Why Brunch is the Perfect Meal for Guests

Popular Ideas for What to Serve Your Guests For Brunch

Origins of Brunch

Did you know that brunch originated in England in the late 19th century and became popular in the United States in the 1930s. According to Wikipedia “Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch eaten usually during the late morning to early afternoon, generally served from 10am up to 2pm” In addition, you also find that it’s usually served with an alcoholic drink, most often champagne, Prosecco or a cocktail.

The Flexibility of Brunch

Why is brunch so popular? Wherever you travel one of the key offerings in restaurants all over the world is their brunch menu. Over the past few years there has been an explosion of top trendy restaurants offering the most tantalising brunches – but why exactly? What makes it so  popular?

Partly it’s an excuse to escape the 9 to 5 and the stresses and strain of modern 21^st Century life and to relax and enjoy a leisurely meal with family or friends. It’s a flexible feast which can mean many things to many people.

Almost Anything Goes

Hot and Cold Dishes

As one food critic recently said it’s popular because there are hardly any rules to brunch and almost anything goes! You can choose to provide a mixture of your favourite hot dishes, a cold buffet, fruits, yogurts mueslis. Because it’s often served on étagères, sharing platters or on a buffet, people can help themselves and it also gets over the problem of food allergies and food aversions. Whether people have low cal, low carb, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian or gluten free requirements, there is usually something that fits the bill on a brunch table.

Popular Brunch Foods

Popular brunch foods include a basket of pastries, croissants, bread rolls along with butter, honey and a selection of jams. Pancakes and waffles  require a little preparation but can be prepared in advance and kept warm or heated up and served with berries and maple syrup. A platter of fresh fruit (and again berries) ticks most people’s boxes and can be served with yogurts and maybe a large tureen of Bircher Müsli.

Another popular staple these days is Smashed Avocado. You can ring the changes with onions, smoked salmon, poached egg or even slices or hard boiled egg or maybe bacon. Don’t forget typical English breakfast staples for traditionalists and  if you still think you need more on the table, how about some cold cuts and a cheese board?

Popular Brunch Drinks

Along with good quality coffee and tea and water it’s great to offer freshly squeezed orange juices, maybe homemade lemon juice or even a selection of smoothies. You can also use large jars filled with water and chopped apples, lemons, cucumber and watermelon to make a refreshing flavoured water drink. And why not serve your guests a glass of champagne or Prosecco too? Pretty it up with a raspberry or a few pomegranate seeds and you’ll really get tinto the festive mood.

Brunch Cocktails

Other drinks include both alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktails. Easy to make cocktails include a Mimosa with orange juice base topped up with Champagne which pairs well with any type of food. Alternatively a Screwdriver with the orange juice this time with vodka added  – or perhaps a Blood Mary. A Bloody Mary just needs a shot of vodka, a few ice cubes and a top up with tomato juice, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. You can always prepare a small batch of these ahead of time.

We hope this has given you some ideas. What are your favourite brunch food and drinks?

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