Red Sauce Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey

by Felicity Cloake

If there's one thing that truly unites this country from Aberdeen to Abernethy, St Ives to St Pancras, it's an obsession with breakfast. We all have an opinion on the merits of brown sauce versus ketchup on our morning sandwich. No other country's culinary identity is so bound up with breakfast - the French may love their croissants, the Chinese their congee, but they're rarely held up as national symbols in the same way as a Full English, an Ulster fry or a bowl of porridge. A good breakfast is our birth right, eaten with as much relish in the Wolsey on Piccadilly as in Terry's Caff in Borough.

In this eagerly anticipated follow up to One More Croissant for the Road, Felicity Cloake sets off on an epic bike ride round Britain to celebrate and investigate the legendary Great British Breakfast. She rates fry-ups on criteria from the crispness of the bacon to how long they keep her pedalling and stops for fact-based tea-breaks in place of last time's pause cafe. And a woman cannot live by All Day Breakfast alone, so as well as recipes for things like Omelette Arnold Bennett or proper porridge, she will report back on the delights of regional specialities she encounters along the way, from Lancashire hotpot to Welsh cakes, Balti to boxty and everything else that takes her fancy en route. All washed down with tea, naturally.

From the less celebrated breakfast items that often cause puzzlement to visitors abroad - baked beans on toast, for example, or Marmite or Weetabix - to the homely foods of different communities, the halwa puris and Polish rye breads, grilled plantain and century eggs, Felicity will take them all in. Her mission is to eat all the best breakfasts of Britain - whether a crumpet hot from the factory production line in Enfield or a desi breakfast in Birmingham or even a pease pudding stottie cake from the original Greggs in Gosforth, this will be a true tour of Britain. And Britain is a country that runs on breakfast.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Travel, Cooking, Audiobook, British Literature, Cookbooks

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2022

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review If the book had been called, 'Me and my buddy go bicycling: adventures, misadventures and the breakfasts we ate along the way,' I would have known what to expect and so wouldn't have been so disappointed. It's not that this is a bad book, or badly written, it's just not the book I expected which was about Great (or otherwise) British Breakfasts with not too much filler between each one. I don't much like travel books, I like travelling, I don't much like cooking, I like reading about food.

Recommended for those who would like to go on a cycling tour of Great Britain with a rather amiable companion who likes her food and drink. There are recipes here and there, including for cocktails, but that's not a bad thing, late liquid lunch if you miss breakfast and all that!
__________

Reading notes 5 chapters in and I am bored. The book is misnamed, it should be called "Me and my buddy go bicycling", that seems to be the main thing and the food, not always breakfast is written about here and there. There is the occasional recipe, but it feels less like breakfast and more like a nibble between chapters.

[Elspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to meet Felicity and Wilf talking about this book. Initially I was worried it would be too much meat & I'm not always into recipes in books (is foodoir the word?!) but there's enough personality and adventure to make it a nice read. Lucky to mainly read it in the sunshine it was fun hearing about our country from a cycling perspective. The challenges were identified but not dwelt on and no self-pity, I thought the pandemic was woven in in a necessary and clever way but didn't overwhelm. Some blood puddings and niche museums are too much for me but the familiar mentions of Glamorgan sausages, cups of tea, porridge, Tiptree jam, Bath buns .... Like hearing about how the landscape and weather changes and overall really positive about UK. Really enjoy how open minded Felicity is but also how well she knows her own mind. Impressive jumping from EasyHotel to the Savoy, clearly very socially skilled with interviewees/strangers and also some lovely friendships / family memories woven in. Would recommend, especially if you like bacon and are planning a trip around the UK. I want to try a Staffordshire oatcake.

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is rapidly becoming one of the most popular genres on TV and in books - the foodie travelogue. I haven’t read Felicity Cloakes’ book about bicycling around France but, having enjoyed this one, I’ll give it a try. She’s an engaging writer and her cycling travails and injuries are as entertaining as her meal descriptions. A warning - the sheer number and range of cooked breakfasts described will leave you either hungry or nauseous, or possibly both.

[David Brisbane]

Audiobook: DNF’d, however I’m not rating as I think this is more reader error than the author’s. I thought this book was going to be more like a history of breakfast in Britain, rather than a travelogue style where the author goes on their jollies around Britain. I can see why this appeals to many but not the sort of book I enjoy.

