The Breakfast Club for any time of the day

BY PALOMA LACY

It is said to be the most important meal of the day and it’s certainly my favourite. However, when the first The Breakfast Club opened in South London, I was somewhat sceptical that they would be open for long – limited to serving just breakfast all day long.

This was some years ago and I’m pleased to admit I was wrong.

The brand has gone from strength to strength, with new restaurants popping up annually because times have changed.

The popularity of brunch, which lasts way into the afternoon in some places, has altered our perception of breakfast as a morning meal, once the preserve of the 7am-10am slot.

Breakfast, brunch or whatever you want to call it, is very much an all-day affair in 2021.

The reason is simple – we have stepped aside from the fry up and added the best brekkies other nations have to offer, with sky-high pancake stacks introduced by our American friends and gratefully received.

I popped along to The Breakfast Club at Boxpark Croydon to check out the menu.

It was cold outside and the door was open – to attract customers – so I hid at the back and waited for a huge mug of steaming, hot tea.

I glanced to my left and immediately got not just food but drink envy too.

Hot chocolate studded with mini marshmallows – yes please.

As this was a treat – breakfast catch up with a friend – we decided to forget about the calorie consequences and go the whole hog.

The trouble with this kind of treat is that such a rare visit is quite frankly too much for the palate and we wanted to order everything we fancied, so we did. Our only concession was to share.

We ordered a savoury and a sweet dish as a compromise.

The menu is mind-blowingly good for breakfast lovers, heavily American influenced, with lots of full English options as well. I wasn’t brave enough to try Fried Chicken French Toast – 9am seemed a little early.

Banana & Pecan French Toast sang out to me, and actually managed to exceed expectations.

Thickly cut brioche French toast stacked high, caramelised bananas and pecan with maple and pecan butter and lashings of maple syrup. We added crispy fried streaky for an addition £2.00 on to the £11.50 price tag.

Obviously the preserve of those purveyors of a salty/sweet combo and right up my street, it was utterly delicious but best shared. It’s rich, unctuous, deeply satisfying but extremely plentiful and more than one person should manage.

For balance, we also ordered Avo on Toast with Mojo Picon (like a dry, spicy salsa) was really tasty especially with the essential runny, poached egg, halloumi and chorizo.

My friend and I agreed it would be impossible to find a better start to a morning.

Caf classics were a favourites all round – The Full Monty celebrating our national dish (with vege version), The Greasy Spoon and the more sophisticated and ever popular egg dishes, including Benedict, Royale and Florentine.

And if you’re looking for posher still, soft scrambled eggs, with truffle and parmesan is sure to hit the spot.

For those who aren’t fans of the all-day breakfast, from noon, stack ‘em up high burgers are available – Double Cheeseburger and Fried Chicken Burger among them.

The Breakfast Club, Unit 48-52, Boxpark, 99 George St, Croydon CR0 1LD