This classic Full English Breakfast is a super indulgent fried breakfast perfect on a lazy lie in kind of day or a perfect brunch meal. This breakfast includes rich tomato baked beans, pork sausages, smoked back bacon, sautéed mushrooms, sweet cherry tomatoes and buttery toast.

Most foreigners I speak to seem to think we eat this everyday, this is not the case! A full english breakfast is more of an indulgent weekend treat or perfect brunch meal. So I hate to disappoint but most Brits do not eat this everyday! Check out my other Breakfast recipes.

The History of the Full English Breakfast

A full English breakfast is a centuries old tradition dating back as far as the 1300s and you can find it all over the country today and even abroad in the places Brits go. Once upon a time, there used to be a greasy spoon on every main road serving up the decadent breakfast – but these days they are less and less. Known locally as a “fry up” the substantial meal consists of baked beans, smoked back bacon, sausage, eggs, fried mushrooms, fried tomato, toast or fried bread and black pudding. My recipe doesn’t include black pudding as it really is an acquired taste, but lots of Brits can’t have the breakfast without it! It is particularly popular in the north of England and Scotland. Hash browns are another controversial ingredient – I, like many believe they do not belong in the meal.

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What do i need?

• Good quality Pork Sausages – at least 95% pork is an essential criteria for a good sausage. My favourite for a fry up is a cumberland or chipolata.
• Smoked bacon! This is a must and for a fry up traditional is back bacon, although I have been known to go for streaky bacon once in a while like I have today! Lidl sell a honey smoked streaky bacon in their deluxe range and it is a so good!
• Baked beans – now I used to always go for classic Heinz beans for my fry up’s but these days I’m trying to eat as much organic food as possible. Waitrose have the best organic baked beans in their duchy range for just 70p!! Yep, thats cheaper than a tin of classic Heinz beans in most UK supermarkets. Give them a go, I made the change and never looked back.
• Good quality large Vine Tomatoes or cherry wine tomatoes. Both are delicious and simply depends on what I have at home.
• Mushrooms – I like using white cup mushrooms and slice them into medium slices.
• Good quality Bread for your toast. I like to use white sourdough or a good wholemeal seeded bread. I get a lot of my bread from M & S bakery they have a great range. My favourites are the white boule and San Francisco style sourdough.
• Fresh Eggs – a key ingredient to a good fry up. I think it goes without saying if you want good quality eggs and don’t have a coup at the back of the garden, you should be buying organic free range eggs or farm eggs. Lots of local butchers sell fresh farm eggs – check in your local butcher or health shop.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @chilliandlife on Instagram and hashtag it #chilliandlife #CANDL