Jamie’s Italian – Gatwick Airport

Jamie’s Italian – Gatwick Airport

I'm jetting off to warmer climes for a few days, but took the opportunity to road test another of the UK fast growing chain restaurants - Jamie's Italian. I thought it might be a bit unfair to judge the whole chain on its airport offering, but having looked at the website, this is the only branch that actually offers breakfast.


The full Monty is £9.75 and for that you get a very healthy portion of 2 sausages, sweetcure bacon, two eggs (any style), black pudding, tomato, beans, mushroom, fried potato and onion. Having got up early to get the airport that sounded like just the ticket!

The presentation of the food in a symmetrical pattern was obviously very considered, even if it was a little unnecessary. The bacon and sausages were well cooked and good quality, without being award winning. My poached eggs were perfectly cooked, the golden yolks spilling all over the plate. 

On the other hand, the potato and onion combo seemed a bit out of place and unnecessary.  The mushrooms lacked flavour, perhaps portobello rather than chestnut would have given it a bit more oomph.  

Another thing to note was the "King" brown sauce (a Jme product) was sweet and tangy, due the inclusion of black treacle in the ingredients.

The coffee was good, if a little overpriced, it was a shame it didn't arrive until I was have way through my fry up.

Must dash, I'm off to Lisbon. If I find a decent fry up over there of course I will let you know!

The verdict
A sizeable fry up, with all the vital ingredients, recommended if you are off on hols. Maybe they should expand the menu in all locations....

    

Bistro Union – Clapham

Bistro Union - Clapham

Abbeville road runs parallel to the East side of Clapham common and is home to an abundance of cafes, bistros and restaurants, hidden away from busy Clapham high street. This area is apparently known as “Abbeville village” (a name that I’m sure was coined by estate agents rather than locals) but with its upmarket butchers and bakers, I can see why it has stuck. And it is here we find Bistro Union; self-proclaimed “quintessentially British bistro”, I thought this would be the perfect place to get a good breakfast.

We didn’t get off to the best of starts unfortunately. It was about midday when we arrived and the restaurant was about a quarter full, however, after a bit of umming and erring we were offered a seat at the bar. A bit odd really as whilst I’m sure some of the tables were reserved for lunch, others remained empty for the whole time we were there. The bar wasn’t so bad though, as we found the first of the restaurant's little ‘quirky’ features; a small drawer under each place at the bar, with cutlery and napkin inside. Another nice little touch and in keeping with the idea of a ‘local’ restaurant is the 25 little drawers above the bar, where you can store your bottle of your favourite tipple, so you can have some whenever you pop in (much more useful if you are coming for dinner rather than breakfast).

We didn’t get off to the best of starts unfortunately. It was about midday when we arrived and the restaurant was about a quarter full, however, after a bit of umming and erring we were offered a seat at the bar. A bit odd really as whilst I’m sure some of the tables were reserved for lunch, others remained empty for the whole time we were there. The bar wasn’t so bad though, as we found the first of the restaurant's little ‘quirky’ features; a small drawer under each place at the bar, with cutlery and napkin inside. Another nice little touch and in keeping with the idea of a ‘local’ restaurant is the 25 little drawers above the bar, where you can store your bottle of your favourite tipple, so you can have some whenever you pop in (much more useful if you are coming for dinner rather than breakfast).

Brunch is served until 3pm on a Saturday and 4pm on a Sunday; The fry up is £10, but I decided to go for the juicy brunch pack which is a fry up, a coffee and a fresh orange juice for £12 (you could go one step further and have the boozy brunch, which swaps out the OJ for a bloody Mary, £15).

The coffee and Orange juice were both great, the latter served in a half pint dimple glass (very British) with a slice of blood orange. So far so good.

Then arrived the main event; in an incredibly hot frying pan were two chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon, a fried egg, black pudding, tomato and mushrooms. And on the side beans and toast. The presentation was certainly different but it made it bit tricky to eat, one because you are very aware of not touching the sides and being scolded and two because it kept the food extremely hot to the point that the tomato and black pudding were too hot to enjoy. Once you puncture the golden yolk of the egg, it continues to cook which is a real shame. There were some good things though, outside of the frying pan the homemade baked beans were great and the fresh bread toast was good too.

