Family style Breakfast

[happyjacks]

Personally, I don't think you can get a good measurement if you are serving family style. To me, family style wastes as much food as a buffet breakfast does. You already know how much you over prepare so use that to gauge what would work in your area.
Statistics show that a plated breakfast is the least waste and therefore, usually, the least expensive to prepare. With family style you have to figure that each person will take more than their fair share of whatever it is and you WILL have to make more. If you usually serve 3 slices of bacon, you'll need to make 4/person for those who will take as much as they can get.
Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?.

Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....
.

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....

If you're looking to make breakfast service a little simpler for you, how about setting up everything except the main course as family style or self-serve from a sideboard. You can let the guests help themselves to fruit (have a big bowl of fruit and empty dessert dishes so they can take as much as they like or set out the pre-portioned indi bowls), muffins, juice or whatever you provide to start. While they're doing that, you can plate up the main course as individual servings.
It would be a little less running around for you but still control portion sizes for the expensive parts, and still let you do your great presentation.

 

[mooseberry]

Personally, I don't think you can get a good measurement if you are serving family style. To me, family style wastes as much food as a buffet breakfast does. You already know how much you over prepare so use that to gauge what would work in your area.
Statistics show that a plated breakfast is the least waste and therefore, usually, the least expensive to prepare. With family style you have to figure that each person will take more than their fair share of whatever it is and you WILL have to make more. If you usually serve 3 slices of bacon, you'll need to make 4/person for those who will take as much as they can get.
Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?.

Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....
.

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....

If you're looking to make breakfast service a little simpler for you, how about setting up everything except the main course as family style or self-serve from a sideboard. You can let the guests help themselves to fruit (have a big bowl of fruit and empty dessert dishes so they can take as much as they like or set out the pre-portioned indi bowls), muffins, juice or whatever you provide to start. While they're doing that, you can plate up the main course as individual servings.
It would be a little less running around for you but still control portion sizes for the expensive parts, and still let you do your great presentation.
.

sounds like plan I might implement.
It takes me quite a while to make the fruit cups or parfaits, and sometimes guests don't even touch them.
This is really something to consider.
Thanks happyjacks

 

[gillumhouse]

Personally, I don't think you can get a good measurement if you are serving family style. To me, family style wastes as much food as a buffet breakfast does. You already know how much you over prepare so use that to gauge what would work in your area.
Statistics show that a plated breakfast is the least waste and therefore, usually, the least expensive to prepare. With family style you have to figure that each person will take more than their fair share of whatever it is and you WILL have to make more. If you usually serve 3 slices of bacon, you'll need to make 4/person for those who will take as much as they can get.
Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?.

Why are planning to switch? What's the thinking behind that?

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....
.

Not actually planning to switch, just looking at my posibilities to make life a little easier since I do 100% of the work here....

If you're looking to make breakfast service a little simpler for you, how about setting up everything except the main course as family style or self-serve from a sideboard. You can let the guests help themselves to fruit (have a big bowl of fruit and empty dessert dishes so they can take as much as they like or set out the pre-portioned indi bowls), muffins, juice or whatever you provide to start. While they're doing that, you can plate up the main course as individual servings.
It would be a little less running around for you but still control portion sizes for the expensive parts, and still let you do your great presentation.
.

sounds like plan I might implement.
It takes me quite a while to make the fruit cups or parfaits, and sometimes guests don't even touch them.
This is really something to consider.
Thanks happyjacks
.

Fruit goes in a fancy dish so the guests can take what they want and leave the rest. I stopped the making portions long ago because of waste. Off to Charleston for the day. Bye

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

What is very interesting about this thread is that IF you polled the innkeepers just on this forum we all have diff ways of presenting breakfast. One says waste is plated the other says waste is family style/boofay.
It also depends on the guests. If you have families with children - to me plated might not work as well and there would be waste, but on the other hand having kid dig into all the food without the parents supervision would also not work. So it all depends on the type of guests that are the "norm" for you. Hard to put them all in the "norm" category tho, as they vary.

