English cuisine is scarcely renowned the world over, but the Full English breakfast is the one meal that England does well, with fat sausages, sizzling bacon, eggs and buttered toast. It is an icon of Englishness and as much of a symbol of England’s national identity as the flag of St George.

The breakfast may begin with orange juice and cereal, but the heart of the full breakfast is bacon and eggs accompanied by sausages, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, fried bread and toast. This famous dish is also known as ‘bacon and eggs’ and the ‘fry-up’. The name ‘bacon and eggs’ was popularised by Edward Bernays in the 1920s. To promote sales of bacon, he conducted a survey of physicians and reported their recommendations that people eat hearty breakfasts. He sent the results of the survey to 5,000 physicians, along with publicity touting bacon and eggs as a hearty breakfast.

The history of the English breakfast is tied up with the Industrial Revolution. This hearty meal was devised to provide agricultural and industrial workers with high-calorie intake to fuel their working day. In these more health-conscious times, fewer than 1% of the population starts every day with a cooked breakfast, compared to the 1950s when it was more than half. It is usually reserved for the weekend or for holidays in hotels, where no stay would be complete without one. The full breakfast is traditionally served at breakfast time, but it is also popular at other times, usually replacing lunch.

Various parts of the United Kingdom have their own variants of the full breakfast. Each country within the British Isles has its own accompaniments. The full Scottish breakfast includes porridge, potato scones, haggis and oatcakes. The full Welsh breakfast includes laver bread or laver cakes. These are neither bread nor cakes but are made with seaweed cooked with oatmeal. Irish breakfast includes white pudding and soda bread. In Northern Ireland the Ulster Fry is similar to the Full English but may also have soda bread and is served throughout the day.