It’s the classic Alan Partridge dilemma
A hotel chain has unveiled the ultimate English breakfast ‘forktress’ – to stop food items touching each other on the plate.
Premier Inn created the ‘bean barrier’ concept after research revealed how a fifth of diners (like the esteemed fry-up aficionado Alan Partridge) dislike runny elements of the dish touching other items on the plate.
Topping the list of ingredients people like to keep separate is egg yolk mixing with other ingredients (63 per cent), followed by baked beans (60 per cent), and tomatoes (39 per cent).
One in five feel so strongly about it they have developed methods to prevent it – like using sausages as a physical barrier or avoiding ‘wet’ food components altogether.
To solve the problem, a concept plate featuring a built-in crescent-shaped ‘bean barrier’ has been revealed in time for English Breakfast Day [December 2].
Ollie Bloomfield, who heads up breakfast at Premier Inn’s largest hotel in the UK, said: “For many, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a moment to savour.
“We don’t need an excuse to make it a full English breakfast.
“But, as the results show, consumers have clear opinions on what it should contain and how it should be laid out on the plate.
“And while the English Breakfast is a staple, for some, the experience can be spoiled by simply having the beans touch the bacon.
“And nobody wants that.”
The study of 2,076 adults, conducted via OnePoll, found 33 per cent of those polled expect to have a full English breakfast on English Breakfast Day.
Some 79 per cent are fond of the traditional morning meal, although egg (79 per cent) – preferably fried, sausages (77 per cent), and bacon (72 per cent) were considered the most important elements.
Mushrooms (55 per cent), hash browns (53 per cent), and white toast (39 per cent) also have their fans.
While ketchup (38 per cent) is the most favoured condiment accompaniment, and a cup of tea (45 per cent) is the beverage of choice.
The optimal number of some of the key fry-up ingredients was two full-size sausages, two rashers of bacon or ‘facon’, one egg, and two hash browns.
Eating a full English is also a ritual for Brits, with almost a third (32 per cent) eating a favourite breakfast item slowly, and a fifth (20 per cent) saving it until last.
Ollie Bloomfield for Premier Inn [https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/home.html] said: “Although only a concept at this stage, we believe our plate concept could be the solution for perfect flavour combinations.
“We serve over 22 million all-you-can eat breakfasts a year, and we’re convinced the bean barrier plate is something guests would enjoy.”
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