 

[Penelope]

I serve family style. I make a recipe of mini-muffins so there are plenty for breakfast AND for "care packages" for the road. As for the rest, I make a casserole dish of eggs/sour cream/chives/shredded cheddar of 3 or 4 whole eggs and 3 or 4 egg whites for 2 people and add a couple extra eggs for 2 more people (figure a dozen for 4 people). Each person gets a small loaf of English muffin bread (as is the norm - this morning the question from each of my 3 business people was can I have the rest of my bread). Fruit is something that is hard to guage. I used a mango, a kiwi, and a couple slices of papaya cut up, and some fresh pineapple this morning. This group was not fruit eaters but I have had 2 people snarf up that size compote. DH handles the fruit. I figure 2 large pancakes per person or if doing a baked pineapple toast allow 3 "sticks" (slice and a half) per person and add 2 "sticks". Juice is just in the pitchers as a help yourself. I use any creamer left over in the cream pitcher in my coffee of the day..

A dozen eggs for 4 people? You kill me! I'd be broke in a month.
.

But remember - I use more whites than whole eggs. 2 whites = 1 egg and I toss the yolks. My schtick is low-cholesterol....(and the "garbage disposal gets something other than cocoa wheats on guest mornings - sometimes). Also I do not have a meat on the side - no bacon etc. (low-fat, low cholesterol) Eggs are a lot cheaper.
.

You're still using a dozen eggs, whether the whole egg goes in or not. I'm thinking price here, anyway, not health. At $2+/dozen, that's a lot every morning. We're doing the meat sides to order now. Yes or no, you want it or you don't. That way there's no waste on that.
.

My highest price this winter was $1.85 a dozen. We are at about $1.25 a doz average now.
.

Aldi is at 90 cents/doz. Meijer just had a sale for 88 cents/doz. here

 

[gillumhouse]

What is very interesting about this thread is that IF you polled the innkeepers just on this forum we all have diff ways of presenting breakfast. One says waste is plated the other says waste is family style/boofay.
It also depends on the guests. If you have families with children - to me plated might not work as well and there would be waste, but on the other hand having kid dig into all the food without the parents supervision would also not work. So it all depends on the type of guests that are the "norm" for you. Hard to put them all in the "norm" category tho, as they vary..

For me, plated is wasted because anything left is automatically garbage. With family-style, leftovers can be "recycled" or used to "feed the hungry" and I just happen to know of a couple of hungry people. Many times the "hungry" go hungry if there are some big eaters. Boo-fay makes it easier for the brats to overload, family-style they have to have someone put the serving of the main course on their plates as it is fresh from the oven and too hot to pass.

 

[birdwatcher]

We do individually plated, If we have a large crowd and they have rented the guest house, we may do a boo-fay, but rearly do we do this. Casseroles are the best as are french toast. I do some kind of appetizer before the main breakfast and that fills the void if the guest is really hungry. Portion control has been something I've been working on diligently within the last three years and have done wonderfully with it.
Haven't had many little ones here but if we do have them we ask the parents what they "don't like" instead of what they like. I also serve fresh bread every morning (warm from the oven) with jams and butter..have gotten rave reviews about the bread. I won't do Family Style as I think that I won't have enough and its kind of bush leage for me and my Inn.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

bush leage thank you for the new vocab word. I had to look it up.

 

[happykeeper]

You will always have to make MORE than enough so there is enough. Does that make sense? So I hope you like leftovers.

I am one of those people - no name calling now - that when I go to someone's home (Family style dining) and each person gets one ear of corn, each person is allocated one burger, etc it bugs me. Not only that but the presentation is was lacking. To serve family style it needs to look abundant, not chintzy and that is hard to do without overdriving the meal with extras.
Remember when you have that on offer - one person might love bacon and want 6 to 8 pieces and take their share FIRST and you even thought ahead and allocated 3 per person, which would not work..

You will always have to make MORE than enough so there is enough. Does that make sense? So I hope you like leftovers.

