Recently breakfast has been much discussed in the A&B office. For a start, I have become quite evangelical about granola. I swear I’m super-powered after a bowl, Lesley to the power of N, if you can stomach such a thought. Then, Chiara has been making my mouth water (even more than usual) by describing her recent breakfast of “perfectly cooked scrambled eggs and chives and great french toast” at Côte in Wimbledon Village. And nothing sparks more grub debate than the appearance of Susie’s beloved Marmite. For the record: ick.

We know that breakfast is an important meal in the real world, energy and attention levels and all that, but this article over at The Guardian makes the point that when something as prosaic as breakfast is included in a novel, it’s for a good reason, signalling something about the character or their world view.

They are all very interesting examples, though heavily weighted towards male characters, it seems to me. I can’t contribute a female example myself.  But while the minute detail of Patrick Bateman and James Bond’s repasts may indicate highly controlling personalities, as a breakfast lover I must say that those who able to hold off eating until lunchtime are more than a little suspicious.  If the Hobbits are in part lovable because they have followed through and made second breakfasts routine (much to my envy), then at the other end of the spectrum, the lack of a decent human feeling for breakfast is surely the preserve of a Bond villain and their ilk.

If you’d like to follow my example, my granola is loosely based on this recipe. Or treat yourself, perhaps with a breakfast cocktail, to something on the menu at Côte this weekend.

Lesley Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager