Tool
Full English breakfast tier selector
Score a fry-up by region, venue, price and what's actually on the plate. Designed for the full English, full Scottish, full Welsh and full Irish variants based on 2024–2026 pricing.
Reference prices for the full English / full Scottish taken from 2024–2026 regional press surveys. UK chains (Wetherspoons, Toby Carvery, etc.) typically price around £7–9.
What this solves
A "full English" can be a £6 chain plate, a £14 gastropub plate, or anything in between. Without a baseline, it's hard to know whether your plate is "proper". This tool looks at venue, price and ingredients together, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland variants scored separately.
How to read the result
- Excellent — proper regional execution with all the components, including the regional signature (haggis / Lorne, soda bread, laverbread).
- Good — full component list, cooked to order, in a café or hotel that's known locally.
- Acceptable — chain pub standard, predictable but bland, usually in the £7–9 range.
- Avoid — over-priced for the format, missing key components, or a buffet that's been under a heat lamp.
What it doesn't cover
- Veggie breakfasts — nut roasts and vegan sausages need separate scoring.
- Allergen-friendly fry-ups (gluten-free bread, plant-based sausages).
- Breakfast sandwich / bap roll scores — a different category.
FAQ
What's the difference between a full English and a fry-up?
A "full English" specifically includes back bacon, fried or poached eggs, baked beans, sausage, tomato, mushroom and often black pudding. A "fry-up" is the looser term for any plate of fried breakfast items — it can be smaller and skip the signature components.
Why black pudding?
Black pudding is part of the historic "regional" lunch of an English breakfast and a counter of many cat fry-ups. It's an optional tier-1 ingredient: including it lifts the score noticeably, skipping it doesn't sink the verdict on its own.
Are hash browns universal?
No — hash browns are a very common add-on in chain cafés and pubs but not part of the traditional full English or full Scottish. They push the price up a notch in chains but don't usually raise the tier.
Do you get beans with a full Scottish?
Typically no. A full Scottish swaps beans for sanghame / Lorne sausage, haggis, and tattie scones. Many cafés will still include beans if you ask, but the canonical Scottish plate does not.
Sources
- VisitBritain — UK regional food overview 2024–2025.
- BBC Good Food — full English breakfast guide.
- Wetherspoons / Toby Carvery published breakfast menus 2024–2026.