Changing consumer behaviour over recent years has led to the growth of the breakfast market. Not only has the all-day breakfast menu become popular not just on weekends but right throughout the week, in today’s increasingly time-poor work culture breakfast meetings have become commonplace – as have ‘grab and go’ morning coffee and takeaway food combos.

And thanks to a growing demand for more upmarket breakfast meals, menu pricepoints have grown accordingly – making breakfast a strong revenue opportunity for cafes, restaurants and increasingly even pubs and clubs. At the same time, given the ongoing foodservice staff and skills shortage, it makes sense to turn to products and ingredients which can help you cut down on labour costs and preparation time while delivering breakfast favourites with a contemporary spin.

Traditional breakfast choices like eggs, bacon, sausage and mushroom are giving way to avocado poached eggs served with flavoured hommus and pulses, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a spice mix, accompanied by thick-sliced sourdough bread. Eggs have long been a protein staple at breakfast and you can enhance their flavour through ingredients such as citrus, oil and spice. Instead of thin sliced salted bacon, many chefs are turning to thicker cuts which are home cured rather than smoked.

A smart approach is to build your breakfasts in layers: use bread as a base, then add a protein layer and top with fruits/vegetables and dairy. Look for ingredients which help build flavour complexity – for example mushrooms on toast with Dairy Farmers Shredded Mozzarella, or meats like pulled pork.

While you need to have your breakfast basics in place – coffee, toast, build-your-own eggs and accompaniments – it’s also important to include some menu options for the more adventurous customers, such as huevos rancheros (eggs served Mexican style), or Middle Eastern shakshouka (eggs oven baked in tomato, capsicum and a sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper) cooked and served in a cast iron dish with a side of Turkish bread and a dollop of Farmers Union Greek Style Natural Yoghurt.

Indulgent, sweeter dishes are also trending on breakfast menus – from fluffy blueberry pancakes and waffles to French toast topped with pistachios and Dairy Farmers Thickened Cream. Sweet ingredients like chocolate and biscuit spreads are fast becoming the new go-to ingredients for creative chefs looking to set their menus apart from the crowd.

And with more pubs and clubs now opening for breakfast, competition is getting heavier – so it’s important to ensure your staff are skilled at upselling. Customers may come in for just a coffee and a muffin, but if you have enough appealing choices on the menu, there’s a good chance you can capture them for a full sit-down meal which delivers a strong profit margin.