Organising Your Breakfast Menus

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Highlands John

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I have a draw full of menus that I've been using for the past 7 years (they have been re-printed in that time
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) and it works like this:
Each menu has
  • Full Scottish Breakfast
  • Full Cooked Vegetarian Breakfast
  • Special Of The Day
I have two variations of the full/vegetarian and 5 different daily specials I do, therefore I have ten combinations so I can put a different one out each day for people staying more than 1 night.
This system has served me well but it has limitations:-
  • I've been cooking the same old specials for the past 7 years and I'd like to try new things
  • If there is something different in season or on special offer I can't take advantage
SO yesterday I started a completely new system.
Rather than a draw full of pre-printed menus on A5 photo glossy paper and folding in half being constantly re-used, I print a new one every day on A4 paper folded length-wise. It means I have to prepare it the night before but the advantages are I can put on it whatever I like (depending on the contents of the fridge) and it has the date and weather forecast on the front which looks kind of neat and special. I can also put more information on this bigger sheet like side orders, porridge, there's even a description of how haggis is made (we often get asked).
I started this system yesterday as we only get 2's and 4's in this time of year, so I have time to adjust in the kitchen.
Just wonder how others organise their menus.
 
My only other concern with this system (as with the momentum discussion) is will I loose interest once I get into treadmill mode when the season kicks in.
 
I would lose interest in anything that's more work for me. I would keep interest in anything that makes less work for me.
Do the new menus still offer the full Scottish breakfast every day? That's important!
 
I do not do menues. Breakfast is cook's choice depending on the diet restrictions of those present. I used to do more baked pineapple toast and bread pudding as an alternate with my sour cream & chive with 3 cheese egg bake. Now I am doing the baked oatmeal more - faster & easier. And both get rave reviews and have been requested by returning guests I rarely get more than 2- night stays so i can stay in my rut. DH loves the leftovers from both which is even more beneficial.
 
We don't do a menu, you get what the cooks wants to make!
There is another innkeeper on here who does what you do and I think it's great. If we had: a bigger kitchen, fewer rooms, more patience we might do a menu, too.
 
My only other concern with this system (as with the momentum discussion) is will I loose interest once I get into treadmill mode when the season kicks in..
Wow we could not offer a menu - we don't have the time or probably als the skill. We do have the space. But then again, it's just the two of us.
We have also found that we have some reviews on TA so guests are disappointed if we don't serve the meals that were reveiwed.
We need time in the kitchen after breakfast to make up our wine tour cheese platters, and guests talk to us before and after breakfast, so we just don't have the time to offer different meals.
RIki
 
We offer cook's choice (ie my choice) and it is based on what's in the markets at reasonable prices at the time. In the winter you are more likely to see pears, apples and citrus. In the summer you are more likely to see berries.
We try to alternate between sweet and savoury with a few that are both.
We get many longer stays, so we will keep track when we have guests for longer periods and we won't repeat for 14 days if we do have longer stays. (MOH is in charge of keeping the list). So you may see omelettes with cheddar cheese and/or bacon one day and a few days later you may see omelettes with brie and apple another day and then omelettes with asparagus, tomatoe and cheese later. I sometimes need to keep track of things that we have tried and worked that we haven't done in a while, like our fromage frais.
Have you considered putting up the menu on black slate (a blackboard) so that you don't have to print one each day?
 
No menu used here. Only have 2 rooms. It's cook's choice. And, typically, I make the same thing over and over ...guests get something different... but I have found several dishes that are easy, inexpensive and guests clean their plates so I stick to them. Sould I have someone stay more than 2 nights, which is rare, I then expand to previous dishes I've made so they will not have a repeat. Seldom have return guests so don't worry that I'm serving them them the same old thing. If repeats, it's been long enough that they don't remember or perfer the same dish because they enjoyed it.
 
No menu used here. Only have 2 rooms. It's cook's choice. And, typically, I make the same thing over and over ...guests get something different... but I have found several dishes that are easy, inexpensive and guests clean their plates so I stick to them. Sould I have someone stay more than 2 nights, which is rare, I then expand to previous dishes I've made so they will not have a repeat. Seldom have return guests so don't worry that I'm serving them them the same old thing. If repeats, it's been long enough that they don't remember or perfer the same dish because they enjoyed it..
We can run for 7 days without a repeated item. Alternating sweet and savory. At day 8, if the same guests are still going to be in the house, we ask them what they would like repeated. 8 nights is the max we've ever had. (Frankly, 8 nights is a few days too many. Guests get a little too comfortable at that point.)
We have repeats coming in soon and they put in a request for what they'd like. I'm ok with that and would rather know in advance than be surprised by a request when they arrive or hear, 'Oh, we wish you would have served...' as they're walking out the door.
 
No menu used here. Only have 2 rooms. It's cook's choice. And, typically, I make the same thing over and over ...guests get something different... but I have found several dishes that are easy, inexpensive and guests clean their plates so I stick to them. Sould I have someone stay more than 2 nights, which is rare, I then expand to previous dishes I've made so they will not have a repeat. Seldom have return guests so don't worry that I'm serving them them the same old thing. If repeats, it's been long enough that they don't remember or perfer the same dish because they enjoyed it..
We can run for 7 days without a repeated item. Alternating sweet and savory. At day 8, if the same guests are still going to be in the house, we ask them what they would like repeated. 8 nights is the max we've ever had. (Frankly, 8 nights is a few days too many. Guests get a little too comfortable at that point.)
We have repeats coming in soon and they put in a request for what they'd like. I'm ok with that and would rather know in advance than be surprised by a request when they arrive or hear, 'Oh, we wish you would have served...' as they're walking out the door.
.
17 days is our record. We have quite a few who book 14 days at a time. So we decided that after 14, we can repeat.
 
We don't do a menu, you get what the cooks wants to make!
There is another innkeeper on here who does what you do and I think it's great. If we had: a bigger kitchen, fewer rooms, more patience we might do a menu, too..
Could be me. I used to do a printed menu each day. "Good Morning, I Hope You Slept Well", Fruit starter, main course or "short-order" and the weather forecast.
I don't do it anymore. Short order is always an option but limitations on sanity and pocket book mean that while I will happily do it, I don't offer it up front. Of course I still say "Good Morning, I hope you slept well" :)
Dietary requirements / preferences can be requested when booking and I think most guests figure out pretty quickly that, whenever possible, they will get what they need / want.
 
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