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?

I’m from one of the British colonies famed for its breakfast culture.

U.K. cooked breakfasts are horrible. I hate eggs, and bacon & sausages at UK hotels and most B&Bs are generally crap quality with that weird white squidgy stuff that leaches out of bacon. Give me toast and avocado any day.

Recently I had the most amazing breakfast at Hotel Becquor in Seville with 8 types of olive oil to try & every fruit you could think of. Turkish/Greek hotel breakfasts are amazing as well.

Brits like drinking and eggs cure a hangover

Brits can't out drink the northern europeans where a version of the full english is regularly served.

This thread is thinly veiled snobbery thread, and shows that they haven't done a B&B in europe, the grease laden english breakfast is a staple, people come and stay in the high end hotels from abroad and actually want a fry up, the irish are proud of their fry ups etc etc.

I don't like cold breakfast so have something hot whenever I do have it. It doesn't have to be a fry up, but I would be a bit disappointed if all that was offered was a continental breakfast and probably give it a miss to be honest.

The last thing I want for breakfast is fish, followed closely by cold meats and cheeses. I want a nice hot breakfast, it doesn't have to be a full fry up but I'm definitely choosing that if it's there, eggs on toast, porridge, omelette, pancakes will do. I don't have a fry up at home because who does really? As pps have said it's too much effort 9 times out of ten. But I do have oats most morning as it's filling and tasty. Cereal if it's a full grain type and I serve it with fruit and/or yoghurt. But a bowl of cornflakes or a slice of toast isn't filling anyone for long is it?

The British are the only people critised for sticking to what they want.
Ponoka7

That's a very Brit-centric way of looking at it.

The British are perhaps the only people who believe everyone else should adapt to them when they are abroad.

They are criticised because as in the Flanagan skit, what they want is all things British, whether they are in Juneau, Atlanta, Singapore, Cairo, Beirut, Rio de Janeiro...

Presumably the desire to see and experience something different from what Britain has to offer is what motivated them to go abroad for a holiday in the first place. It's almost as if there are people who haven't fully grasped the concepts of 'home' and 'not home'.

We lived in a hot country by the sea and came to the UK in August every year, to get away from the ultra-high temps. As I was visiting family and friends round abouts,, we stayed in the same hotel. When we phoned to make our usual reservations they would always say "and we'll order in the kippers for you"
Yep, cold water kippers, proper ones with heads and tails and glassy eyes lookng up at you from the plate = food of the Gods!

This thread is thinly veiled snobbery thread, and shows that they haven't done a B&B in europe, the grease laden english breakfast is a staple

It’s not. I spent 1-2 nights a week in western Europe as part of my job and it really isn’t the norm.

We live abroad and one of the big pluses of coming back to the UK and going on holiday (or out to a caff) is being able to have a full English (veggie!) breakfast . It's amazing! I love it.

But couldn't really imagine anyone serving it abroad other than in places geared to British or Irish guests. Honestly, most foreigners are quite horrified by what goes into full English (or equivalent) breakfasts. Baked beans? For breakfast??

Nothing wrong with wanting it on holiday abroad but agree that unreasonable to expect it as default.

"This thread is thinly veiled snobbery thread, and shows that they haven't done a B&B in europe, the grease laden english breakfast is a staple,"

WTF? I have done many B&Bs and hotels in Europe and, no, it most certainly isn't a staple. There's a reason it's called a continental breakfast!!

@WorraLiberty Oh get over yourself, clearly you took it personally

Not really personally no but I dislike seeing anyone bashing any nationality and making ridiculous sweeping generalisations, based on bugger all very little.

So, did you ever tell us what country you're from OP?

"The British are perhaps the only people who believe everyone else should adapt to them when they are abroad."

That's rubbish.

Oh goodness. I think the Italians are FAR worse for complaining about food when they are abroad than the British are.
Fundamentally most Italians have the taste buds of a toddler anyway. Yes yes the food is of great quality but boy does it get dull after a while.