[Charlotte Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines two of my favourite things: breakfast and travelling. It was a very fun read :)

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red sauce or brown sauce is one of those things that comes up on twitter with predictable, tedious regularity - it's almost as boring a question as jam or cream first on scones. This book is neither predictable nor tedious. Felicity rides her faithful bicycle Eddy around Britain and Northern Ireland exploring breakfast foods. Which is interesting anyway, but doing it during covid times adds an extra degree of peril - will she be able to make all her appointments? Will the businesses survive after lockdown?

[Nick Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my style of writing, I couldn't be bothered half the time, and the other half I was longing for another book. I really tried...

[Tina Culbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

 This was a fun book about traveling through England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, in search of regional breakfast preferences.  Felicity Cloake rides her bike, meeting up with other cycling enthusiasts and samples a traditional breakfast from the area. The end of the chapters, after eating, they state their preferences for using a red or brown sauce, or nothing added at all.

I grew up using ketchup on eggs, still do. That is apparently a regional thing as I witness anything from raised eyebrows to revulsion here in the south.  Completely unsolicited opinion on MY breakfast.  I grew up in the Philadelphia area and that's what I was used to.

They stop at pubs, tour farms and are educated about honey and bread making, disappointed by being turned away at the Marmite factory as it was during lockdown/covid times.  They ride in beautiful weather as well as rainy gloomy conditons. Felicty suffered a hamstring injury early on but managed to adapt, making her way across the British Isles.  This is a story about cycling. friendship with a detailed foodie element.

The English-speaking peoples are differentiated from the other nations of the earth by the peculiar and substantial character of their breakfast … to the nation as a whole the British breakfast remains as sacrosanct as the British constitution. – F. Marian McNeill, 1932

[Alun Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good fun read -

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regional specialities too. Enjoyable

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delectable. I 'savoured' this book (hoho), much as I will savour the fry up I'm going to have later on today in homage (accompanied, of course, by homemade bread made per Cloake's "How To Make" series in The Guardian). Cholesterol? Pffff.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has to be brown wherever meat is involved in a breakfast, but red is good with the carbs of a tattie scone or hash brown (though Felicity is not fond of the latter).

[Jayne Hood]

Fascinating and informative book with a good dash of humour.

[Brenda Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the longest introduction I've ever come across, Felicity finally packs surprisingly little into her bike panniers and is off - first on a train, then on a bike - to trace the origins of the British breakfast. Her planning is to be admired as is her engaging enthusiasm for both the countryside and its produce.

Following three falls in quick succession the cycling and camping turns into short day rides, couch surfing and back packer lodges.

On the way around the Isle, we are immersed in her love of the fry up, disgust of baked beans and worship of marmite. A trip to the Isle of Man recounts the collapse of the kipper fishery.

Her adventures remind me that the British seem never to be happy unless they have something to complain about, even when the complaint is self inflicted. Please, we know hamstring injuries take ages to heal.

Covid19 scuppers a lot of her plans and Felicity ruefully notes that while full employment and an increase in internet jobs is good, cottage or niche industry, labourers and producers are hard hit.






The style is engagingy, chatty (sometime prattle) especially while travelling, informative and interesting when food is involved. Her numerous recipes and love of life pervade every page.

The book is structured by food item, porridge, beans etc. Eggs are a common thread but the chapter on eggs is disappointing. There is no comment on production or animal ethics, instead McDonald's gets an endorsement. The last chapter on bubble and squeak likewise fizzles out, maybe reflecting her feelings at journeys end.

An easy read, perhaps best with a cup of coffee, slice of medium toast with butter, vegemite and cheese.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute joy to listen to as Cloake travelled across the country by bike and train. However, Red Sauce, Brown Sauce should also come with a warning of how hungry you will feel. Sampling breakfasts every city she travelled to Cloake sets her book against a backdrop of recovery from the pandemic and the public’s rising exciting of the Euro 2021 football tournament.

Cloake herself has a very no nonsense voice and practical personality when narrating her travel experience across the country and in doing this really brings out the humour in her stories. You can tell she has a real appreciation for food as Cloake always seems to approach a meal stomach first whatever region she is in. And each chapter ends with a very British check of red or brown sauce preference for the different individuals in her group.

I found that Cloake has a voice I liked to listen to as she recounted differences across the country regarding breakfast and her travels (the rail service in Britain being shocking is something I can definitely relate to). Red Sauce, Brown sauce is also part history and part geography as she examines the history of the full English and how other countries do breakfast. Cloake’s passion for other food items such as marmite and marmalade also show up as she talks with enthusiasm for the food and spreads that she loves.

Cloake’s own summary at the end even with all her travel is that the full English perhaps shouldn’t be revered to the extent it is. This was such a pleasant and easy listen that just makes your day that little better as Cloake’s narration of her summer journey relaxes as well as informs you.

