English Breakfast, going global in the workplace.
Catering News is sponsored by Two Services
The great British breakfast is undergoing a dramatic transformation in the workplace, driven by the more global tastes of Gen Z. That’s according to a report by leading contract caterer Eurest, which as part of Compass Group Business & Industry UK & I, serves 10.8 million meals a year.
With English Breakfast Day falling on 2nd December, the report – Evolution of the Workplace Breakfast – highlights how the tradition of bacon, sausage and eggs still holds firm.
But it’s rapidly being re-invented for a new multicultural foodie generation which wants a wider range of healthy, sustainable and exciting options.
New shift patterns are also changing the nation’s relationship with breakfast at work, creating an ever-higher demand for ‘brunch’.
English breakfast is still popular getting a health makeover
Traditional English breakfast ingredients still rank high and have been boosted by new healthy tweaks. Reducing fat content and replacing some of the meat in breakfast favourites with lentils and pulses are new trends.
Grab and go ‘street food’ breakfast is a hot trend
Younger generations are trading down from meals to smaller bites, preferring to graze throughout the day rather than eat at set times, which better suits their ‘on-the-go’ lifestyles and smaller budgets. This includes elevated, colourful and exciting grab-and-go options such as pittas, wraps, tacos and toasties with extras such as premium slaws, kimchi and exciting sauces.
Foodie breakfasts are all the rage: With TikTok recipes trending and food programmes ever popular, Millennials and Gen Z want something special when they opt to eat at work. Breakfast on sourdough, with healthy ingredients piled high, are a perfect Instagram example.
There’s no set ‘breakfast time’ anymore
With evolving work schedules, people no longer stick to 8am to eat breakfast. Breakfast and lunch times in the workplace restaurant have almost merged.
Global breakfast tastes are a big influence
Businesses and caterers are listening to the needs of a multi-cultural workforce. New popular breakfast items include shakshuka, burritos, tofu scrambles and kimchi fried rice.
A rise in the popularity of plant-based meals is driving change
Eurest’s menu is now 58.7% plant based, driven by health and wellbeing – but also by a desire for sustainable dishes that have a lower carbon footprint.
Premium beverages are on the up
Whether that’s high-end coffee, unusual blends of tea, Kombucha or organic smoothies made from real fruit, and which are high in vitamins and minerals.
Ryan Holmes, Culinary Director at Eurest, said of the report: “English Breakfast Day is the perfect time to reflect on how breakfast culture is evolving in the workplace.
“What we see is that new trends are being driven by Gen Z, who are strongly tied to health, nutrition and global culture and have a different vision of what breakfast should offer.
“Bacon, sausage, eggs and beans remain strong sellers and will always be on our menu, but today’s breakfast is no longer only about tradition. We need to adapt to meet the evolving needs of an increasingly diverse, wellbeing-conscious workforce – and we should be excited about it.”
Gemma Evans, Chair of Women in Food at Compass Group UK&I, said: “For Millennials and Gen Z, breakfast has to be exciting, new and edgy. It should be something you can’t make at home, and which inspires you. That’s the mantra.
“That, together with having health benefits, is the key to the way breakfast is changing.
“It’s not the end of the traditional English breakfast, far from it. But breakfast as a whole is evolving, and that trend is on a high trajectory.”
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