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?

We've lived in 3 different countries now, and travelled to a few more. Every country had different breakfasts, and most had some form of hot option. Eggs usually.

Denmark- loved the pastries. Luckily only there a few days.
France- fried potatoes on the breakfast (with scrambled eggs) were a bit of surprise. And of course the croissants etc
Austria- nice meats, cheeses, breads etc
Germany- esp at weekends- all out on breakfast. Breakfast pizza was immense. And frikkadellen- sort of like meatballs.
Cyprus- lovely savoury pastries. Especially loved the cheese and hallomi ones.

In my experience, British 'continental' breakfasts are rubbish. Proper continental ones are fantastic.

I need to visit more countries to expand the breakfast analysis (been to others but not closely examined breakfast cuisine)

In a British (or Irish!) hotel or b&b I would be seriously disappointed not to get a fry up. It’s tradition!

Abroad? Wouldn’t cross my mind. I’ll eat whatever the local dish is. I love having pancakes in America, croissants in France etc. I became quite partial to noodles and rice when I visited China .

Bloody love a full English!!!!!

@Passthecherrycoke Yeah I get that, but while every country has its traditions, that does not mean you have to have the same foods served every day when away and have to moan for an hour if you don't have it when away for a day or two. My country has traditional foods, but when travelling around the country we always ate a variety of foods, and not expected every place to serve the same thing (especially when regional dishes are available) and would not dream to expect foreign hotels cater 100% to the tastes of particular tourist groups. A selection is nice, but would not ruin my day not to have certain foods on the menu for breakfast.

What is it about Japanese tourists and cameras eh!

How about those loud Americans!

You're generalising op.

Cooking a full breakfast at home is a bit of a chore so if I am staying somewhere it is a nice to have.

We're Scottish and drive to France every year, we self cater and breakfast is usually cereals, toast etc. The one thing my kids look forward to staying in the Premier Inn in Dover or Folkestone on the way home is their cooked breakfast. We don't have it back home really so it's got a holiday feel to it. Do people really "demand" a cooked breakfast abroad?

British people don't moan if they can't get a hot breakfast.....some might, I wouldn't.

Your argument doesn't hold up.

For many it’s something they don’t have every day and is viewed as a holiday treat - I really don’t understand it overseas though

Not everyone actually eats ‘traditional’ any more (lifestyles being very different these days) part of my family would be shovelling down high fat cheese and meat with freshly made bread if that was the case.

I want a substantial amount of protein with my breakfast. I eat less during the day if I start with a good base. Plus if you are on holiday you are often very active.

Ive only ever experienced fellow Brits ‘expecting’ a fry up in very, um... touristy parts of Spain - Benidorm etc. I’ve never noticed it anywhere else.

Years ago on holiday in Ibiza I got a good giggle from the pubs in San Antonio serving roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on Sundays. Blazing heat and the Brits were chowing it down. .

that does not mean you have to have the same foods served every day when away and have to moan for an hour if you don't have it when away for a day or two

Who have you heard moaning for an hour?

Well I can’t comment on the hoards of Brita abroad you’ve heard moaning for hours every day about the lack of cooked breakfast, I mean it’s so obvious, in the context of your post that you would have extensive experience of this. I imagine a summer job going round guest houses all over Europe to monitor British breakfast behaviour was involved

But I can assure you brits don’t get a deCent cooked breakfast abroad anyway since non British/ Irish bacon is PANTS

Partly I think a full breakfast it's something of a treat and an indulgence. Unless you're a manual labourer it's not something most people have every day because cooking it yourself is a load of work and going to a caff costs money, and it's also unhealthy as - both things that make it a great holiday indulgence.

Also there's the feeling of wanting to get your money's worth. A "continental" breakfast that's all light stuff that'll leave you hungry at 11 am ends up feeling like a bit of a ripoff.

I'd never expect a fry-up abroad - there's a reason continental breakfast is called what it is! But at a British B&B I'd be disappointed if there wasn't a cooked breakfast in the morning.

@PlumsGalore Haha well a lot of people in this very thread believe IABU about the lack of full English, so there you go, maybe 4 in a Bed is not that heavily edited after all! :)

Flaccid flabby pale fatty excuse for bacon

I expect a reasonable selection of food when I'm paying a lot of money in an hotel.

I will not eat cereals & cakes. I want protein, not sugar, - preferably hot, but cold meats & cheeses will do.
The best breakfasts I've ever had were in China - amazing variety, including British stuff for the unadventurous.

I do miss a event cup of tea when abroad. Yes I know... but how can you mess up boiling water and using cold milk!

My other half always has honey and cheese for breakfast abroad.
It grates because he never eats this at home despite having both ingredients in his kitchen.So it’s literally a wanky thing he does on holiday.

A good British fry up on the other hand requires you to have sausages, eggs, mushrooms, bacon, beans, tomato and toast as a minimum and hash browns and black pudding if you are doing it properly.
The faff of cooking all these things ( if you even gave them in all at the sane time) is why it’s a treat.

I've found that in good (4*) hotels in both France and Spain there is generally hot food on offer at breakfast, usually scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages (although not English bangers) as well as a glorious selection of breads, pastries, fruits and cereals. Sometimes cake too.
In Spain they also have the wonderful puréed fresh tomatoes which as a PP says are gorgeous on toast, plus delicious cold meats, like jamon and lomo. Really, you're spoilt for choice.
In this country I often might not have the full English but opt for eggs benedict or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs - more of a treat for meal than a traditional a fry up which sadly can vary widely in quality usually because they bake the sausages and bacon in the oven which dries them out horribly
If you can't live without sugary baked beans on your plate at breakfast I feel sorry for you.

I wouldn’t be that bothered and a fry-up I couldn’t stomach (too much food and way too greasy). I do love to go to places with a mix of cold and hot but also happy to go out and get something simple. It’s not that serious imo. I know Brits aren’t the only one like that, but I do admit anyone who makes a ridiculous amount of fuss on holiday over something so trivial makes me eyeroll. I would hope most would think to research before booking somewhere in the first place. If not, it’s on then.

*them

It's a no brainer really, if you like your cooked breakfast you must go to Ireland or stay in UK. Or Benidorm or the other mad places in Spain that are Brits abroad territory.

Otherwise you just eat what is the norm for breakfast in the country you are in.

Honestly churros and hot chocolate in Spain probably has more calories and fat than a cooked breakfast but is so nice. Same goes for simple croissants, jam and yogurt in France.

Enjoy cooked breakfast where it is the norm, but outside of that experimenting and tasting different things can be a great experience too. When in Rome.

But to be fair, I think OP was referring to a BnB in UK that although had gorgeous choices it was not a fry up!

I'm not bothered by a full English, I end up with fried bread which is never as good as I make it, and toast, an egg, tomatoes and mushrooms because there is not always a vegetarian sausage in sight and it is often a kind of mixed veg croquette thing which are foul.

My breakfast option would be an Israeli breakfast in a hotel, choice of cereals, yogurts, fruits, eggs - scrambled, boiled (hard usually) or fried, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, grated carrots, cheeses, soft and hard, breads, pastries, jam, honey... I would be happy with that for the rest of my life.