What are the differences between a Continental and an English breakfast?

A traditional English breakfast consists of a cereal followed by a cooked course often consisting of egg with bacon and/or sausages and baked beans. (There are minor variations). There's also plenty of toast and (orange) marmelade plus tea of course.

Usually the expression "Continental breakfast" when used in the British Isles is taken to mean a very "minimalist" affair - coffee with say a couple of rolls.

In Continetal Europe itself, breakfast can vary from a cup or two of 'espresso' plus a small roll (quite common in Italy) to a selection of cheeses and cold meats (Netherlands and North Germany, for example) to a multi-course buffet a bit like a really grand old English breakfast. The main course may consist of scrambled egg with ham - for example in Hungary. In Romania, I've had breakfasts including a selection of rolls, some sweet - and so it goes on!

A Continental breakfast includes:
- coffee (or tea) and milk
- sweet cakes (such as brioche)
- pastries (such as croissants, danishes, muffins)
- juice

A Full English breafast includes:
- fried bacon and eggs (sometimes the bacon is grilled, and the eggs either poached or scrambled)
- toast, fried bread, butter
- sausages
- fried, grilled or tinned tomatoes
- mushrooms
- black pudding
- baked beans
- kidneys
- sautéed potatoes, chips, hashbrowns and/or bubble and squeak
- condiments (ketchup, brown sauce)

At British hotels (or B&Bs) the Full English Breakfast might also include porridge, kippers, toast and jam (or marmalade), kedegree or devilled kidneys. Fruit juices and dry cereal were also added to the Full English breakfast after 1950.


There's a small restaurant in my town called "Ian's Kitchen" that's only open for breafast and lunch. It offers breakfasts from around the world. I think it's the only place in Kingston you can buy kippers or grilled tomatoes.