Whilst breakfast is still included, there has been a shift in the early morning rituals and service style.

An increase in meeting for breakfast after a morning jog or on the way to the office for business travellers is growing in popularity. For lifestyle travellers catching up with friends of the morning newspaper is sometimes easier at this time of the day, rather than over dinner. The appeal of the buffet has always been apparent and with the larger hotel establishments it has come into its own.  

The menu itself has adapted. Croissants, cereal or a full cooked English has been extended to incorporate platters of continental ham, cold meats and cheese, croissants and pastries, yoghurts, fruit, hash browns, muffins and pancakes with syrup. Catering for the growing diversity of diners, the buffet line and range has expanded and proven a means to satisfy.

A buffet has long been seen as an efficient and easier service system for guests on mass. Rather than waiting for table service at the start of the day, the queue and help yourself is quicker. The breakfast meal for some clients may well be the meal needed on the way to a busy conference or day of meetings. For the leisure travellers, a long breakfast with a selection also appeals.

Buffets are deemed financially viable. They reduce the cost of service staff for a start; one to supervise the buffet (check and co-ordinate with the kitchen for refills). One to top up the tea and coffee and then, depending on the size of the dining room, one or two staff to clear away and float. Individually portioned cereals, yoghurts and other produce, whilst a little more pricey mean less waste, longer shelf lives and better portion monitoring. Bulk buying dry stores and good stock rotation can be managed and again add to the financial viability.

Good service counters are essential though. Keeping food hot and cold food cold at their correct service temperatures and displayed to their best, takes know-how and diligence. The regular checking of fridge temperatures and hot plates has become even more mandatory with increasing health and hygiene regulations.

The buffet is here to stay, but has it increased guest satisfaction? In some sectors it works well, in others guests want table service. Co-ordinating the front line service staff and kitchen is difficult at times. Sudden rushes for a cooked breakfast mean a good flow of supply is vital. Lingering at the service counter guests stand waiting for one or two missing items and the queue behind them only gets longer. Cooking the right amount when it comes to poached and fried eggs or toast is difficult. Sausages and bacon defiantly keep better on a hot plate and under lights than the more fragile items.

A method to assist in queue management and discontentment has been to place toasters out the front where guests can select and toast their own bread. For some guests however, this self service and cook style, is too much like being at home rather than on a weekend or trip away. Further to toasters is the breakfast chef cooking in the restaurant, visibility has proven to help in all directions.

A half way house when it comes to buffet breakfast service is the style of breakfast cafes and bars which offer a combination of counter service from a buffet, with some a la carte table service. There are still less staff as the counter staff does the same work as a buffet assistant. However for some dishes orders for cooked food are taken and a table number is given. The cooked dish are then given to the guest at the table or called to be collected. Again this is only a good combination in a medium size establishment or one where cooked meals prove to be less popular.

SpotLight is the weekly column exclusively written for 4Hoteliers.com by Sarah Muxlow, it is highlighting the challenges and issues which the global hospitality is facing today.

Sarah is writing for hotel and restaurant owners, hotel chain managers, producers/growers/sellers of food & beverage, restaurant associations, governing bodies and hotel schools. She is looking at the problems they face...competition, trends of branding, staff shortages, unskilled staff, turning out students who are looking for good in-house management training schemes with hotel chains, what makes a good quality training course at a hotel school and more... 

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