
The first meal of the day
The traditional breakfast in Britain is called the full English breakfast. It's a big, cooked meal, made up of several different parts. Because lots of these parts are fried, it's also sometimes called a fry-up.
A traditional fry-up will contain some or all of these things:
- sausages
- bacon
- eggs (fried or scrambled)
- fried tomatoes
- fried mushrooms
- toast or fried bread
- hash browns (fried grated potato)
- baked beans.
There are variations of the full breakfast in different parts of the UK. In Scotland, for example, you might find some extra items in your full Scottish breakfast. But like the English breakfast, it's a big meal with a lot of fried food.
Why is an English breakfast such a big meal?
Hundreds of years ago, most people in Britain only ate two meals a day – breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was a simple meal, such as bread with dripping (fat from roasted meat, eaten cold) or cheese.
In the 1700s, a full English breakfast was how the rich upper classes showed their wealth at social occasions, like weddings.
Then, in the 1800s, the working classes began to eat a hearty breakfast too, to prepare them for the long working day ahead. Breakfast time moved to early morning so that people could eat at home before work.
These days, you'll find a full English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or vegetarian breakfast on the menu in hotels and cafés throughout the UK.
What do you think?
- Does this kind of breakfast look nice to you? Would you like to try it?
- Do you think people in the UK eat this every day?
Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Hi, I am Omar from Iraq. I really like English breakfast as rich in protein and can be considered as a hearty breakfast. In my three years in the Uk, I used to try it in the weekend at Swansea City Centre and Sainsbury and I was really enjoying it. However, at the weekend, the breakfast in Iraq is quite similar. Usually, we eat hearty breakfast such as (Bajela Belduhin) it is broad beans with wet bread and scrambled Egge fried in butter with fresh onion as a side dish. This meal makes you feel full and energetic during the day. Another commonly choice is having BBQ meat and Chicken Kebab. Others may prefer sweety breakfast such as ' Kahi ' which is buttery bread with sugar syrup and Cream normally they served with heavy black tea unlike English tea as they prefer it with milk.
Hi, I am from Azerbaijan! My name is Diana. People in my country like breakfast time very much, especially on weekends, when the whole family can gather together. We eat omelets or boiled eggs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cottage cheese, sour creme, jam, honey and of course freshly baked national bread and lots of tea.
When I was a child, at my mother's house we used to eat broth with arepa (a typically flour preparation in my country) most of the time. Nowadays, at my own house, we almost eat every single day scramble eggs with arepa, coffee and a portion of tropical fruits
Hi everyone,
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/olkvkbqmc619kejl
Hi jocabed,
So you've tried the full English breakfast and you enjoyed it!
I completely agree - it's a meal to enjoy with family or friends occasionally, usually at weekends.
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Hi, I am writing this from Azerbaijan.
In my country, people usually eat fried or boiled eggs, toast, goat cheese, milk cream, honey and natural butter from a farm along with a cup of tea. Personally, having an early meal is not my preference. I would usually have a cup of dark coffee that is sweetened with stevia sugar and whatever dried fruit i have at home.
Hi ayten03!
I'm intrigued by 'stevia sugar', can you tell us a bit more about it?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi, I'm Mattia, from Italy!
In my country breakfast is as important as in the UK, although they are two well-distincted things.
I usually start my day with a bowl of milk and some cereals, however, if I wake up eager for a breath of fresh air I could switch things up and make myself three pieces of bread dipped in some egg, along with some cinnamon and honey. It's pretty evident then that italians are more leaned towards a sweet-based breakfast.
In spite of that, I recently happened to have tried the typical UK's breakfast, and I have admit that notwithstanding the fact that I like it, I'm not a big fan of all the fried food included, mostly because your body has to digest such a big amount of calories early in the morning, which could make your work-performance decrease and also the major health concerns rised by the dangerously high amounts of fats ingested.
Hi Mattia,
One thing I've always loved about Italy is having a cappuccino and a pastry for breakfast and sitting outside a café ... watching the world go by! This is when I'm on holiday though!
I do love a friend breakfast but it is very rare now if I have one like the image above and when I do I tend to have it for 'brunch', this means breakfast and lunch together as it really is a big meal!
