New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-03
BR|T0NS DROPPING BACON
London's West End Inauqurates
Breakfast Reform,
FRUITS SUPPLANT PORK
English, Taking Cue from Amer.
lean Travellers, Change Menu
for First Meal of the Day.

lTEOHl Inc tribune Correspondent
London July 26.-In order TO 90, N.
full benefit Of the remarkable story which
follows II is necessary TO understand ,ha,
1t flows from the pen OF an Englishman
and not from that of foreigner. Aner,.
can or otherwise. This confession OF th.
possibility Of reforming anything English
was written by an Englishman and
/ printed in The Daily Sketch" one OF the
best known Of London's illustrated pa.
pers:
II was the unheard OF conduct OF An
American In calling for a peach befors
his breakfast that opened the eyes OF one
hotel manager 70 the possibility Of re.
forming the British breakfast table.
!. Those who are accustomed TO catering
for American and Canadian guests, such
as are now crowding all the leading no.
tells OF London, are we'll aware OF the
necessity Of sprnkling the table with
bountiful supplies Of fresh fruit
But the average British housewife has
not yet Weakened up to the possibilities OF
n fruit course as variant 10 the monot-
ony of eggs and bacon and ham and eggs,
and as a means, too, OF economizing on
the bacon bills.
To the American or Continental visitor
in an English household nothing is more
amazing than the conservatism with
which English people hold on to their
stodgy bacon breakfasts. washed down
with Indifferent coffee and rounded Up
with marmalade. II seems impossible 70
move the Briton from his bacon-it he DO
equal to tackl!ng breakfasts at all!
Two circumstances however, are tend
Ing toward q reform OF the British break
fast table by way OF tightening and vary
ing the accustomed dietary.
One is the rising price Of bacon, which
is said to be not yet at its top mark.
though the morning rasher is dear enough
in all conscience. The other Is the effect
OF experience gained by wider holiday
travel. The travelled Engl!shman. who
has had 10 dispense with the curly rash
ers OF his morning meal and has learned
TO enjoy a change Of diet, discovers that
breakfast need not be summed UP In the
familiar dish.
The breakfast reform movement has
already got under way In London, espe-
cially in the West End. where numbers Of
we'll known society people are adopting
extended fruit diets without any intention
OF becoming disciples Of sheer vegetaT.
ianism.
B. Shearn, the we'll known Londoa
fruiterer, told The Daily Sketch" THAT
there Is steadily increasing demand for
fruit among all classes, and this Is no.
ticeably so among the ordinary meat
eating public.
Fruit is nowadays In great request a.
all meals. even for the breakfast table.
Americans go in for grapefruit, both al
breakfast and as an hors d'oeuvre at din
ner. The grapefruit comes mainly from
Jamaica.
But English people have all the ord.-
nary summer fruits available Just now,
from Strawberries and raspberries 20 ap.
pies and gooseberries. grapes and melons.
Bananas. OF course, are always In favor
and afford a tempting variant to tbs
bacon dish.
80 FAR fruit prices this season are
fairly reasonable. though dearer than et
ordinary times. This is due not only 10
the shortage OF crops, but also TO the In.
creasing demand for fruit.
II loathe bacon" confessed busy pro-
fessional man TO The Daily Sketch"
land my wife used 10 worry because
didn't lay IN a good foundation for the
days work. but contented myself with
fruit and bread and butter.
Then last year we had our first holiday
trip abroad. and the delicious French
breakfasts OF coffee. rolls and butter
completely reconciled my wife 10 the alb
sence of tea, bacon and eggs.
when we came home we hunted around
till We found a baker who would deliver
French rolls early In the morning. and
ever since then we have had breakfast IN
the French fashion all the year round.
With the occasional addition of fruit.
My wife says she has better health
since she foreswore the morning rasherf
and now nothing would induce US 10 80
back TO the stodgy English breakfast"