I am one of those people - no name calling now - that when I go to someone's home (Family style dining) and each person gets one ear of corn, each person is allocated one burger, etc it bugs me. Not only that but the presentation is was lacking. To serve family style it needs to look abundant, not chintzy and that is hard to do without overdriving the meal with extras.

Do you find yourself mentally calculating how much of anything you can take in those situations? I hate that. And depending on where you are in the 'pass along' you may not get your favorite part of the meal if the OTHER people don't bother to restrain themselves. No stuffing? No gravy? YOU know who you are people!
And believe me, if your own family won't think ahead and make sure you have your share, why would strangers who will, of course, think there is more in the kitchen?
.

And depending on where you are in the 'pass along' you may not get your favorite part of the meal if the OTHER people don't bother to restrain themselves. No stuffing? No gravy?
Memories of a Christmas party. Paid up front so they KNEW how many would be there. We were the end of the line and ended up having paid $12 each for rolls and gravy - no extra potatoes even in the kitchen much less meat or vegetables or salad.
.

From someone that likes to eat- that is a very sad story!

 

[gillumhouse]

You will always have to make MORE than enough so there is enough. Does that make sense? So I hope you like leftovers.

I am one of those people - no name calling now - that when I go to someone's home (Family style dining) and each person gets one ear of corn, each person is allocated one burger, etc it bugs me. Not only that but the presentation is was lacking. To serve family style it needs to look abundant, not chintzy and that is hard to do without overdriving the meal with extras.
Remember when you have that on offer - one person might love bacon and want 6 to 8 pieces and take their share FIRST and you even thought ahead and allocated 3 per person, which would not work..

You will always have to make MORE than enough so there is enough. Does that make sense? So I hope you like leftovers.

I am one of those people - no name calling now - that when I go to someone's home (Family style dining) and each person gets one ear of corn, each person is allocated one burger, etc it bugs me. Not only that but the presentation is was lacking. To serve family style it needs to look abundant, not chintzy and that is hard to do without overdriving the meal with extras.

Do you find yourself mentally calculating how much of anything you can take in those situations? I hate that. And depending on where you are in the 'pass along' you may not get your favorite part of the meal if the OTHER people don't bother to restrain themselves. No stuffing? No gravy? YOU know who you are people!
And believe me, if your own family won't think ahead and make sure you have your share, why would strangers who will, of course, think there is more in the kitchen?
.

And depending on where you are in the 'pass along' you may not get your favorite part of the meal if the OTHER people don't bother to restrain themselves. No stuffing? No gravy?
Memories of a Christmas party. Paid up front so they KNEW how many would be there. We were the end of the line and ended up having paid $12 each for rolls and gravy - no extra potatoes even in the kitchen much less meat or vegetables or salad.
.

From someone that likes to eat- that is a very sad story!
.

It was a sad story as I have the figure to prove I LOVE food! Needless to say, we never attended another of their Christmas parties.

 

[Samster]

I am not a fan of serving family style. I'm definitely not a fan of family style service at a B&B. Just my 2 cents...

 

[ginocat]

Family style buffet food left over should not be recycled for guests. I hear stories of fruit being used again the next day and you don't know who sneezed, stuck their finger in or whatever.
I don't believe in overflowing plates either. People don't need that much food and if they want to EAT that much food they can fuel up later but I don't want to watch it.
In regards to waste - if you are doing the actual cost method for taxes you are writing off the cost of the food so if it does go in the garbage you've still written it off and sometimes it's better in the garbage than worn on the body.

 

[mooseberry]

makes me think of a place i stayed not too long ago...continental bf consisted of 3 kinds dry ( yep, dry, no milk ) cereal, and 2 Wholesales Club special muffins in the fridge. we were there 4 days, so were the muffins...wonder how often they got recycled...