Do you have a different breakfast at the weekends or when you are on holiday?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi, I'm from Vietnam.
Here, we also start the morning with a full breakfast, but it is diverse, including fried, boiled, grilled, and other dishes such as beef noodle soup, bread, and grilled meat noodles.
I think an English breakfast suits me because it is filling and nutritious, but I'm worried that it has too much fried food, which can be greasy, cause bloating, and lead to indigestion. It would probably be best for me to try an English breakfast once or twice a week to experience it.
I also think that in the UK, not many people eat this kind of breakfast every day because it is quite high in calories, and they would have to exercise a lot to burn it off. Especially since it also takes a lot of time to prepare, I am afraid that many people might not have enough time to cook it in the morning.
Hi canhdong97, ✿
I've always wanted to go to Vietnam. Thank you for telling us about the type of breakfast you tend to eat. It does sound good.
I love a fried breakfast but like you say, I don't really have it that often and it's a bit of a treat when I do. You can also have it 'less fried' as in have poached eggs, grilled bacon, sausages and tomato which makes it less greasy.
Would you have a photo of your breakfast? I'd love to see what it looked like.
~ Tinaツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi, I'm from Vietnam.
Here, we also start the morning with a full breakfast, but it is diverse, including fried, boiled, grilled, and other dishes such as beef noodle soup, bread, and grilled meat noodles.
I think an English breakfast suits me because it is filling and nutritious, but I'm worried that it has too much fried food, which can be greasy, cause bloating, and lead to indigestion. It would probably be best for me to try an English breakfast once or twice a week to experience it.
I also think that in the UK, not many people eat this kind of breakfast every day because it is quite high in calories, and they would have to exercise a lot to burn it off. Especially since it also takes a lot of time to prepare, I am afraid that many people might not have enough time to cook it in the morning.
Every morning, I have just 5 minutes for breakfast. The full English beakfast is too complicated for me, I don't want to loose a lot of time for cooking morning. Otherwise, I think it's not healthy with all fried things. I don't think that I can it alot of oil like that. But it sounds nice because You have got protein et vegetable instead of sugar. If I'm in holiday, I Will try it.
I believe the Full English Breakfast is well-balanced and nutritious, making it good for the body, though most of it is full of fried foods, which raises health concerns. I would love to try it, but it shouldn't be eaten daily because of the fried foods. In Africa, we have a variety of breakfast options. For example, we have millet, milk, potatoes, pumpkins, cassava, and matooke (banana). These foods are available depending on your location, and they're what I grew up eating for breakfast. Even now, most of them are simply boiled with salt. I can say they're about 98% natural.
The English breakfast seems healthier than ours, in France, because there is'nt sugar. There's a lot of energy for not beeing hungry during the morning. Traditionally, we eat pastries like croissants and pains au chocolat, very tasty, but too sweet and fat. We also like a simple slide of bread with butter. Going to the bakery every day is a tradition, I don't know if english people go to the bakery every day.
I'd like to try this english breakfast, but I thnk I wouldn't be hungry anymore for many days after that !
Hi HeleneF,
I live in France too, but I don't often eat a croissant or pain au chocolat for breakfast because, as you say, it's not the healthiest breakfast ever! I rarely eat the traditional British breakfast either. I prefer a bowl of muesli in the morning ;-)
True - French bakeries are a real part of everyday life! Although they exist in the UK, I think there are far less than in France, and many people tend to buy their bread in a supermarket or small cornershop.
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
I think the English breakfast isn't a very healthy meal beacaus it contains a lot of meal and fridy eggs.Really i don't prefer this kind of breakfast,in fact i prefer eat in morning fruits like dates, cake and drink coffee.I think this kind of meal is more healthy when eaten at lunch
I think Full English Breakfast is very interesting. Because the food is considered more nutritious and balanced than only bread. And If you know, because my hurry up time in the morning, I choose simple food to eat in breakfast. In Indonesia, rice is main food so every morning I have rice for breakfast and add some side dish like egg and some vegetables like saute bean or etc. In my opinion, it is more nutritious and balanced to control our food. At least carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in the morning can provide energy for your activity.
Hi Selestina Auri,
Your breakfast sounds healthier than the traditional British one!
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
Well, I think English breakfast is interesting to try, but not for the long term, because most of it is fried food. Eating fried food is too risky for breakfast.
