Brunch

Photo © Rob Jones

In a recent podcast we had cause to discuss the origins of Brunch.

I had suggested that it became popular in the 1990s, and as usual I was totally wrong.

Though in my defence I would say that those were my peak London years when everyone was banging on about loft-living, lounge music and being ‘easy’ like Sunday mornings.

Though they never were easy, as the trend was to ‘all meet up’ and find a place to have brunch which were inevitably overcrowded, and the service therefore very slow.

It would appear that the term Brunch was popularised in the late 19th century in England. It was designed to be a late breakfast for those who had been rabble rousing the night before. I gew as imancupation militated against being shackled for hours to a kitchen hob. The Americans then took a shine to it and added cocktails.

The inventor of Brunch - a chap called Guy Berringer - advocated a meal that was less heavy and less traditional than a big roast or dinner. He described it as potentially ‘cheerful, sociable and inciting.’ A meal that encourages conversation and good spirits. Incidentally, Guy had two sisters: Vera was a child actress, and the other Esme achieved fame for her sword skills.

Hollywood stars turned it into a big social event. Certainly when I did most of my travelling to America, the Brunch was the social event of the weekend, accompanied with copious refills of coffee, and a fat newspaper, crammed with supplements, under each arm.

These days it’s more likely to involve a roll gently laced with anemic bacon, a mug of weak tea and a chance to use the wifi to doom scroll in silence.

Happy days.

R.