Breakfasts are one of those meals that can make your stay away even more special but can sometimes be underestimated when scaling up to cooking for a big group. Some planning ahead can make all the difference.

Our 10 tips for the perfect cooked breakfast are:-

  1. Split who does what on which day e.g. if you are a group of couples, have a different couple responsible for organising the food and cooking each morning.

  2. Cook as much as you can in the oven, to take the pressure of the grill/hob. Some things like sausages and tomatoes are easier and taste more delicious when cooked in the oven.

  3. Use the Long Barn hostess trolley to keep all plates warm and park any food in as it cooks. There are masses of serving dishes, so you won’t be short of containers to serve your food on.

  4. Great ingredients really make the difference. We may be biased, but we think the eggs our hens lay are the most delicious we’ve ever tasted. Check with us if they are laying before you arrive; if they are, you’ll find some in your welcome basket and more may be available to buy during your stay. We can also recommend some local farm shops and suppliers where you can buy other great local breakfast ingredients.

  5. Don’t forget the vegetarians – there are some more interesting breakfast options that are meat free, and not just veggie sausages. Shakshuka anyone?

  6. Serve breakfast buffet style from the Long Barn kitchen island so that people can help themselves.

  7. Encourage a volunteer to man the Sage Coffee machine and channel their inner barista; we start you off with some locally roasted Roost Coffee beans. Equally there are two cafetieres for the completely easy option. As well as a huge tea pot for tea making; there is no kettle to keep remembering to switch on, as the Quooker tap provides plenty of boiling water.

  8. Persuade another volunteer onto toast duty – the 6 slice Dualit toaster will make short work organising this for your group.

  9. Go down the “continental” breakfast option on some days – we’re started you off with some yummy home made granola, jam/marmalade and bread. Our digital welcome guide has details/links to the best local bakeries for you to try. Frozen croissant/pastries as an option mean you can bake what you need for each breakfast in minutes.

  10. Have the rule that everyone other than the cooks, clears up! With two dishwashers and masses of crockery/glasses, this is not a chore in the Long Barn.

And if you want to spoil yourselves, we can help you organise a chef to come in to cook you a slap-up breakfast. Or with prior booking, our local pub the Moors Inn is happy to do breakfast for your party up at the pub just a few minutes’ walk away. This can be a perfect option for your final breakfast at the barn to take the pressure off clearing up before you check out.