The British like their fry ups when staying in a hotel in this country and I agree with them. They are deliciously tasty and yes not that healthy hence why we love to eat them on holiday . If I eat a fry up, I barely eat again all day . Maybe something light in the evening but no lunch and usually no snacks as I feel so full .

Oh I want a fry up now

WTF? I have done many B&Bs and hotels in Europe and, no, it most certainly isn't a staple. There's a reason it's called a continental breakfast!!

Of course not, the comparable B&B breakfasts have all been healthy fruit and non fried foods. There is a reason to why the enlish fry ups, you really are downplaying the the comparable fry up's across europe.

This is a snide thread, it is why peak mn has become a thing

Of course not, the comparable B&B breakfasts have all been healthy fruit and non fried foods. There is a reason to why the enlish fry ups, you really are downplaying the the comparable fry up's across europe.

You don’t make any sense. Bain maries full of low quality bacon and powdered scrambled eggs is not what people are coming to the U.K. for.

The best fry ups I’ve had were actually in South Africa. You have to look pretty hard to find a decent one in the U.K. and they usually aren’t in hotels!

Which european countries other than UK and Ireland have a tradition of fry ups??

Its not snobbery. As the pps have pointed out, some counties like France or Italy often have quite sad breakfast spreads. But that's just how it is.
I dont think I've ever stayed in a european hotel that did fry ups to be honest although had some fabulous breakfasts.
Nothing is worse than breakfast in lower range us hotels though. That IS rank.

Love a cooked breakfast on holiday, I would never have it at home so it's a real treat for me and I would be disappointed if my hotel or b&b didn't offer it. I don't eat fruit or yogurt and I am not crazy about eggs, and cereal and toast I can have at home so a bit meh. Having said that I don't expect it abroad and will take whatever is on offer.

OP your post was about the British insistence on their own food when abroad. Something that all the other more "reasonable" nationalities don't do apparently.
People were not bothered about others' breakfast choices - actually they were ineterested and shared their own experiences. People disliked your assumptions - repeated - that the Brits, (which as several posters have already said, are not a single culture), are inflexible and worse.

I think a B&B does need to have the option of a cooked breakfast. Not necessarily a fry up but hot food is a basic no?

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?

You've answered your own question. They are on holiday so want to treat themselves.

Plus, it ain't breakfast unless it's got bacon in it

So, did you ever tell us what country you're from OP?

Nope. A lot of coy 'in my country' but no specifics. Which is a shame, as I'd love to go there and enjoy their perfect breakfasts and mingle with their oh-so-culturally aware Guardian reader type citizens whose tolerance for all sorts of 'foreign' breakfasts is legendary.

But she's not telling.

As the pps have pointed out, some counties like France or Italy often have quite sad breakfast spreads. But that's just how it is.
That's true. A lot of Italian hotels we've been in cater solely for the German market. Peel your own boiled egg anyone?
At home French people have tartines, coffee and not much else.
Hotels serve according to the price.

Didn't think so Iced, they never do on these threads.

The thing is that countries have evolved their own staple foods which are prepared in ways based on what's available and how it's seasoned/prepared/stored. It's not unusual for taste buds and eating habits to then be acclimatised around 'norms' (unsurprisingly). So whilst Funazushi, Surströmming, black pudding, goat, Marmite, Durian fruit, Sauerkraut. Might all be one person's favourite, it doesn't mean the next person likes/dislikes them. So yes, I do think it's a bit snidey to roll out the old 'Brits abroad all want sausage, egg and chips'. The same could equally be applied to people from different countries who prefer different tastes based on their own preferences.

OP your post was about the British insistence on their own food when abroad. Something that all the other more "reasonable" nationalities don't do apparently.

Indeed. Britain is renowned worldwide for its cuisine and no non brit has ever complained about it. Other nationalities eat only eat British food whilst in Britain as it's so brilliant.

That's why there are no shops opened by people from other nationalities selling food from their particular countries in the uk.