The British Lion eggs Wake up to eggs: a report into making the most of breakfast shows caterers that there is a clear opportunity for them to review their breakfast menus to satisfy consumer demand for more egg-based options out of home, with traditional dishes particularly popular.

Research by Kantar on behalf of the British Egg Industry Council showed that in home consumption of eggs at breakfast was being driven by consumers looking for healthier, more natural options. This trend is reflected in out of home consumption too, with breakfast visits involving eggs or egg-based dishes on the rise (MCA Eating Out Panel Q1 2017 vs Q1 2016). There is still significant room for additional growth and research shows many caterers are failing to capitalise on the opportunity (MCA Breakfast/Brunch market analysis November 2016).

Andrew Joret, British Egg Industry Council Chairman, said: "In recent years, there has been much media speculation about the demise of traditional breakfasts. However, as this report shows, there is a significant rising demand for breakfast and brunch out of home, with breakfast seeing the strongest growth for share of visits across all day parts."

The report highlights strong demand for the availability of traditional egg-based breakfast options when eating out, with 42 per cent of consumers saying that a Full English (with eggs) is the favourite choice. Egg-based menu options also make up 3 of the top 5 most popular breakfast when eating out.

Mr Joret concludes: "Rising consumer demand for breakfast overall, combined with a consumer desire to see more egg dishes on menus, make eggs a highly profitable option. There is a clear opportunity for caterers to review menus to make the most of the opportunity.

"Eggs can also offer a solution for some of the key consumer frustrations – slow service, lack of value and poor quality – as they are quick and easy to prepare to a consistent standard, great value and have strong health credentials. Eggs are playing an increasingly important role across the foodservice sector, throughout the day, and it’s only a matter of time before their potential is more widely recognised by caterers."