Breakfast focus: Build up to brunch

WITH FEWER people cooking at home, the relaxed, weekend brunch trade has become increasingly important to many urban pubs.Neil Dunning, manager of Young's pub the Duke on the Green in Parsons Green, London, reckons to have hit upon the perfect brunch formula, which he serves from 10.30am to 1pm every weekend.

The pub's breakfast menu includes a heavyweight dish aptly named the Bloated Duke - featuring Cumberland sausages, dry cured bacon, free range eggs, mushrooms and roasted vine tomatoes with rosti, crusty bread and butter. Otherwise customers can choose from eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine or Scottish smoked salmon with eggs on a toasted muffin.

Neil strongly believes quality is the name of the game when it comes to breakfast foods. "As well as good presentation, using fresh, quality food is essential. The meat needs to be succulent and flavoursome - we find it's definitely worth using cured bacon," he says. "People don't want greasy food - if they wanted that they'd go to a greasy spoon."

The pub also offers fresh coffee and pastries from 11am to 5pm everyday, which is extremely popular.

"We often have parents popping in to pick up a coffee and croissant on the way to dropping the children off somewhere," says Neil.

Tom Bowen, assistant manager of Young's pub the Founders Arms, on London's South Bank, believes simplicity is the key to cooking good breakfasts: the pub is a stopping-off point for customers visiting local attractions such as the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre.

"Keeping it simple is the best piece of advice I could give with breakfast dishes," says Tom. "We get lots of tourists coming in who want a speedy breakfast before visiting the sites.

"We aim to serve people their breakfast within 10 minutes of ordering, and also ensure the coffee is always piping hot."