The verdict
A fry up that ended up being style over substance, but still an interesting place if you want something a bit quirky.

Rating:

Bill's - Richmond

Bill’s – Richmond

Summer is here! Well not quite, but it was a lovely day for a stroll around Richmond and Kew gardens, but not before a fry up to set me up for the day. We headed to Bill’s, which is just off Richmond Bridge. Bill’s is a chain of restaurants with the tagline breakfast to bedtime and it seems to have grown exponentially over the past few years, there are now over 30 of them UK wide and 15 in London.

All of those branches have a similar style, which to me is a bit of a hybrid of the Leon restaurant chain and Jamie’s Italian’s. There are 5 litre cans of oil olive stacked up in every nook and cranny and elsewhere produce like cloudy lemonade and posh chocs line the walls, all available to buy. It all feels a bit cramped to me, in fact as we were dining, a ,large display of dried chillies fell over and spread chill seeds all over the restaurant, because someone brushed past it by accident.

The Service was certainly brisk, we were handed menus and asked to order drinks before we had even sat down, but there was a good selection and the flat white I had was as it should be.

On to the good stuff then; for £8.95 you get Cumberland sausage, fried free range eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked streaky bacon, baked beans & toast. It was presented rather strangely in the plate, which most of the breakfast hidden under the eggs and had a subtle Mediterranean feel. The tomato was drizzled with a little bit of pesto and the toast had olive oil on it rather than butter.

The streaky bacon was served crispy (as it should be) and was packed with flavour, but the sausage was a bit if a surprise. On the menu it mentioned Cumberland sausage which tends to be long and served in a coil. What I got on the other hand was two mini sausages, which were rather herby (traditional Cumberland tend to be dominated by a peppery flavour, rather than herbs). They were quite nice however and probably complemented the rest of the plate better than a Cumberland. The toast was white sourdough, which again was a bit of a surprise as the waitress had asked it wanted brown or white toast and I had asked for brown. I often find sourdough to be too crisp and dry for a fry up and this was the case here. The fried eggs were good, but one of them was slightly overcooked, so the yolk didn’t ooze all over the plate, as I would have liked.

The verdict
Bill’s didn’t deliver what was ‘billed’ on the menu, but it was still a good plate of food, with a Mediterranean feel.

Rating: 

Riding House café – Oxford Circus

The Riding House café – Oxford Circus

The riding house café is one of the West End worst kept breakfast secrets. You will find it on most of the lists for “top brunches in London”, so I thought it was high time that I tested it out!
Located north of busy Oxford street, on the corner of Great Titchfield street and Little Titchfield street, don’t expect a safe haven from the crowds because when we arrived at about 11am on Saturday, it was packed! In fact, we booked a table a couple of weeks in advance (for 6), in order to get in.

The décor is interesting; a mix of classic French brasserie and modern distressed panelling. Rickety old chairs sit alongside plush dining chairs (I was pleased we had a table with the comfy looking sort!). It is heavily stylized, everything has been thought about. Even the Dyson hand dryer in the toilets is cased in a beaten metal, to keep the theme running throughout. The service was good; relaxed and not rushed, despite it being very busy. The coffee was strong and hot, the way it should be. 

The breakfast menu is extensive, from Kedgeree to pancakes, but the most importantly incudes “The full and proper breakfast” (£10.50). And what that means is two fried eggs, on white toast, a sausage, streaky bacon, black pudding, mushroom, tomato and baked beans. Nicely presented, on a plate that was basically a ceramic frying pan, all the ingredients are there to make this a top fry-up. And in parts it was, the black pudding was delicious, slightly laced with chilli, it was just a shame there was so little of it on the plate. The bacon and eggs were fine, without being outstanding. It was great to have a breakfast with beans on, but why I only got a thimble full is beyond me. The sausage wasn’t really up to scratch; it was quite dry as if it had been sitting about for a while and tasted rather bland.

The verdict
A stylized brasserie, serving a comprehensive fry-up but lacks top quality ingredients.

