Everything you need to elevate your breakfast
because everybody loves breakfast and nobody should be eating a sad bowl of cereal standing at the counter
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Currently there seems to be an unspoken rule in our house that breakfast is an optional, take it when and where you want it sort of affair, each man for himself - and I don’t like it. One child eats Shreddies on the sofa at 6am, another waits to be brought toast and jam by a willing adult and I find my husband standing in the pantry eating cereal out of a mug. I try to set a good example by sitting at the kitchen table with my bowl of baked porridge and a cafetière, but nobody notices because they are all on the sofa with their breakfast spoils, watching Walking with Dinasaurs.
I do appreciate that we all have our different rhythms in the morning - and everybody being happy and fed is the ultimate goal - but I have breakfast aspirations. I like waking up to sunshine and the promise of good coffee and some sort of egg based feast - no sad little bowl of cereal for me please. I like gingham napkins, silver toast racks, breakfasts with multiple courses, carefully chopped fruit salads served in sundae dishes and overfilled baskets of Viennoiserie.
I want to throw down a tablecloth, light a candle (I’ve yapped on about candlelit breakfasts before - spoiler: I love them) and make everything feel intimate and cozy. So this month, I plan to elevate our breakfasts into something a little bit extra. I’ll be using the butter dish AND the toast rack. Also, I’ll be buying some egg cups - I love a boiled egg and soldier breakfast - a pretty egg cup and a vase of early Summer blooms turns a simple breakfast into a breakfast special.
If you’d like to join me in using that handmade plate for your bacon brioche and filling your best glasses with freshly squeezed juice, here are some suggestions and lovely finds to help you make boring breakfasts much, much better.
Always use the best glasses
Gosh I love these glasses from Gather. Talk about a way to make the table sing - imagine them filled with some incredible coloured juice (I’m a big fan of carrot, orange and ginger). They are handmade in London and understandably spendy (around £300 a pair), but they would bring joy and delight to any breakfast table.
Presenting your egg!
I feel like I’d need to say “Tadaaaaaaah” as I served up a boiled egg in one of these star egg cups from Celia Wood. At £20 for 2, I also think they are a bargain.
Get yourself a charming tablecloth
Is this not the sweetest tablecloth from Graham & Green (from £55). Green and pink perfection, plus stripes and frills. Using table linen at breakfast is such a simple little addition but it goes a long way and really lifts the atmosphere.
Light the candles
I like the simplicity of these daffodil candle holders from Holly.co, handmade from white clay (£14.95 each). There is something special about lighting candles in the early morning and it is one of our family’s favourite rituals.
Put the butter where it belongs
I love using a proper butter dish. It looks fancy and you don’t destroy your toast trying to spread it straight from the fridge. I like a showstopper of a dish so this one, from Harlie Brown with a wiggle handle (£75) is right up my street.
Bring back the bread basket
On the French holidays of my childhood, morning Viennoiserie was always presented in baskets and I don’t know why I’ve never thought of doing the same at home. Until today that is. From now on, I will be serving my pain au chocolats in a basket, like this one, from Ibbi ( £29).
Use pairs of (excellent) mugs
My in-laws always buy lovely, handmade, ceramic mugs in pairs - so they can enjoy their morning coffee with matching mugs. It turns something workaday into a little ritual. After years of having a cupboard full of odd mugs, we have now started doing the same thing. I’ve even put brass hooks up in the pantry so I can display my pairs proudly. I’ve got my heart set on Lucy McCall’s cowgirl mugs - they manage to be both fun and beautiful and I love the colour palette she has used and the high gloss finish.
Bag yourself a fantastic vintage toast rack
I feel like a toast rack should be a conversation piece - the breakfast equivalent of an OTT ice bucket - and something like this fabulous toast rack from Pineapple Retro is just the ticket. Vintage shops are full of fun toast racks, which by the way, also make excellent hostess gifts.
Get a decent teapot
I have a friend who always keeps the tea coming, thanks in part to a massive brown teapot she has named Big Bertha. I think all tea lovers should have a Big Bertha on the breakfast table, or failing that, a jolly pillarbox red enamel one like this. I love Falcon enamelware - it is unceasingly jolly and works at any time of day.
Other top breakfasting tips
Make time, be slow - breakfast is one of those things that is so often rushed and it feels wonderful to slow it right down.
Entertain at breakfast - it is a very easy and low key way to host. We invited friends over recently for bacon rolls and a walk in the woods.
Kids love a DIY style feast - like a pancake bar, an assortment of waffle toppings, make your own muffin etc.
Bake your porridge - it really changes the texture and experience. It also means that it can be served in nice ovenware and look fabulous in the centre of the table.
PRIZE TIME
I’m very excited to announce The Frill’s first prize draw. One lucky subscriber will win a beautiful pillarbox red Falcon enamelware teapot, as seen above. To enter, all you need to do is subscribe (and have a UK postal address). You have until midnight on Thursday 19th of June to enter and the winner will be drawn on Friday 20th June.
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