Oh i always think that only egyptian who eat a big breakfast black beans ,eggs, fried eggplant and falafel
But we are not always eat that breakfast but it is the traditional breakfast on friday 'our day off'
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/lppwz7d3v3thc625
Hi Aillie_87,
Thanks for sharing your voice message - I enjoyed listening to it! I totally agree that a hearty breakfast like that is good at the weekend, or when you have a day off, but definitely not every day. And you're right, it takes a while to digest it ;-) I sometimes have it if I know I won't have time for lunch and I need enough food to keep me going until later in the afternoon.
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/tzdqs7ix6h6bm8m1
Hi Tournigand,
Thanks for sharing your voice message! You're right, it's not an everyday breakfast for most people. Perhaps it's good for people who do very physical work, but if your lifestyle is less energetic, it's probably not healthy on a daily basis ;-)
Best wishes,
Jo (LearnEnglish team)
This kind of breakfast looks delicious, but in my country there is a light breakfast with odd mixed ingredients such are black tea and milk with walnut and butter. We typically can eat it every part of the day, it is delicious with unique taste.
Hi @Bibimo!
Do you add the walnuts and butter to the tea with milk or is it a separate dish of milk, walnuts and butter mixed together? I have a couple of walnut trees in my garden and am always looking for ways to use them in recipes!
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi...
Wow, that's a very heavy meal for me. In the early mornings around 6-7 am I prefer coffee, oatmeal and some fruits like bananas or apples. And then, my lunch it's more like a full English breakfast: eggs, baked beans and here in Mexico we use to eat 'Tortillas' and of course, spicy sauce.
Hi @Erick20,
I have a very similar breakfast to you ... porridge with a banana or an apple but I cook them in the porridge with milk. Do you tend to take lunch to work or do you buy lunch out?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
I have never eaten this kind of breakfast but it looks yummy. In my city there is a restaurant The Brunch Club where serves the British breakfast. I think is a good option for weekends or holidays because portions are big. In my country we have a wide range of options for breakfast, which are different in each region. For instance in Lima, we eat pan con chicharron with a cup of coffee.
Hi,
I had eaten full english breakfast when i visited Hatfield. Though I liked verymuch of various itmes such as bread toast , cheese and some fired items only. I did not like the fried tomatoes and fried mushrooms. Because in India we prepared tomatoes and mushrooms with spices only. Earlymorning we drink coffee only. For breakfast we eat Idly with sambhar with banana / Apple/ Fig.
Thank you
R.Parimala
Hi @R.Parimala
I love the sound of your breakfast, and I'm with you, I'm not very keen on fried tomatoes or mushrooms, and prefer them with Indian spices.
Where you visiting friends in Hatfield? I used to go on school trips to Hatfield house ... many years ago!
~ Tina ☺️
LearnEnglish team
Hi, I think full English breakfast is not proper to everyone. Especially for people who have to wake up early and start to work early in the mornings. So I don't think that people in UK have this type of breakfast everyday. In Türkiye, most people generally like to eat pastries, menemen and eggs with sausage for breakfast. And as drink, tea is Turkish people's favourite.
Hi cigdm!
It's true that the full English breakfast isn't the 'normal' breakfast that people have every day. Your Turkish breakfast sounds great. What's 'menemen'? I had a quick look online and it looks delicious but I'm not sure exactly what it is. I love to have tea in the mornings too. It's the first drink I have every day.
Jo - LearnEnglish team
Hi!
Menemen is a Turkish dish generally eaten in the mornings. But if you want you can eat it at any time of the day. It is easy to prepare it. You need some eggs, tomatoes, long green peppers and onions. Actually there is a controversy about the onion. Some people claim that menemen should include the onion while others prefer it without onions. To me it is more delicious when added the onion. To prepare it firstly pour some oil into a pan and heat it. And then add green peppers and onion if you prefer. After that add chopped tomatoes and wait for cooking them. Then crack the eggs. Finally add some salt, red pepper and black pepper. And it is ready. But you will need a lot of bread.
So here is the trickiest question; which one do you prefer? Menemen with onions, or without..?