Rating: 

Bread Street Kitchen - St Paul's

On one corner of the modern, sleek One New change shopping and dining complex, Bread Street Kitchen is one of an ever growing list of restaurants under the Gordon Ramsey banner.  On a weekday this area is bustling with City boys and girls and breakfast is served from 7-11am according to the website.  On the weekend it is all a little bit quieter; in fact when we arrived at about twenty five past eleven on Saturday morning, for our 11.30 booking, we couldn’t get in because it doesn’t open until bang on that time it would seem.  So we were first into the huge dining area upstairs.  Luckily it soon filled up, although it was probably only 60% full the whole time we were there.

The website describes the style of the restaurant as “A stunning mix of vintage and modern”.  I’m not sure about that, but the floor to ceiling windows, and warehouse feel make for a great vibe when the place is lively (and not so good when it is quiet).  The tens of desk lamps scattered around can either be interrupted as quirky and fun or unnecessarily kitsch.  

We were served by a rather wackily dressed waiter, ordered some coffee and it arrived with some freshly baked mini baguettes, which were delicious; it is a bread kitchen after all.  But be warned this is a restaurant that does a fry-up not a café; there is a £2 cover charge for that mini flute!  The coffee was excellent and the service overall was good. Our water was constantly being topped up, but there was too much of the “how is the food” and “can I get you anything else” malarkey.

So onto the food – the weekend brunch menu is only served until 1pm, so it is only a short window if you're ever after a fry-up here on a Saturday or Sunday.  Other brunchy type things like eggs benedict and buttermilk pancakes were available, but let’s not dwell on those.  The fry was priced at £11.95 and for that you get two eggs cooked the way you want (I choose poached), bacon, a sausage, mushroom and grilled tomato, served with white and brown toast. The eggs were absolutely perfect, they say the fresher the eggs the better they poach so I can only assume these were straight from the farm that morning.  The sausage had great flavour and the bacon was sweetcured and soft.  However, it wasn’t all perfect – The flat mushroom was heavily and unnecessarily peppered, which overpowered the plate a little.  The toast was fine, but I had expected more after the fresh bread we had beforehand.  And overall it was a bit on the small side when you consider you have shelled out 12 quid for it.

The verdict

High quality ingredients in a nice setting, but not cheap.  Shame about the mushroom.

Rating: 

J + A Cafe - Clerkenwell

J + A Cafe - Clerkenwell

On a Sunday morning, this cafe just off Clerkenwell road feels a bit in the middle of nowhere. We had walked up through the Farringdon/Smithfield area of city, past many new, highly rated restaurants and a few very fashionable chain eateries (most of which were shut because it was Sunday and very quiet). Then, we went through a passage into a small courtyard we found J + A café and I half expected us to be the only people in there! But I was very wrong; downstairs was packed and we were taken upstairs which was also busy. The exposed brick, minimalist look with school chairs and mismatch tables allows for a relaxed atmosphere.

The menu has a distinct Irish feel to it and the fry-up was no exception as it included boxty (an Irish potato pancake) and Clonikilty black pudding. For £9.50 you also got a sausage, 2 rashers of bacon, two fried eggs, half a large flat mushroom, grilled tomato and sourdough toast.

The quality of the ingredients really defines what this place is about. It appears they have put a lot of effort into sourcing from small suppliers as it evident from their website, which lists out where the ingredients come from. Even down to the Tiptree brown sauce (which is much sweeter than HP and pairs extremely well with the black pudding), it seems everything has been researched and considered.

So if I was to find fault, the eggs were well cooked, but maybe a little small, the bacon could have been crispier to bring out the flavour and I would always want beans on the plate. But overall I was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it!

This is set up to be a brunch spot at the weekend, with a broad breakfast/brunch menu serving until 3pm. I was dining with friends who had a variety of dishes, all of which received high praise.

The verdict
A quality Irish fry up, which is no secret judging by the fact this place was packed out!

Rating: 

Bison & Bird – Clapham

I have walked and driven past this place many times and having checked out their website and brunch menu, I thought it would be a good place to go for a Sunday morning fry up. We turned up at about 11am and the bar area was pretty busy – it was Australia day. People supping pints of fosters with kangaroos on their heads wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but we were in Clapham so maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised. Apart from the fact the lights were all on, it felt like a Walkabout at 8pm on a Friday night!

