Breakfast offerings being driven by rising cost of living

The current crop of breakfast offerings in foodservice are being driven by the rising cost of living. That’s the word from chef Adam Moore, which he says is reflected in emerging menu trends: “People are still wanting to go out, they may not be doing brunch as much, but they are doing breakfast, as it’s perceived as a not-so-costly meal and a great way not only to socialise but also for informal business meetings.”

Adam says the need to keep prices affordable for consumers as interest rates continue to bite has led foodservice professionals to take a fresh look at the breakfast menu and make some modifications. “It’s move over avocado on toast – the mighty mushroom has returned,” he cites as one example. “People love their avocado, but mushrooms, even though they’ve always been around, are becoming more of a staple choice thanks to their greater affordability. The important thing is to cook them so that they taste great, not mushy or rubbery – there’s a special way of doing it, which is to put your mushrooms in a pan with water, butter, oil and salt and cooking over a high heat to break down their cellular structure. Mushrooms are 95 per cent water as that boils away the cell walls break down and the fat and butter caramelise the flesh so it doesn’t go mushy.”

The emergence of “dude food”

Another emerging trend Adam cites is American influenced “dude food”, exemplified by such breakfast choices as hash brown waffles. “It’s about mashing up your choices – putting a fried hash brown in the waffle maker and serving it up with bacon and maple syrup. It’s an alternative to pancakes and it’s comfort food, but it’s different and a bit quirky.”

While healthy choices remain a key driver for the breakfast category, Adam says the focus here is changing too: “We’re seeing people scooping out melons or papayas, using half of the flesh as a bowl in which to serve yoghurt and other fruits. You have your natural fruit sugars in the mix, it’s healthy, it looks great and again you are driving your profit margin further.

“Roasted fruit is also making a comeback, with choices like orange or honey mascarpone, everything from roasted plums and stonefruits to nectarines. Strawberry skewers are trending too, which is something a little bit different. We’ve also seen the rise of breakfast croissants, they are making a massive impact at places like Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, which has received a lot of media coverage for recently being voted home of the world’s best croissant, outstripping France - pretty controversial but they must be doing something right! There is certainly a great demand for flavoured croissants, and now there’s a new trend for giant croissants which you can dunk in your coffee, this is having a big resurgence at breakfast.”

And while breakfast offerings wouldn’t be complete without coffee, Adam says that category too is evolving: “Proper slow drip is in, served with sparkling water, along with really rare, unique brews roasted distinctively. This took off across the pond in New Zealand a year or so ago and now it’s made its way to our shores. Exotic coffees are also all the rage – like tiramisu latte, which is essentially a coffee shot topped with mascarpone and served with a sponge finger. A touch of luxury at an affordable price, that’s the ticket to bring in your customers.”

Rise of build-your-own breakfasts

Chef Gary Johnson argues that to capture the breakfast trade, you need to “get the basics right”: “We are all creatures of habit to some extent and we tend to eat the same breakfast each day unless we’re dining out. So you need to be offering something special, a point of distinction. You need to have freshly made juice of some description, made on the premises, not out of a bottle; you need to have artisan breads and pastries, like some great sourdough, great croissants; and of course you need great coffee, because Australians love their coffee and we all have our favourite café we go to for the consistency and the quality.”

Gary says the old staple of breakfast cereal is fast becoming obsolete, at least on the dine-in menu. “We just don’t see it in its traditional form anymore, it’s more about quinoa bowls or fresh made granola. Smashed avocado is still a must-have, but you need to be using great avocados and have something special to serve with them, like Persian feta, some dukkha, a drizzle of pomegranate syrup.”

Build-your-own breakfasts have become a mainstay of the menu, especially in the pub market. “People want to customise and enjoy their favourites, whether it’s something fairly healthy and plain or more at the indulgent end – you need to cater for the full spectrum of customer choices.

“Shakshouka, a Middle Eastern dish which consists of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic and spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper, is now a very popular breakfast choice - you bake in a cast iron earthenware container and serve that up at the table along with some toasted Turkish bread, and it’s as delicious as it is eyecatching.

On the grab and go front, Gary says breakfast takeaway menus are seeing the influence of Korean street food: “Toast, eggs, ham, ketchup with perhaps a bit of Korean kimchi all in a wrap is exceptionally popular right now.”

He also recommends taking the trouble to develop a distinctive signature breakfast offering. “There’s so much competition in the category that you need to come up with something uniquely yours which makes your menu stand out from the crowd. It can be an actual dish or even just a distinctive ingredient.

“At Willow and Spoon in Windsor in Brisbane they do a thick cut maple bacon which is made in house – they cure and smoke the ham and serve it about one centimetre thick and that has made them famous! Signature touches like that at breakfast are great for generating a wow factor and pulling customers in.”

Big flavours, healthy choices

Delaware North National Executive Chef Markus Werner says the rapid evolution of breakfast is exemplified by “big flavours, really healthy choices and lots of protein”: “it’s about cutting the carbs down – coconut and almond flavours are predominating, the added sugar has gone in place of natural sweeteners like honey and banana.

“We are seeing more breakfast choices like yoghurt bowls, sometimes swapping out the dairy in place of coconut milk or yoghurt, which is very much on trend.” 

Markus also notes the influx of Indian flavours – “you can do a dosa style breakfast, which is similar to a pancake, with ingredients like Moringa Leaf and white rice. Lebanese style with crushed chickpea or green hommus is another popular choice.

“All these types of dishes have big, bold flavours, they look rustic and fresh made, they’re colourful.

“Fresh organic vegies are terrific choices here – avocado is perfect and you don’t have to blend it finely anymore, make it chunky, add fresh chillies; get rid of your avocado dip and offer it fresh made.

“It’s the same with your hommus, it should be chunky, not smooth, with plenty of visible chickpea so everyone can see the ingredients and that it’s freshly made.”

Markus says omelettes are trendier than ever, but adds “make sure you are using organic vegies, great cheese, and that all the ingredients are visible, as opposed to the old fashioned approach which was pretty plain. Add lots of butter and cream and fresh tomatoes.”

Tropical fruits are always eyecatching, and a great addition to breakfast papaya bowls. Again, Markus emphasises quality and flavour: “Make sure you soak your oats the day before, that way you’re assured of great flavour and natural presentation. Stay away as much as you can from heavy creams or added sugar, it’s just not trendy at all anymore.

“Pancakes are very cool again – you can do a terrific freshly grated zucchini or corn pancake, add a lot of grated cheese on top and melt it down. Make sure that whatever ingredients you add, the customer can see and taste them and really indulge.

“The key is to make as much as you can fresh, rather than going to the freezer.”