I am on you, the English Breakfast is not the usual in my country, Indonesia, specially in Java Island, here in Java Island, mostly we have a breakfast in full of formation. as the East Asian, we eat rice for the main menu in every serve, usually we have a breakfast with "Sego Kuning ( Yellow Rice )", it is a plate of rice cooked with turmeric ( to make the rice yellow ) and served with mix of fried chicken, a bit of fried noodle, couple sliced of cucumber, couple sliced of carrot, and stirred tempe cooked with soybean sauce, serve on a plate covered with a piece of banana leave. some people choose breakfast with "Bubur Ayam ( chicken porridge )". And will close with a cup of espresso mixed with honey. Then we are ready for a fullday of work. But I love English breakfast tea in the afternoon to drink after work.
I'm italian and in Italy we have generally a sweet breakfast
Hi Sandra64,
I love Italian breakfasts, especially the 'cornettos', is that what they are called? Like a croissant with jam in the middle? And the cappuccinos are to die for! ♡
Would you like to try a 'full English' or is it too heavy for you?
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Hi, I'm from Peru. This breakfast is very comun in Peru but my mother say that this is a bad breakfast and She preffer gave us cereal from her culture andean.
I prefer cereal it's more healthy than a Full English breakfast.
Well, it's sounds delicious! But as for me it's too hard to prepare such breakfast every morning for my family. May be, at weekends! Or holidays. Usually we have cereals or sandwiches, sometimes something what remains from supper. And coffee, of course! Mmm... Good morning for everyone 😊!
Hi @Sajeni, 😊
I always have to have a coffee first thing ... my day would not be complete if I didn't! I love a 'fry-up' but tend to only have one about once a month or have it for a Sunday brunch ... so between breakfast and lunchtime as they are very filling. You mention 'the remains from supper', we'd normal say 'leftovers' for this ... I think food often tastes better the next day. Do you like to cook?
~ Tina
LearnEnglish team
I agree with you. This breakfast is too difficult to cook it. I live in France and i ate this morning some brittany biscuit called 'sablés'.
I like them very mutch with a coffee. I eat more on the lunch and dinner.
Regards
Hi there yvesfrombritany!
What type of biscuits are 'sablés'?
I once had a school trip to Paris and remember having big bowls of hot chocolate and lovely warm, freshly baked baguettes. We were encouraged to 'dunk' the bread into the hot chocolate. Is this a normal breakfast? It's a lovely memory!
~ Tina ツ
LearnEnglish team
Actually, I!d like to try these kind of breakfast. When I looked at the picture of the British breakfast, I see some kind of mushrooms and I guess the good combining of bacon and mushroom. They will be tasty for me. On the other hand, the preparation of this reakfast plate will take much more time. So I think the people in UK doesn't eat these kind of breakfast in every morning. for example, eating cereal is the easiest way to start with a hurry day.
You're right @FILIZ YAVUZ, it does take time to prepare but it is really delicious. I like to start my day with porridge and banana as it fills me up until lunchtime and is easy to prepare. What sort of cereal do you like to have?
~ Tina😊
LearnEnglish team
Well, full English breakfast sounds delicious but in Türkiye you can see much more items for breakfast, such as several kinds of cheese, lots of different jams and honey, fried or boiled eggs, salad, bread, butter, precious olives and traditional food! First of all, food choice for breakfast varies from region to region in Türkiye. For example, in Black Sea region, you can see different kinds of bread like the famous one made of cornflour; or 'Kuymak' which is made up of cornflour, butter and a special cheese of Black Sea region. On the other hand, in the West of Türkiye, you can find Menemen(soft-scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers and onion), olives, raspberry jam, fig jam, strawberry jam, cherry jam and even aubergine jam! When moved to the East, I can say that the East of Türkiye is rich in cheese kinds. For instance, Van(a city in Türkiye) is quite famous for its breakfast, especially different kinds of cheese and as it is believed, there are more than 190 kinds of cheese in Türkiye!
So, I strongly recommend you to try Turkish breakfast as soon as possible! :)
Hi @Rmesa,
Your description of these breakfasts has made my mouth water! I'd love to visit Turkey and try one of these (or several!) one day.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish Team
It seems to be good eating early in the morning for health concern because you get ready to go work, after i don’t think the British people still use that kind of breakfast.