“Breads Etcetera” – Clapham High Street, London - Food Review

Walking the length and breadth of Clapham High Street it is hard escape number of eateries willing to relinquish you from your quest for a hearty breakfast on a Saturday morning. As everybody knows, the percieved quality of a breakfast can vary hugely due to the amount of alcohol consumed the previous night. The most wretched full English can taste Michelin-starred when consumed with toxins still paddling in the bloodstream. This morning I was free from said poisons and ready to part with my money in exchange for breakfast at “Breads Etcetera”, an award-winning artisan bread bakers who have entered the café market with this little gem in the heart of Clapham.

A good sign for any food joint is the presence of a queue for a table and “Breads Etcetera” had two small groups of people waiting patiently outside. The door is manned by a member of staff who also stands behind their pavement stall which displays a full selection of their freshly baked sourdough bread and cakes. The wait for a table was only a matter of minutes and the minor exodus meant we were ushered into the cramped surroundings of the premises.

The first thing you notice is the close proximity with which you sit next to other diners. Also noticeable was the sound level of the contemporary music being played, it was definitely peaking over the threshold of ‘background music’ which did add a buzzy, hustle-bustle vibe to the place.

On your table you cannot help but be charmed when you see a retro-2 slice toaster gracing the middle of every table, the menu encourages you to slice your own bread and make toast (or ‘DIY’ as they delightfully put it) from their selection of their breads. The varieties on offer include wholemeal, white, six-seed and olive and herb. The preserves and spreads are also plentiful from rhubarb & ginger jam to Nutella and Veggiemite, the veggiemite perhaps giving away a clue to it's owners origin.

The menu offered nearly every breakfast you could want including unlimited ‘DIY’ toast, Swedish, English or simply build your own from all of the breakfast components on offer.  I decided to go straight for the jugular and ordered the most expensive on the menu, the Full Aussie Breakfast.

Within twenty minutes the breakfast was served. This is when the lack of space becomes a slight annoyance as the table is not big enough to hold everything you’ve ordered. I was not alone in perching various jars and sauces beside me or on my lap. The Full Aussie comprised of one large pork sausage, 2 rashers of griddled bacon, a choice of eggs (scrambled), home-made baked beans and wild mushrooms. For the antipodean twist a slice of minute steak is lavished atop the dish. The quality of the food is excellent, the sausage in particular being meaty and with a spicy black-pepper kick. The home-made baked beans suffered from an unavoidable comparison to a rather famous baked bean brand, but at least they were less harmful than Heinz which have a tendency to taint every item on the plate it comes into contact with.

All of this was washed down with a refreshing glass of orange juice, 100% freshly squeezed, and a well-made café latte. The quantity of the breakfast was also very generous, especially with the unlimited toast, but be prepared to bypass lunch and move straight on to dinner if you go for the Aussie special. With hindsight, the shriek of “I like your style!” from the waitress when I ordered definitely had an air of novelty to it. Memories of the “Ole 96er” steak trying to be consumed (gristle and all) by John Candy in the movie The Great Outdoors did spring to mind at one point during the meal.

Placed at the higher end of the breakfast market, be prepared to pay above the normal for a breakfast at Breads Etcetera. The DIY toast is £5.15, although that is unlimited, and at the top of the scale was the full Aussie special for £12.95. It is cash only and service is included in the bill. Be expected to pay around  £15-£17 per person for food, juice and a coffee.

Breads Etcetera, 127 Clapham High Street, Clapham, London, SW4 7SS