We’ve cooked a fair few breakfast over the years, and appreciate it can be daunting scaling up a breakfast for a large group. Especially if you are staying away with 14 people in the Long Barn.
Here are our 10 tips for making it as stress free as possible:
1. Plan ahead, decide your menu choices and make a list. Consider the dietary preferences and restrictions of your group.
2. Keep it simple. Choose breakfast choices that are easy to prepare and serve. If it is going to be variations of a full English breakfast, think of what can be cooked where e.g. sausages in the oven, bacon under the grill, mushrooms on the hob. Or consider something that can be cooked in a casserole such as this bacon, potato and egg casserole which can be prepared the night before. Equally, bacon butties can be a whole lot easier to do, and just as tasty.
3. Use the Long Barn hostess trolley to park cooked food in to keep it warm. Don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to cook enough bacon for 14 people.
4. Remember to heat your plates. Again, use the hostess trolley. It makes sure that late risers or those coming back for seconds can enjoy the food at the right temperature.
5. Delegate tasks. Get your group to help such as setting the table, making coffee or tea, toasting bread or cooking some of the dishes.
6. Set up the dining room worktop as a buffet area, where people can choose juice, fruit, cereals, granola (we hope you enjoy ours) any pastries etc. If you are cooking hot food, move the hostess trolley into the kitchen so it can also be part of the buffet.
7. Think creatively. A batch of pancakes are easy and can be cooked ahead. A stack of french toast can use up bread and be an easier option to provide eggs rather than frying, poaching etc. When our hens are laying, we provide a dozen fresh eggs in each welcome hamper.
8. Clear as you go. Avoid a massive pile of dishes at the end by delegating clearing/washing to someone. The Long Barn has two dishwashers, which can handle most things. Keep them stacked up as you go rather than leave everything until breakfast is over.
9. Shop local. We have some fantastic shops who can supply wonderful local produce. Check out our welcome guide for details of our tips for butchers, grocers etc.
10. Don’t forget the brown sauce and tomato ketchup.
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