Would you stay at a B&B if the breakfast is DIY?

[SallyJayGorce]

Thinking of converting some sheds into B&B rooms but won't be able to cook a breakfast every day (DH away sometimes and school runs, baby etc). On our honeymoon we stayed at a very cool hotel in Notting Hill were the breakfast was 'all day if you like'. In the morning there were croissants, bread, butter, jam etc and a toaster plus cherry tomatoes, cheese, ham, fruit salad, yogurts, cereals, juice, kettle, hot chocolate, different teas, real coffee etc all laid out and you did it yourself whenever you liked. We loved it and felt incredibly laid back there.

A friend recently stayed at Rosa's in Whitby and said they deliver a 'picnic breakfast' in a bag to your door - nuts, honey and yogurt, grapes, a boiled egg in a little bag, bread rolls etc.

I think this might appeal to families. What do you think?

I think that would be nice, so long as you have a way of keeping it all cool and fresh. Also, if you have a number of groups staying, it could get tricky if the first ones spread mess everywhere, leave the milk out etc and it's going to be a while before you can check up on the room. I'd prefer the wide choice and "help yourself" over the description of the picnic one - I'm a definite "cereal and milk" girl, many others are strict "tea and toast" etc, and might not fancy the smaller selection to your individual door.

Oh and you'd have to make it very clear in your ads that they wouldn't be getting a fryup - some people do love the chance of that while they're at B&B's

I like a fry up myself once in a while - especially cooked by someone else. That's why I wondered if people would go for something more casual. Not that a fry up is 'formal'!

As a veggie I hate fry ups and would love the idea of a pick and mix breakfast. Good point about how to keep it all fresh and tidy though.

The place we went to had a little fridge. Not sure how they kept it tidy - it just was. Hmm. Good point though. I guess I would only be out for half an hour dropping the children. Might not do it at all - just working out if being a bit unconventional makes it possible.

Last place we stayed we got a loaf of bread, home made muesli, butter and jam in a little bowl, milk, coffee and hot choc powder.

Your suggestion has a lot of potential for thrown away food - as once it's been out it will have to be binned.

True but we are going to buy a pig who might fancy polishing off the rest. Except for the ham.

Sounds good then. I wouldn't mind ticking what I liked when staying at a place like yours so that the food was not wasted.