Before I review the breakfast itself, I will take some time to tell you about the service, as unfortunately it wasn’t very good. Firstly, having sat down and looked through the menu and waited a few minutes we thought, it must be an order at the bar kind of place. That is no problem and we went to order, only to be told it was table service and were made to wait another 5 minutes or so before the waitress took our order. We were a party of 5 but after a good 20 minutes of waiting only 4 breakfasts arrived. This is a real pet hate of mine, the order hadn’t gone wrong and the on plate arrived 3-4 minutes later, but it really disrupts the flow of the meal. Another faux pas was clearing away the plates before everyone was finished.

And so onto the food; for £6.95 you get 2 sausages, bacon, 2 fried eggs, beans, grilled tomato and toast served on an unnecessarily giant plate. The main problem was it was served cold! The bacon and toast were stone cold and the beans and sausage were lukewarm at best. The toast came with no butter and despite asking for some, we didn't get any. On the plus side the eggs were OK! The sausages really weren't great, my friend had a big lump of gristle (the size of a 20 pence piece). Whilst the rest of the ingredients used were OK, they certainly aren't going to win any awards.

Whilst the loud party atmosphere can be put down to a “special event”, the fact the fry-up was made up of pretty poor ingredients and was served cold means this was a really disappointing full English.

The Verdict
Go out of your way to avoid. A cold fry-up with poor service and poor ingredients.

Rating: 

The Table - Southwark

Having decided to walk into town along the river, I had built up quite an appetite by the time we arrived at the Table in Southwark.  I was hoping for a big breakfast and I wasn't disappointed.  We turned up at prime brunchtime and the place was packed, we had to wait about 10 minutes for a table.  Well I say a table, I mean a spot on one of the long dining benches (seems like a bit of a strange name for a restaurant, if you only have about four of them in the whole place and long benches to sit on!).  There was a buzzy atmosphere in this small modern diner, with decent music playing in the background and the small open kitchen in one corner adding to the relaxed vibe.

 The Table serve an extensive brunch menu on weekends from 9-4, but the Borough full English breakfast seemed like the most popular.  And that is what I order.  As I mentioned I was hungry and was pleased to see a very generous portion delivered by the waitress.  Two fried eggs served on sourdough toast, two sausages, crispy bacon, ham hock & chorizo baked beans, grilled tomato and a Portobello mushroom.  The sausages were really big, flavoured with leek, which complemented the rest of the plate, rather than overpower it.

So you might think this is the perfect fry-up and will get the perfect score, but unfortunately I do have a couple of gripes. The item on the menu I was looking forward to the most was the ham hock & chorizo baked beans, but it proved to be a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting a real hit of paprika and tomato flavours in the bean sauce, but in reality it was just a bit bland. The other reason this fry-up doesn't get top marks is the price. At £12, the Borough full English is certainly at the top of the fry-up price range and whilst you do get a lot for your money, the menu in general is quite expensive, like my flat white coffee, which was £3.50.


The verdict
A big fry-up with good quality ingredients and the best mushroom I have ever tasted. Loses a point for baked beans that promised a lot but failed to deliver.

Rating:

The Candy full English breakfast

The Candy Full English breakfast

A Fry-up with a difference!  As well as an appetite for a traditional English breakfast, I also I also have a really sweet tooth.  So when I opened up my Christmas presents and found this inside I was excited (Thanks Rosie!).

I have only seen this available on on-line, but it makes a fantastic gift for a fry-up enthusiast.  As well as the more obvious inclusions such the old school favourite fried eggs and jelly beans, there are some more unusual sweets on this fry-up, like the chocolate covered banana flavoured soft chews.  You also get fizzy rainbow bacon rashers, fruity mushrooms, marshmallow tomatoes, milk bottles and Chocolate jazzles black pudding.

I think the black pudding was my favourite, whoever has put these together has a great imagination and when on the plate, it looks (pretty much) like the real thing!

The verdict

A brilliant gift for anyone who loves a fry-up!

Rating:

Tartine - Balham

Tartine - Balham

As we walked into this little café, just off the Balham high road, we were hit by a sweet smell of fresh cake and coffee.  With some calming background music playing, this felt like a safe haven from the extremely busy high street!

