Breakfast fundis have called for mushrooms and tomatoes to be replaced with slices of grilled pineapple in a full English breakfast.
Experts from The English Breakfast Society – who also point out that hash browns have no place in the traditional fry-up – say the exotic fruit elevates the morning dish, giving diners the opportunity to eat like 17th-century lords.
Guise Bule de Missenden, the society’s founder and chair, told the “Daily Telegraph”: “Interestingly, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the pineapple was considered to be a high-status breakfast item in Great Britain.
“Pineapples used to be seen as exotic, expensive, difficult to obtain and were a highly prized breakfast ingredient for wealthy English families, which is why you can find lots of old English pineapple breakfast recipes.”
“King Charles II loved them, so if you wanted to add a touch of the exotic to your plate and eat like a 17th-century lord, there is no reason not to give it a try,” he added.
Missenden suggested that swapping out mushrooms or tomatoes for pineapple could provide “a surprising and unexpected delight”.
“Nobody really likes the tomatoes that usually come with a full English breakfast so why shouldn’t we swap them for a grilled pineapple slice?” he asked.
Despite Bule de Missenden's expertise, many foodies are not convinced, with some still irked about a previous suggestion the society made. The society previously said that hash browns should be done away with as they were popularised by fast food chain, McDonald’s.
He added: “Somebody had to put their foot down. Otherwise, we’ll find kebab meat in our English breakfast before long.”
I’ve heard some nonsense in my time but the report shots week about putting salt in tea and putting pineapple on a full English breakfast have made me mad!
— Keith Bone (@KeithBone316) January 27, 2024
There were mixed reactions to the pineapple suggestion on social media.
X user John, said: “They couldn’t be more wrong. This is the wrongest thing I’ve read all year.”
While Lee said: “Lines have to be drawn” and Mark Finney rejected the idea altogether: “No, thank you, not a chance.”