Brits’ love of international foods and flavours extends to the breakfast table too, and we’re seeing a rise in demand for our Lähde herbs and spices for egg-based dishes from around the world. These are more of a filling meal, and are ideal for sharing too, tapping into today’s grazing culture and the trend for bottomless brunches. Today’s discerning diners are open-minded and keen to try new flavours and dishes they might not have tried before – so offering multi-ethnic, creative, stylishly presented foods can be a way to attract new diners for group breakfasts and brunches.
Getting the brunch / breakfast hybrid menu right can prove to be a lucrative time of the week for hospitality venues and operators looking to appeal to the weekend brunch crowd. It’s a popular concept among younger diners looking for daytime social gatherings with friends – and if you get the presentation right too, social media will do all the promotional work you need to drive footfall. While the bottomless brunch has become a social phenomenon, consider many younger diners don’t drink alcohol so will be looking for good value brunch deals with juices, mocktails and hot drinks.
Cracking breakfast
Look to Mexico for Huevos Rancheros – an easy to prepare dish, packed with colours, flavours and spices. A tasty dish of eggs, beans, cheese, sometimes meat, covered in tomato-based sauce or warmed salsa, served on a tortilla. Key spices for this include cumin, oregano, paprika, smoked paprika, chilli flakes.
Breakfast burritos are another twist on a Mexican classic, and can be mixed and matched depending on customer preferences. These can present a creative alternative to a full English on toast, as they can be created with scrambled eggs, beans, bacon, tomatoes, sausage all in a warmed wheat or corn tortilla wrap – and can be offered in meat-free or vegetarian format with eggs, peppers, avocado, potatoes and soured cream.
They both offer a protein-packed breakfast to start the day or a filling brunch meal, and can both be served with extra spices, salsas, cheese, limes, avocado, fresh coriander and tortilla chips.
For an Italian-style egg dish, think frittatas – similar to an omelette or crustless quiche. Chefs can experiment with combinations such as spinach and feta, bacon and mushroom, chorizo and cheese, or bell peppers and tomatoes for contrasting colours. Add dried paprika, parsley or chives for a pop of colour on the finished dish.
As a variation on this, individual breakfast muffins can be created using the same ingredients and frozen to be reheated and served as and when required.
And for Indian-inspired breakfasts, we’ve seen the emergence of the breakfast naan. Packed with sweet chilli jam, scrambled eggs, bacon, onions, cream cheese and coriander – it’s a tasty, filling, warming breakfast and shows Britain’s love of Indian foods has evolved to breakfast. Chefs can experiment with ingredients, flavour combinations and spice levels to produce their own signature version.
Oats, granola and breakfast bars
Good quality porridge oats make a brilliant basis for healthy, tasty granolas, bars and balls and cereals to be enjoyed with yoghurt, milk, and plant-based milks. Chefs should stock up on dried fruits, nuts, dried coconut, seeds, and warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger, to create their own breakfast baked foods for sweet based goods. These can be consumed as a sweet treat after a savoury breakfast course, or be enjoyed on their own – and they’re particularly good for those on the go or with limited time.
Meat-free menus
The whole food industry is under pressure to bring high quality, differentiated, plant-based products to menus to offer consumers the foods they would normally eat, but in a free-from format. We have seen production of these foods increase in quality and popularity, with many consumers choosing to eat plant-based foods and meat alternatives as part of a healthy lifestyle, and not because of allergies or intolerances.
Vegan, plant-based and meat-free dishes are booming. Our Lähde herb and spice blends for vegan sausages, burgers, and burritos are flying as operators, caterers and chefs strive to create innovative, flavourful breakfast foods for those cutting down on meat or adopting a full plant-based diet.
EHL Ingredients offers blends for all the above dishes, as well as bespoke herb and spice blends under our Lähde brand which can be sold as ready-made mixes or marinades. All blends are available in various quantities, dependent on requirements and can be supplied as certified vegan and vegetarian and in certified allergen-free and organic formats too.
Contact our team to find out more and to discuss your requirements.