Tartine is probably a coffee and cake first, breakfast second kinda place, however they do offer their version of the full English.  So for £7.45 you get 2 eggs, turkey bacon, tomato, mushrooms, fried potato and toast.  Not quite a classic selection!

The staff were friendly and the service was good, but the food didn’t really deliver.  I had reservations about turkey bacon, but it wasn’t as bad as I had feared.  The problem with it is it’s too dry but the taste wasn’t that far away the real stuff.  The other problem was the potato, which was undercooked and hard.  The lack of a sausage or beans was a big disappointment too.

The verdict

A nice place for a slice of cake, but the fry-up is a bit below par.

Rating:

Ben's Canteen - St. John's Hill

Ben’s Canteen

Positioned about half way up St. Johns Hill in Wandsworth, not far from Clapham Junction, Ben’s Canteen certainly seems the place to be if you fancy a breakfast/brunch.  In fact they serve their brunch menu from 9 – 5, 7 days a week.  We popped down at about 12.30 on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed so much so we had about 15 minutes wait for a table. So we perched up at the bar, where my girlfriend had a smoothie (served in a milk bottle) and we watched the very skilled and serious barista as we waited, my flat white was fantastic. 

We were slightly peeved that there was a reserved sign on the table near the window, when on the website it says that brunch is on a first come first served basis.  This rule doesn’t apply to one of the world’s best chefs it appears, as to our surprise Gordon Ramsay and his family came in for a brunch.  I’d be interested to see if he agrees with this review!?

So onto the important stuff: the grub.  I ordered the Big Ben – sausage, bacon, beans, black pudding, mushroom, tomato, toast and two eggs done ‘your way’;   I  choose poached eggs.   All this sets you back a round £10.  My initial thoughts when it arrived were “oh the big ben isn’t all that big is it?” It was served on a fairly small plate, but it was stacked up high, and actually it was quite substantial.  

The star of the show was the black pudding; it tasted very fresh and was subtly spiced with cardamon.  The bacon also had a good flavour and I had three rashers loaded onto the plate.  The eggs were cooked well and the sausage was good, without being outstanding. 

I enjoy a breakfast where the individual items come together and are enjoyed together.  However, I know some people prefer to keep certain things apart (e.g. the beans) so if you fall into that camp this might not be the fry up for you.

On an aside from the fry-up, I saw the table next to ours had ordered some hash browns and so having seen them and getting massive food envy and I had to get some myself.  They were homemade and tasted great, not to mention MASSIVE!

One thing I didn’t try, but I think is worth a mention is the Bloody Mary’s served here.  They certainly look like the real deal and according to their menu, it you tweet a picture of yourself at the restaurant with the #benscanteen, they will give you one for free!

The Verdict

A really good fry-up,  with excellent black pudding in a buzzy atmosphere .  To score higher I think I would need a higher quality sausage and just a bigger plate (but not any more food!).

Rating: 

Enjoy Cafe - Tottenham

Enjoy Cafe – Tottenham

Located on the high road, not far from Bruce grove rail station, the enjoy cafe is a traditional greasy spoon. It is a good half way house between Seven Sisters tube station and White Hart Lane, perfect for a pre or post game nosh up.

Serving 5 set breakfasts all day, along with the option to build your own, choice is not a problem here. Pay at the counter and take a green plastic covered seat, the service was polite and functional.

I opted for set 4 which was a large breakfast of sausage, bacon, hash brown, black pudding, fried slice, fried egg, beans, two rounds of toast and a cuppa tea, all for £4.50. As I said the portion was large, but this is a quantity over quality operation. The egg was fried in a ring to give the 'perfect circle', which tends to end in overcooking. The bacon was plentiful and the sausage was large, but not of great quality. The fried slice could have done with having been fried longer to justify its appearance on the plate, when toast was also served.












The Verdict
A good feed and was good value, but nothing to write home about.

Rating:

Bumpkin - Chelsea

Bumpkin – Chelsea

Billed as a British restaurant, serving seasonal British cuisine, this seemed the perfect place to get a good fry up. Bumpkin is a small chain of four restaurants; the Chelsea branch is on Sydney Street, just off the Kings Road, they only served the breakfast / brunch from 10 – 1 on weekends and bank holidays. From the pavement the restaurant blends in and it would be quite easy to walk straight past as the exterior looks like a city cottage.