[John Grinstead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book covering one of my favourite subjects. I think that I would probably have given it 4 stars had I not been feeling grouchy about the author beating me to it! I would, however, say that it is a good rather than a great read and, COVID notwithstanding, the narrative somewhat compromised; other than the pressures of a publishers deadline, why persist a with a book about cycling around the UK sampling the best breakfast ingredients when you cannot get full access to some and you, literally, lamely exchange the train for your bike due to injury? Wait and do the job properly.

A Full English Breakfast is my go to choice when contemplating my last meal and its contents a regular topic of conversation. Irrespective of the flaws above, therefore, the subject matter held a fascination for me. I hesitate to admit that I am (almost) converted to the inclusion of baked beans (in a ramekin not free to wander) as these provide essential lubrication but I would still much rather have a runny egg and tinned tomatoes than ‘the Devi’s food’ - banned in several Officers’ Messes of my distant past.

I do like the Tea Break diversions, both for content and to break up what I felt was otherwise a slightly laboured writing style.

As to Red or Brown? No contest. It has to be HP.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as One More Croissant, but it was still a fun read. I'm just not as keen on UK breakfast options or landscapes as I was on French food and la belle France!

[Kayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join me as we embark on the greatest egg-spedition known to man, the search for the Great British Breakfast! Red Sauce Brown Sauce follows author, Felicity Cloake, as she travels the British Isles on her bicycle, affectionately named Eddie, and enjoys breakfast along the way. Our journey begins and eventually ends in London as she pedals her way (safely) during Covid no less! Each chapter contains a particular theme, hot spot visits, recipes, and tea breaks, which are lovely explanations of the food moment at hand. For example, in Port Talbot of Wales we are on the quest for baked beans (not the molasses kind, though they are slightly mentioned) where we meet Captain Beany and his marvelous museum, learn about the history of beans on toast (don't knock it 'till you try it) and make a yummy breakfast frittata. With her rotating friend group along for the ride, some enthusiastic and some less so, our daring author does an amazing job of immersing her audience and encapsulating British breakfast.

Facility Cloake's writing is clever, compelling and witty beyond belief but more over she is relatable. How often have I gone on vacation, walking by the sweet treats that surround me, only to walk backwards and press my nose to a glass window in pursuit of homemade donuts, delicious looking pasta dishes or mouthwatering desserts on display? Cloake is one of us, a girl driven by one of the most exciting things in the world: food. In fact, every time I picked up a new chapter I found myself ready to give up my own career aspirations, grab a bicycle and embark on my own food tour. Note: I'm not a fan of bicycling. Anyway, Cloake's pursuit for the perfect British breakfast is admirable and heartwarming. It's also a great introduction to British cuisine, which often gets a bad rep, but she is right: there truly is nothing like a proper fry up. I loved learning about the process behind each item she researched and place she explored - who knew smoking kippers was such a process? Or that there was more to oatmeal than instant packets of Quaker Oats? I particularly loved the chapters on Scotland and have now jotted down dishes I'd like to try the next time I go, specifically the oatmeal - please don't come for me Scotland, I love you. The map of the British Isles, fun quotes, statistics at the end of the chapters, and all the odes of Wilf, her dog are worth mentioning because they are both helpful and in good fun. Above all, Felicity writes like she's talking to you over a Sunday brunch and I'd that is a brunch I would attend religiously. Five stars for food, glorious food and Cloake's witty British charm! Oh, and I prefer brown sauce - especially with button mushrooms.

P.S. Her next book is set in The States and is coming out in June. I am so excited!

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forgot exactly how I found out about this book, but I loved the idea of the author traveling around the country, reviewing breakfasts around Britain. From your standard porridges and bacon to perhaps lesser known breakfast items, author Cloake takes the reader around via bike and by train.

The book pretty much follows a standard format: you get a bit of information of wherever the author traveled, what she ate, the history of some of the food items and some commentary, and some recipes, etc. So you get a sense of what it is like to eat breakfast in different places where sometimes it can be really different and sometimes not so much at all.

While I get the appeal of the style of book, I thought this was quite dull. As a concept it was great: learning about the country via its breakfast and how it can differ from city to city, region to region, etc while learning more about the local place, etc. But in execution it was boring, which was disappointing.

So, overall while I was glad I could get this via my library, this was a skippable book. Ultimately I am glad that I could borrow it, since I was considering buying it. I like travelogues and enjoy food commentary/histories, but they did not mesh well here. For the foodie, someone more familiar with British breakfasts, etc. this might be a good read for them.

