An American man sparked a fierce debate about what makes a proper full English breakfast after posting a picture of his buffet plate online – and Brits were not impressed
Is there any better breakfast than a full English? Arguably not. Piled high with bacon, sausage, egg, and beans as an absolute minimum, it gets mouths watering and bellies full. When you get the breakfast, you shouldn’t be able to see a centimetre of plate because the ingredients are taking up all the room. If your belly isn’t rumbling now, why not?
One American bloke, Dr Nick Colyvas, chose to treat himself to a full English because, let’s face it, why wouldn’t you while you’re in the UK? Yet he quickly discovered that hard way that he’d ended up infuriating plenty of Brits with his plate of food.
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On X, he posted: “Full English breakfast in the proper setting. Hard to beat,” while sharing his plate of grub and the gorgeous view beyond.
What was wrong with his full English?
However, while the conditions looked perfectly fresh and delightful outside, people couldn’t fathom what they were witnessing on his plate, insisting there was nothing full about it whatsoever.
A sausage, some bacon, beans, mushroom, egg and tomato were all there. Yet there was far too little of every component, and they were arranged in a manner that almost rendered the meal ‘arty,’ which isn’t remotely the point of a full English.
Some commenters labelled it a “child’s portion,” questioning whether he’d be remotely satisfied after consuming such a meagre plateful.
Another took a swipe, calling it a “MasterChef full English,” branding it a “small portion” that wasn’t “worth the bother”. “Can almost hear the husky voice-over guy describing it as full artisan,” he fumed.
Nick fired back: “Well, it was a buffet, so I guess I was the portion chef, and my voice is a bit dry from the jet lag, so you’re onto something there.”
A third chimed in: “An English breakfast is delicious, especially eaten on holiday when you have time to appreciate it. However, unfortunately, that one doesn’t look particularly appealing. What has happened to the eggs? I presume they’re scrambled? And a smaller plate might be better, perhaps.”
Nick conceded: “Agree, but the size of the plate doesn’t change the taste of the ingredients in any way. I’m learning that if you post food pics, presentation is important!
“That’s the plates they had; those are the portions I chose. Yes, the eggs are scrambled (I prefer poached).”
He also faced flak for omitting black pudding from his plate, though he clarified he’s “not a fan”.
One supporter, however, leapt to his defence, writing: “As you’ve discovered to hilarious results, most Brits think a ‘full’ English must contain at least 2,000 calories and enough cholesterol to block the arteries of everyone in the room, although to be fair to them, they don’t actually consider the calories or cholesterol…”
Nick ultimately issued a sweeping response to the backlash, stating: “I appreciate all of the comments rightfully pointing out the volume is lacking here, but my commentary is more about the combination of the delicious ingredients and the setting. I chose the portions to match my appetite.”