 

[gillumhouse]

Family style buffet food left over should not be recycled for guests. I hear stories of fruit being used again the next day and you don't know who sneezed, stuck their finger in or whatever.
I don't believe in overflowing plates either. People don't need that much food and if they want to EAT that much food they can fuel up later but I don't want to watch it.
In regards to waste - if you are doing the actual cost method for taxes you are writing off the cost of the food so if it does go in the garbage you've still written it off and sometimes it's better in the garbage than worn on the body.

.

Who said it was recycled for guests? If there are leftovers they are left over by the end of the morning. Sheesh! I do not think there is ANYONE on this Forum who would even consider that. I do not even recycle muffins that did not leave the kitchen for the next day.
Edited to say I left out the word NOT - there are NO leftovers in this house by Noon and that late only if breakfast was not served until 10AM.

 

[YellowSocks]

We do individual fruit cups (generally generous) set up on their plate when they come in for breakfast. Then we serve the entree, bread, and side meat family style (i.e., on a platter, serve yourself). Or, if it's homemade bread loaves then they are set up with one at each place.
We do make plenty.
But we have a family here that wll be happy to eat any leftovers. In fact, if i don't make enough for leftovers the family gets sad, so usually I make plenty and leave a substantial amount in the kitchen... if they need more in the dining room I can bring it out. (If I don't make plenty, I'm worried ths boys will go ask the guests to save them some and that would horrify me!)
I hate going to a place where the food is skimpy and you have to count the sausages. We advertise that no one goes hungry after our breakfast, and we mean it.
And we've had more than one guest comment on how much they appreciate it (having plenty), including one who told a story about a family dinner party her parents attended where the hostess made eight fabuous stuffed chicken breasts for the eight guests and the first two people each took two. Sure enough, by the time the platter got to her parents, the food was gone. And the cousins didn't want to part with their excess! They had to beg to have one to split between them! (My thought, what was wrong with that hostess? Why didn't she tell the first two, no, it's one each? Duh!!)
I worry when they eat it all... didn't I make enough? But when that happens everyone's stuffed!
=)
Kk.

 

[egoodell]

We do individual fruit cups (generally generous) set up on their plate when they come in for breakfast. Then we serve the entree, bread, and side meat family style (i.e., on a platter, serve yourself). Or, if it's homemade bread loaves then they are set up with one at each place.
We do make plenty.
But we have a family here that wll be happy to eat any leftovers. In fact, if i don't make enough for leftovers the family gets sad, so usually I make plenty and leave a substantial amount in the kitchen... if they need more in the dining room I can bring it out. (If I don't make plenty, I'm worried ths boys will go ask the guests to save them some and that would horrify me!)
I hate going to a place where the food is skimpy and you have to count the sausages. We advertise that no one goes hungry after our breakfast, and we mean it.
And we've had more than one guest comment on how much they appreciate it (having plenty), including one who told a story about a family dinner party her parents attended where the hostess made eight fabuous stuffed chicken breasts for the eight guests and the first two people each took two. Sure enough, by the time the platter got to her parents, the food was gone. And the cousins didn't want to part with their excess! They had to beg to have one to split between them! (My thought, what was wrong with that hostess? Why didn't she tell the first two, no, it's one each? Duh!!)
I worry when they eat it all... didn't I make enough? But when that happens everyone's stuffed!
=)
Kk..

We also do a fruit course which is set at their table when they come in.
But we serve individual as we only have two rooms at the moment.
We always ask if they want more - they generally can't finish as we serve a muffin and entree - one day sweet one day savory. Local farm fresh meat on the side.
I have a four footed child who expects his pancake or roasted potato leftover.
Chris freezes leftover pancakes and eats them during the week.
The savory is herb scrambled eggs and I can always scramble more if needed.
So I don't have any real waste. Any fruit leftover which is rare, usually the garnish goes out the deck to the bunnies, deer and crows.
Riki

 

[EmptyNest]