The first issue I encountered with the breakfast was the fact they had run out of brown sauce, a vital topping in my opinion! The other problem was the eggs, which were slightly over poached, meaning that instead of yolk running all over the toast and plate, the yellow was soft but held in place. This is easily done, it only it takes 30 seconds too long in the water for this to happen. I could have probably done with another slice of toast also, to balance the dish.

We arrived and our coats were taken by the waitress, we were seated on a table by the window with fresh flowers on the table. This certainly isn't a greasy spoon. I ordered the full English, which came with a sausage, bacon, beans, mushroom, grilled tomato, two poached eggs and toast at a price of £9.95. I also had a latte, which was served in a large glass and was delicious.

However there were good things on the plate; the bacon was grilled and had a great sweet cure flavour. The other star was the Portobello mushroom with was cooked to perfection and packed with flavour.



A little bugbear of mine is beans served in a pot rather than on the plate. I find it a bit pretentious and just unnecessary. That was the case here, where a mini saucepan was used but at least they it was easy to pour onto plate. Overall it was a nicely presented breakfast, with a little olive oil drizzled on the eggs and a few young basil leaves scattered on top; this enhanced the dish, without going overboard.

Everything is based on Britain here, even the music that was playing in the background was by the Smiths, Arctic monkeys and Coldplay; no American tunes in earshot.

The Verdict
A nice restaurant, with a well presented fry up. It had potential with delicious bacon, but overall it didn't wow me.

Rating:

Karpo - Kings Cross

Karpo – Kings Cross

Located in a colourfully painted building, opposite Kings Cross station Karpo describes itself as a neighbourhood, all-day, modern brasserie-style-restaurant-type-thing.  It is the all-day part that interests me the most as this means breakfast!

I sat down on a concrete bench and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was heated.  They have an extensive breakfast menu, with the cooked breakfast at the bottom of the page.  And that, along with a flat white coffee is what I ordered.

At £10, it is at the higher end of the fry-up market.  For your money you get: 2 eggs, Cumberland sausage, streaky bacon, portabella mushroom, fried potatoes & toast.

The ingredients were high quality; the sausage was big and plump with a great meaty flavour.  The eggs (I chose poached) where Clarence court which provide a fantastic yellow/orange yolk.  But the star of the plate was probably the fried potatoes.  

As I have mentioned previously, I'm not very comfortable with chips on a fry-up.  Hash browns are acceptable, but this was neither of those things.  5 or 6 thumb sizing, whole potatoes, fried and very lightly spiced had a great flavour and texture.  The two eggs were very well cooked, providing two runny yolks, adding moisture to the plate.  Beans or a tomato, I think would have balanced this out further in my opinion, but it wasn't dry as I had feared.

Also worth a mention is the toast, not for it’s taste, but just its sheer size.  As you can see from the photo, it really must have been an enormous loaf!  That paired with the potatoes made this a really filling breakfast; it kept me going right through until tea time.

The verdict

A filling breakfast with high quality ingredients.  Marked down slightly for the balance of the plate, but overall I thoroughly recommend.

Rating:

The Asparagus - Battersea

The Asparagus - Battersea

After a mid-week trip to the Sambrooks brewery in Battersea, for a tour of the site and beer tasting (I can’t recommend it enough – excellent beer and a great host!)  I found myself at one end of Battersea high street, 5 pints down and with a serious hunger on!  Therefore, this review was not done with the normal clarity of mind, but my taste buds still know a good fry-up when they taste one.

So, into The Asparagus pub I go.  This is a Weatherspoon’s pub, making it probably the only place in the area, still serving a fry up at 9.30 on a Wednesday evening.  To be clear, I ordered the all-day brunch, not to be confused with the traditional breakfast or the large breakfast, which are only served in the morning.  The all-day brunch consists of two fried eggs, two sausages, bacon, beans and chips.

