I’ve just tried my very first full English breakfast at a Wetherspoon pub. It did the job but there a couple of things that surprised me. At 9am on a Thursday, right after the branch had opened, I expected to walk into an almost empty pub.
But instead, there were already seven or eight people inside: a pair of French tourists, a young couple, a father and son, two men in corporate clothes already drinking pints and a few others sitting alone with coffees.
I grabbed a seat at a large circular table with a comfortable booth seat and ordered the “traditional breakfast”. For £6.09, it comes with a fried egg, bacon, a Lincolnshire sausage, baked beans, two hash browns and a slice of toast. I also added the unlimited refill coffee for £1.85. In central London, where you can struggle to find a latte for under £4, the price alone feels like a bargain and honestly, the Lavazza latte itself was better than expected, even better than some big coffee chains’ offerings in my opinion.
The food arrived quickly and I came to understand why Wetherspoon breakfasts have such a loyal following: the meal was simple but did the trick.
5View 5 ImagesMy traditional breakfast contained a fried egg, bacon, two hash browns, baked beans and toast(Image: Jennifer Pinto)
5View 5 ImagesMany Wetherspoon pubs are in historic buildings, like The Prince of Wales in Cardiff which used to be an old theatre(Image: John Myers)
It’s not a big portion and it’s definitely not the best full English I’ve had, but it’s comforting and cheap. If you want a no-frills breakfast before work, after a night out or while trying to save money, it ticks the right boxes.
Still, one thing felt noticeably absent. There was no tomato or mushrooms. For many, those are staples of a “traditional” English breakfast, so it felt odd not seeing either on the plate. As it turns out, you only get them with the large breakfast option, which costs £7.69. Even though the standard version is cheaper, I still expected at least a small tomato or mushroom to justify the “traditional” label.
5View 5 ImagesFounder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, Tim Martin(Image: PA)
5View 5 ImagesWetherspoon breakfasts are consistent around the UK — this one is at the Great Western in Cardiff(Image: Media Wales)
The portion sizes were also smaller than I expected. The hash browns were tiny and lacked much flavour, while the sausage, although actually quite nice, was on the small side too.
Nothing tasted bad, but a lot of it felt bland. The scrambled egg could have done with some seasoning, the bacon had quite a lot of fat on it and overall the breakfast could have benefited from larger portions and a bit more flavour.
That said, it’s hard to complain too much considering the price. Wetherspoons clearly isn’t trying to serve a luxury brunch experience and it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a cheap, reliable breakfast. And in that sense, it succeeds.