'm somewhere else. When in Rome...

TBH if I had staff and unlimited money I'd have one every day at home. I love a fry up. Also love a roast dinner and will always have that if in a pub on a Sunday. The fact that I don't cook myself a full English before work on a Wednesday at 7am doesn't mean anything about what I want from hospitality.

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.
I don't know where you are from but having worked extensively in hospitality I can tell you that every nationality has a fair number of individuals who when travelling abroad can make just as big a fuss about food as the Brits can, (real coffee? decent rice? proper bread? ect etc)

My point about AI hotels is that they also cater for people who eat bread and cheese for breakfast.

My favourite thing when I go to different countries is to eat different food so I think it's a bit sad when people don't feel that. I have no idea if the British are any worse than any other nationality. I have had people from other countries staying here appalled that I served cereal breakfast!

Well I don't really like cold food and don't want a load of carby things like cereal or pastries with jam that leave me starving an hour later, so out of those choices I'd have ham, cheese, bread and butter, but would rather have something hot like smoked salmon and scrambled egg, omelettes, cheese on toast or sometimes some of a fry up. Cereal is a ridiculous concept that I've never understood.

I think people view it as a treat - you have a night away - you have a cooked breakfast. The idea of it is anathema to me as I don't eat breakfast, but my dh absolutely loves it.

You are generalising. Born and bred Bit and i never eat a cooked breakfast.

You do realise that four in a bed is an edited TV programme and not real Brit life right?

Believe it or not we don’t all eat fish and chips and know the Queen or party with Prince Andrew

Full English is an essential part of a bnb experience!

It’s just traditional. Every country has traditional meals, so I really don’t understand your confusion, even if you’re not English?

In the UK, if in a B&B or hotel that includes breakfast, Imwould be hugely disappointed NOT to get the full English as an option.

Abroad I wouldn't expect the fullEnglish but would be disappointed with a couple of pastries and fruit.

The British are the only people critised for sticking to what they want.

Well you can interpret that in two ways, that or just being too stubborn to try something different every once in a while, particularly when abroad.
Not a specifically British trait as such though, I just never experienced it in cases of breakfasts elsewhere.

Iv had a full English in the UK were the quality of the ingredients was abismal
Iv had the most gorgeous banana bread for breakfast in Germany and the oddest tasting stuff in Singapore. Now I don't tend to eat the full monty but choose fresh fruit or Bircher Muesli if it's offered and maybe a sausage and scrambled egg. I think a lot of holidaymakers like to fill up on food that they already paid for so saving their money at lunchtime

I think it's part of the traditional B&B experience.

I do find it a bit cringy though when people make a huge fuss of wanting a cooked breakfast when they are outside the UK.