Tips and Hints from Bega Foodservice Chef Ambassador Gary Johnson

“My approach to breakfast is basically to divide your menu in half – on one side you have your traditional staples, on the other it’s more innovative food which is halfway between your classic breakfast and lunch. That’s where you can experiment with different influences and approaches and create dishes that are as memorable as they are flavoursome.

“It’s all about being adventurous with your cuisine choices. I had a Korean egg sandwich the other day with Korean barbecue sauce and scrambled eggs, all served in a wrap. We’re lucky in this country to have so many culinary influences which we can utilise on the menu.”

• Gary suggests swapping out butter with Dairy Farmers Cream Cheese – which is delicious on breakfast treats like banana bread. “I mix a little espresso coffee through the Cream Cheese, then spread it over the banana bread, sprinkle it with toasted walnuts and maybe add a little drizzle of honey for those with a sweet tooth.”

• Add a dab of Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy Yoghurt to your muffin recipes to enrich the flavour and increase the protein – they deliver terrific taste and texture with their crispy exterior and warm, fluffy centre, while the distinctive aroma of fresh-baked muffins is sure to excite customers’ tastebuds.

• It’s easy and cost-effective to build your own granola – just soak some muesli with fresh grated apple and a little honey overnight in Dairy Farmers Milk, then layer with Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy Yoghurt and top with fresh fruit (Gary suggests fresh cut mango) and soaked goji berries. Served in a parfait glass, it adds a colourful and healthy kickstart to the menu.

• A variation on the above is Gary’s “breakfast tiramisu” – consisting of oats and chia seeds soaked overnight in a little coffee and cocoa powder. Top with Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy Vanilla Yoghurt, drizzle with maple syrup and dust with cocoa and it becomes a ‘2 in 1’ breakfast’, delivering a caffeine hit along with important nutrients like fibre, protein and calcium.

• Gary recommends using frozen berries in your breakfast smoothies – so the smoothie virtually becomes a slushie! Any fresh fruit will do – use one part fruit to one part Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy Yoghurt to one part milk of your choice. A little honey can be added according to customer taste, but thanks to the fruit and the yoghurt, the smoothie will usually be sweet enough without it.