Normally I would be disappointed to find chips on a fry-up, but as this is an all-day meal rather than a breakfast, I think it’s OK.  Unfortunately, the chips were pretty much the only thing on the plate that was edible!  The food was served about 5 minutes after I ordered and was incredibly hot, to the point that I had to let it cool down a bit before attempting to eat.  There is only one way to get food out of the kitchen that quick and that hot – the microwave.  I'm unsure if it was all microwaved, but I'm pretty sure the bacon, beans and sausages were.

The bacon was like cardboard, the eggs were overcooked and the sausages had no flavour what so ever.  Unfortunately, I think this is the worst fry-up I have ever had!

The verdict

Keep your £5.19 in your pocket, or better still go somewhere else for a fry-up!  This is a perfectly good pub (the beer was good) but don’t bother for food.  Cardboard bacon is not nice!

Rating:

The Hoste Arms – Burnham Market (Norfolk)

The Hoste Arms – Burnham Market (Norfolk)

Having complained that the only decent fry reviews come from the Fry-up inspector, who reviews in the Norfolk area, this week’s review comes from North Norfolk!

A weekend out of the city to the picturesque Burnham Market led to a Sunday morning in the Hoste Arms.  This is a pub come country hotel, which does the full hotel breakfast.

Be warned, it is not cheap if you aren't staying at the hotel.  The advertised price was £17, although when the bill came, it ended up being slightly less than this.  For that, you get a continental breakfast including croissants, pain au chocolat, a selection of cereals, fruit and some very nice, freshly squeezed orange juice.

But that isn’t why I was there.  The full English breakfast is made to order, rather than a buffet style, which can be the case at some hotels.  That is a big positive, because no one wants an egg or a sausage which has been sat under a heater for 3 hours.

I requested a poached egg, which was served with a sausage, a couple of slices of back bacon, grilled tomato, a couple of small field mushrooms and a piece of black pudding , served with a round of toast.

Two items stood out for me; the black pudding was fresh, soft and crumbly with a subtle favour.  The other was the sausage, which I believe was flavoured with apple, giving it a slightly sweet taste.  It was a good quality sausage, but I’m not sure it was quite right for the breakfast table.  Better off in a hotdog roll!

The rest was unspectacular and the whole thing was not the biggest, for the money you are paying. The lack of beans meant the whole thing was a bit dry, especially when you consider it was only served with one egg, meaning only one yolk to provide any kind of moisture in the plate.

The verdict

An expensive hotel fry-up which fails to provide anything out of the ordinary.  Adequate if you are staying in, what I have to say is a very nice hotel, in a lovely little town, but not worth a de-tour if you’re not.

Rating:

Trinity Stores - Balham

Trinity Stores - Balham

As you wander into Trinity Stores the bell on the door rings to indict someone is entering.  You order at the counter and collect your own cutlery, but please don’t be fooled; this is a long way away from a greasy spoon cafeteria.  It is a relaxed Sunday morning atmosphere inside, with a rustic, shabby chic feel and it is pretty much full.

'Full English - 2 rashers of bacon, sausage, eggs sourdough toast & vine ripened tomatoes.' This is the description written on the chalk board. £8.

I ordered and took a seat.  My latte arrived promptly, served in a cup and saucer.  It was nicely presented and made with good quality coffee beans.  

It wasn't long before the main event turned up.  I had a few reservations about it at the time of ordering. 1. The lack of baked beans on the fry-up.  2. The sourdough bread.  My problem with sourdough bread is that it can become very dry and brittle when toasted.  However, no such problems here.  I would describe it more like slices of multi-seeded loaf, served with two good quality eggs on top.

The lack of beans, and the tomato sauce that they bring with them was a bit of a problem.  It meant the plate was a bit too dry and as a consequence the fry-up felt a bit disjointed. 

This was a breakfast made from quality ingredients.  The bacon and sausage were both from Wenlock Edge farm in Shropshire.  The cured bacon had a great favour and the sausage was plump and juicy.  The negative though is that apart from the toast, eggs, bacon and sausage, the plate is pretty bare.  2 mushrooms (a bit of a surprise as it wasn't on the menu) and 4 cherry tomatoes just wasn't enough for me.

The verdict

Top quality bacon and sausage means this has the making of a high scoring breakfast.  But the lack of other items on the plate means it fails to deliver that full Sunday morning satisfaction.

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