We do individual fruit cups (generally generous) set up on their plate when they come in for breakfast. Then we serve the entree, bread, and side meat family style (i.e., on a platter, serve yourself). Or, if it's homemade bread loaves then they are set up with one at each place.
We do make plenty.
But we have a family here that wll be happy to eat any leftovers. In fact, if i don't make enough for leftovers the family gets sad, so usually I make plenty and leave a substantial amount in the kitchen... if they need more in the dining room I can bring it out. (If I don't make plenty, I'm worried ths boys will go ask the guests to save them some and that would horrify me!)
I hate going to a place where the food is skimpy and you have to count the sausages. We advertise that no one goes hungry after our breakfast, and we mean it.
And we've had more than one guest comment on how much they appreciate it (having plenty), including one who told a story about a family dinner party her parents attended where the hostess made eight fabuous stuffed chicken breasts for the eight guests and the first two people each took two. Sure enough, by the time the platter got to her parents, the food was gone. And the cousins didn't want to part with their excess! They had to beg to have one to split between them! (My thought, what was wrong with that hostess? Why didn't she tell the first two, no, it's one each? Duh!!)
I worry when they eat it all... didn't I make enough? But when that happens everyone's stuffed!
=)
Kk..

We also do a fruit course which is set at their table when they come in.
But we serve individual as we only have two rooms at the moment.
We always ask if they want more - they generally can't finish as we serve a muffin and entree - one day sweet one day savory. Local farm fresh meat on the side.
I have a four footed child who expects his pancake or roasted potato leftover.
Chris freezes leftover pancakes and eats them during the week.
The savory is herb scrambled eggs and I can always scramble more if needed.
So I don't have any real waste. Any fruit leftover which is rare, usually the garnish goes out the deck to the bunnies, deer and crows.
Riki
.

We did like you do. I would never serve family style. Plated is the way to go. We usually tried to have some "extras" in the kitchen "just in case" but we served so much that very seldom did we ever get takers for seconds. Then we usually ate the left overs for our breakfast. Nothing gets by my hubby

 

[mooseberry]

We do individual fruit cups (generally generous) set up on their plate when they come in for breakfast. Then we serve the entree, bread, and side meat family style (i.e., on a platter, serve yourself). Or, if it's homemade bread loaves then they are set up with one at each place.
We do make plenty.
But we have a family here that wll be happy to eat any leftovers. In fact, if i don't make enough for leftovers the family gets sad, so usually I make plenty and leave a substantial amount in the kitchen... if they need more in the dining room I can bring it out. (If I don't make plenty, I'm worried ths boys will go ask the guests to save them some and that would horrify me!)
I hate going to a place where the food is skimpy and you have to count the sausages. We advertise that no one goes hungry after our breakfast, and we mean it.
And we've had more than one guest comment on how much they appreciate it (having plenty), including one who told a story about a family dinner party her parents attended where the hostess made eight fabuous stuffed chicken breasts for the eight guests and the first two people each took two. Sure enough, by the time the platter got to her parents, the food was gone. And the cousins didn't want to part with their excess! They had to beg to have one to split between them! (My thought, what was wrong with that hostess? Why didn't she tell the first two, no, it's one each? Duh!!)
I worry when they eat it all... didn't I make enough? But when that happens everyone's stuffed!
=)
Kk..

I hate going to a place where the food is skimpy and you have to count the sausages. We advertise that no one goes hungry after our breakfast, and we mean it.

I do too....advertise that noone goes hungry......
I had many people tell me that they didn't even have lunch..haha

 

[Country Girl]

We traveled to Ireland last year and several of the B&B's there asked us to fill out menus the night before so they knew what we wanted for breakfast the next morning. They gave a few options, we chose what we wanted so they knew ahead of time how much to make of each item.

 

[egoodell]

We traveled to Ireland last year and several of the B&B's there asked us to fill out menus the night before so they knew what we wanted for breakfast the next morning. They gave a few options, we chose what we wanted so they knew ahead of time how much to make of each item..

That's a nice idea but does not give me a way out in case of a problem during cooking or if something is not ripe or any number of things that can go wrong. Plus I'm working during the week and have to prep to leave out for DH who does a great job so long as he does the same consistant breakfast - no suprises for him.
Riki