Breakfast In Style

It’s that time of year again where the ‘C’ word starts getting thrown about with reckless abandon. We’ve barely reached Halloween and already you can see the festive puddings and iced lebkuchen winking at you as you trot down the aisles on your supermarket shop. Before you sigh into your coffee at yet another Christmas post, I can promise you that this one takes a slightly different (and interiors related) approach.

Yep this one folks is all about getting your home ready for any potential guest visitations over the festive period or indeed ever; specifically at breakfast time. In my humble opinion breakfast is hands down the BEST meal of the day (I’m prepared to hear arguments to the contrary) and there’s nothing better than chilling with your nearest and dearest in your jim jams over rounds of toast. What better then than to go the whole hog and pull out all the stops with snazzy toast racks, decadent egg cups and magnificent mugs. We’ve done all the hard work and selected the very best on offer for you lovely lot so that you don’t have to lift a finger (other than to buy aforementioned goodies of course!). Let’s get started.

Toast Racks & Egg Cups

There are so many gorgeous breakfast display implements and utensils out there at the moment that it’s been nigh on impossible to narrow down the selection for this post. But I persevered and so I present to you the best toast racks and egg cups on offer right now for your perusal.

First up, dine like a queen with this silver egg-cup stand from Brissi which handily allows you to carry a grand total of four eggs from kitchen to table before despatching them individually to your family/guests around the table. Alternatively you could just eat all four yourself. If that doesn’t take your fancy and you’re after something a little more homespun then why not take a look at this rustic board from NOTHS which has two clever notches for your dippy eggs and a special section for your toast/soldiers too!

If it’s toast racks you’re after to prevent sweaty toast syndrome then I love the boxy simplicity of this one from Garden Trading – plus it’s a snip at £9.50. For a more bespoke touch check out The Oak & Rope Company on NOTHS who produce this solid oak beauty which you can have customised with whatever takes your fancy. I love the idea of having one especially for Christmas as the start of a family tradition of Christmas toast with smoked salmon on top.

If you’re one for a more continental breakfast, (I mean who doesn’t like a pastry or pain au chocolat?!) then I suppose you’ll be looking for some lovely vessels to display your goodies in. I present to you these bread bags from Rowen & Wren, which let’s face it could double up as handy spots to keep clothes pegs or other paraphernalia when not in use; it’s all about cost per use people. Or perhaps this dip-dye paddle board from The White Company is right up your alley instead? Those clever designers have added a simple leather strap so you can hang  it up when not in use too. Snazzy!

Mugs

Mugs.

Where to even begin. A huge John Lewis department store has just opened up near me and I found myself perusing the aisles of the mug section of the ceramics department for near on thirty minutes! I mean how is it even possible to spend that much time looking at mugs? I told myself it was all in the name of research for this post 😉

Without intending to, I seem to have picked cups and mugs in a blue/greeny hue. Does anyone else have colour moods? Regardless I loved the colour combination of this shutter blue enamel mug from Garden Trading against the hot chocolate styled within it. This ‘his’ mug from John Lewis made me laugh and they do a ‘hers’ version too.

For Dog Lovers I present this pug mug by Fenella Smith (so cute!) and for those enamoured with spots and polka dots then these Royal Doulton blue mugs and John Lewis own brand spotty green mugs are for you.

Which are your favourites?

Condiment Pots and Milk Jugs

With toast must come jam, or marmalade. But trying to find a stylish pot to decant your condiments into has been somewhat of a challenge for this post. Unless I’ve been looking in the wrong place there seems to be a serious lack of jam pots out there. Sophie Conran comes to the rescue again with her simple product for Portmerion and interestingly so does Le Creuset with their matte black dainty number (which would go nicely with the Royal Doulton’s noir teapot).

Thankfully sourcing milk pitchers and jugs has been a more fruitful challenge with these elegant creamers from Rowen & Wren making me very happy indeed (I’ll take one in both colours!) and this humorous cow from NOTHS popping a smile on our face to boot. For those looking for a double duty jug, i.e. one that can be used for both milk and for water/juice at different times then I’d suggest either this simple stoneware jug from The White Company or this lovely blue washed jug from Royal Doulton.

Tea & Coffee

I must confess something at this stage…I don’t actually drink tea (unless it’s green) or coffee; I’ve never really liked either although I tried my damnedest to get on with the stuff when I was at uni to get through the all-nighters.  I do however consider myself a hot chocolate guru through and through and can generally sniff out the best one in town regardless of where I’m visiting. That said I can appreciate a beautifully crafted teapot or an elegant tea strainer and you can’t help but smile at a snuggly tea cosy.

For the tea drinkers it’s all about this super modern black teapot from Royal Doulton – yep I’d never have guessed either but they’ve really upped their style game lately and there’s all sorts of ceramic goodness I’ve got my eye on from the brand. If you’re more of a traditionalist then this grey hued stove top kettle might be more up your street. Suitable for gas hobs as well as any farmhouse Aga or range cooker too, I adore the shape as well as the wooden elements of the design.

I’ve long adored Sophie Conran’s range for Portmerion; we have some of her pieces such as the casserole dishes and jugs already but I’m hoping one day to be able to own the whole range. This cafetiere is classic and simple and I know from experience, excellent quality too. Plus John Lewis have 20% off the entire range at the moment; SO tempting!!!

For the ‘real tea’ enthusiasts you’ll be needing a tea strainer – the classic elegance of this wooden handled version from Brissi appeals to my more refined self but I love the fun design of this neat coned shaped design from Tom Dixon which would complement the Royal Doulton black teapot mentioned above perfectly!

Trays, Napkins & Glasses

If you’ve decided to go down the super luxurious route and have breakfast in bed then you’ll be needing a tray like this faux snakeskin one from Brissi or this white lacquered one from The White Company. At least that way, there won’t be as many crumbs in the bed…Accessorise with a fresh rosebud and a newspaper and you’re away.

I’m a big fan of glassware too and have been known to splurge in a big way on vintage glasses. These ridged tumblers from Rowen & Wren, whilst not vintage definitely tick my rustic, craftsman boxes and would be perfect for both water and for freshly squeezed juice. Plus they can easily stack too so won’t take up too much space in the cupboard next to your existing and perhaps slightly overfull glassware collection 😉

And lastly if you’re anything like me then you tend to eat mostly with your fingers (yes I know, so uncouth!) but this girl can’t help it. So you’ll be needing something to clean up your grubby mitts after you’ve gorged upon mounds of toast and jam. I like these stone grey napkins also from Rowen & Wren which put me in mind of decadent hotel stays pre-baby and these vintage white linen napkins from The White Company (which would look awesome by the way for Christmas with a sprig of fir tied around them at each place setting).

So there we have it, the perfect accessories for your super duper breakfast. Now I’ve just got to find someone to make it for me…

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