Dawn chorus: wake up your breakfast beverages menu

12 August 2022 by Ian Boughton

It's time to rev up your morning menu with iced chai lattes, yogurt and fruit smoothies and luxurious hot chocolates. Ian Boughton sets the table for breakfast

Put the tired old teabag on a string and pre-made filter coffee aside, as there are multiple options for your breakfast drinks menu, especially when it comes to customers looking for the healthier option.

Smoothies tick the health and customisation options for operators. "We are seeing a growing demand for health and wellbeing offers around breakfast," says Eddie Laposi, head of coffee at Restaurant Associates. "We have definitely seen an increase in smoothies and immunity shots beside an uptake in water infusions and hydration in general. This sector is growing and we will see even more uptake in the future."

London's fanciest hotels are offering their own luxury take on the drink: the Ritz London offers the Supergreen Smoothie of avocado, vanilla yogurt, honey and lime (at £12), a blackberry and apple crumble smoothie and one made with almond milk and porridge oats. Carlton Terrace offers a breakfast smoothie bar, where guests can choose from coconut, pineapple and lime, or maybe apple, beetroot, ginger and mint, and the Connaught's Green Boost shake features almond milk, avocado, apple, spinach, dates and banana. "We have seen a notable increase in smoothies on breakfast menus," says Helen Ostle, marketing head at Beyond the Bean, producer of the Sweetbird fruit smoothie range. "Using our yogurt frappé with some oats, milk and a Sweetbird fruit smoothie, you can create really filling breakfast smoothies in any number of flavour combinations."

Fruit fancy

Tea's horizons have also broadened to include infusions and iced chai drinks, again aimed at the guest looking for something different.

"We know there is a growing number of health-conscious consumers who look at their morning tea to support their wellbeing," says Adam Perry, impulse controller at Ecotone, owner of the Clipper brand. "Citrus-flavoured infusions are increasing in popularity as a breakfast beverage."

Healthy tea drinks are up, agrees Allan Pirret, sales director at Novus: "Decaff Ceylon is the choice for those looking to skip the caffeine yet still want a robust cuppa. "Juice is always on the breakfast buffet, and we have pushed hotels to combine matcha with juice, such as apple juice, which is delicious. We are also looking to extend into a ‘ceremonial' matcha, made of the younger leaves, which is sweeter."

Meanwhile, Novus has created a cold-brew Persian pomegranate tea infused with nitrogen, a texturised drink he likens to a flat white. "Forget kombucha, this is way better – it's super-refreshing and uplifting drink, though to date, we have not persuaded anyone to serve nitro at breakfast!"

Why not chai it

Beside straight black tea, more attention is being given to chai as a breakfast drink. It was Drink Me Chai that pioneered the concept of easy-to-make powdered chai. Several of the brand's products are ‘instant' drinks containing milk powder, but the newest is Artisan Blend, created as a quick-serve solution for baristas who prefer to use the steam wand and milk jug of their espresso machine.

"It is important to offer an authentic chai taste, which is often unachievable with a syrup," says Michelle Younger, head of marketing at Aimia Foods. "Baristas can use Artisan Blend to create authentic-tasting chai lattes, or by using cold milk and ice they can adapt it to cold chai lattes or shakes."

The value of cold and iced chais and teas should not be overlooked, says Louise Cheadle, co-founder of Teapigs: "After far too many years of saying ‘try our teas iced', we've finally created a range of ready-to-drink iced teas. By using a touch of agave for sweetness, not syrups or added sugars, we have launched iced teas, black tea with peach, and our super-fruit mix of hibiscus with sweet berries.

"Consumers are drinking more iced teas as part of prioritising healthy eating – they want alternatives to drinks packed full of sugars, but without having to compromise on the sweet taste of iced tea."

Ostle reports a ‘huge' uptake in iced tea drinks this summer. "Iced teas using our Sweetbird syrups have been specials on a number of menus, so there's no doubt they are going to make their way into more establishments as the days heat up. They make 41 twelve-ounce drinks with one bottle; you just need water and ice, and it's quick and easy both for individual servings or to pre-prepare in large quantities for breakfast buffets."

Hot stuff

The most active drink on breakfast menus turns out to be – hot chocolate.

"We certainly see breakfast as a time for hot chocolate, and many cafés and hotels are already used to serving it from the moment they open their doors," says Brad Wright at Marimba, a pioneer of ‘flake' easy-melt chocolate. "It is a great way to start the day for those avoiding caffeine; there's a touch of sugar to get you moving but without being too sweet.

"On a breakfast menu, I would be inclined to keep it simple – breakfast is a functional meal, so serve chocolate in a straightforward way and leave the cream and marshmallows for your mid-afternoon business. You may also offer a milk or dark hot chocolate for dipping your pastry into in the continental style."

Hotels with standalone coffee shops already sell well with hot chocolate in the morning, says Paul Eagles at Kokoa Collection, who introduced single-origin chocolate in disc form. "Early in the day, chocolate is for sustenance rather than indulgence, so for breakfast I would suggest a darker chocolate, our Madagascar or West Africa varieties, with a slogan such as ‘kick-start your day', to mimic the hit the customer expects from espresso."

"Hot chocolate should be a permanent breakfast menu staple," agrees Paul Ingram, managing director at Carpigiani UK. "It satisfies the craving for something sweet and warming, it suits those who don't want tea or coffee, and with the new popularity of plant-based milks it continues to evolve – coconut milk in a hot chocolate is a taste revelation!"

That is an interesting aspect, says Phillip Rayner, co-founder of Glebe Farm. "Your milk or milk alternative will greatly affect the flavour and overall experience of your drink – the creaminess, sweetness, bitterness and how well it foams and froths.

"One in three Brits will now drink dairy alternatives, so it's important to do your research, because your plant-based milk could make the difference between a one-time and a repeat customer."

However, some still like their coffee black, says Joseph Cordy, commercial head at Paddy & Scott's: "We are witnessing a popularity surge in black Americanos at breakfast time. We don't know if this is because people are ditching dairy."

But the fastest-growing drink is a milk coffee, says Ross Schofield, commercial director at Lincoln & York. "It is no surprise that breakfast customers want more than just the standard coffee. With the flat white being the quickest-growing beverage in the UK, this is a no-brainer addition to a breakfast menu… and offering a seemingly more complex drink adds choice at a premium price."

‘Speciality' coffee now outperforms the growth for the UK coffee market as a whole, says Ali Anderson, sales manager at Notes Coffee. "We are supporting hotels in making the coffee service an extension of their culinary skills, with a 12-month programme of seasonal and guest coffees. If the quality of their coffee offer at breakfast isn't good enough, guests will remember."

Cereal on the go

Unexpectedly, Weetabix is now appearing in the beverage side of the breakfast market. It has created Weetabix On the Go breakfast drinks in five flavours, which "provide the protein, energy, and fibre of a typical Weetabix cereal with milk".

Its Caffe Latte flavour is said to contain the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. "Catering for people in the morning can be a tricky business," says the brand. "We know consumers are concerned about the healthiness of their breakfast, and we aim to look out for new ways to elevate it."

Fresh format and flavour freedom

UCC Coffee UK & Ireland's recent commissioned survey shows 44% of consumers rank flavour as a top factor when deciding which coffee brand to drink. Offering guests a freedom of choice is a great way to elevate your breakfast offer and improve the overall experience. Their Lyons Coffee bags achieve this with multiple flavour profiles (including decaf for the health conscious) and are easy to store, easy to make, taste great and produce no coffee waste.

Their insight also shows 75% of hotel guests rank coffee poor or average in hotels and 30% claim this would not encourage them to return. Quality is the number one driver of value and volume in coffee, so offering fresh, great tasting formats such as coffee bags is a convenient approach to providing this quality. Lyons coffee bags provide the same quality as pressed coffee and are simple to use and store.

60% of consumers have either never seen or do not know about coffee bags – but those that use them are faithful to the format, with over a third purchasing at least once a month as a minimum.