Borrowed from the library and that's how I would recommend it.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite food columns is Felicity Cloake's "How to make the perfect . . ." in the Guardian, where she takes a number of different recipes for a popular dish and test drives them, then takes the best bits from each and comes up with the perfect recipe. I will often check her back columns for a recipe when I am making a dish for the first time.

This book takes the form of travel by bicycle through the UK in search of what makes the perfect fry-up (should it include baked beans and hash browns - both nos in Felicity's opinion) and also what is the best sauce to include on your fry-up red ketchup or brown sauce (which is also tomato based but brown sauce is seasoned with dates, molasses, tamarind, vinegar and spices, which give it is brown hue). It also includes regional breakfast specialities for regions of the UK.

The book had been in planning pre-COVID, so some the planned visits to certain producers or factories could not go ahead due to COVID restrictions, which is pity as I think they would have made great additions to the book but nevertheless this is a fun journey around the UK in 20 food-based sections and as a bonus each section has a recipe or two at the end.

[Vicuña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight and I’ll be looking for an earlier book by the same author about her cycle/food travels in France. What a cracking idea; travel around the UK on a bike and take a look at what constitutes breakfast in different parts of the country. We all say breakfast, but what does it mean? In Scotland, it may include haggis and oat biscuits with a nip of whisky. In Ireland, it’s an Ulster Fry…will there be white or black pudding, stotties or hash browns?

Rachel Cloake’s writing is engaging and laugh out loud funny in places. The cycle trip with her chums and meeting up with friends along the way is entertaining and informed. Her experiences are diverse and her insight into the food and meals she sampled is inspiring.

There are recipes for a few favourites; mustard, red and brown sauce, butter and much more. Even better, she references some excellent producers and on the basis of her experience, I’ve actually placed an order for pork and bacon from a producer and seller in Cornwall. So this book works in every way; informed and well written and every page a true delight.

[Jack Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloake's writing is always entertaining - and I've been meaning to read her French book for ages, but still not go round to it. This came up as a Kindle bargain though so I bought it. Conceived just before Lockdown and written after cycling slightly awkwardly round Britain (and Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man) during the summer of 2021 when things were still very weird - she's foiled in her attempt to see the Marmite factory, for example, by COVID rules - this is an enjoyable trip in search of breakfast, combining the 'travel narrative' so fashionable with good food writing, and some (maybe?) unexpectedly perceptive thoughts about Our Nation and the history of, you know, sausages and that. Even if you can't eat a lot of what she talks about (no bacon or sausages for me, and I've never even tried black pudding or white pudding) it's still really interesting and no one ever goes to the IoM so that was particularly good, especially as the kipper smokers is in Peel.

It's quite funny, too.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked Ms Cloake's recipes, if I've never cooked a recipe before I'll always go to her Guardian column's archive as a start. I also always liked Danny Baker's radio show whence the title came from, but I've never read her previous food / cycling books.
It took me a while to get into it, it's very posh English, chums having a jape and that's not my sort of thing, but both the passion for the food and producers and her elegant, concise recipes and asides are excellent. She address issues of COVID and Brexit in hospitality, that even now are still playing out, although the second, doesn't really affect us outside of the UK.
There are a few ingredients and recipes I've bookmarked for my return from holiday and I may pick up her French cycling one for one of my next couple of holidays that happen to be both in France

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felicity Cloake tours Britain (mainly cycling but sometimes injury forces her onto trains) to find out about the ingredients that make up the great British breakfast, and shares some favourite recipes. And of course she gathers views on that key question that divides all breakfast lovers - ketchup or brown sauce?

This was a really enjoyable read that will appeal to food lovers but also to those who like some entertaining facts about Britain and its traditions. The chapters are divided by ingredients - from the humble eggs to more esoteric delights such as white pudding - and in each one Felicity visits someone involved in the food industry to find out more about the item’s origin, history and present day standing. This was the most interesting part of the book for me, although I also enjoyed her anecdotes from her travels - which of course don’t always go smoothly!

Each chapter also has a recipe so you could make your own marmalade, bread, etc. As I’m not much of a cook I skipped over these, but I did like the mouthwatering descriptions of the food Felicity consumed, and I definitely felt inspired to eat more cooked breakfasts.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly charming. My friend sent me this book and it combines a lot of my things, armchair travel, cycling, and breakfast. Cloake is a food writer in the UK, where she lives with her adorable dog Will. This book chronicles her trek around the UK in search of the perfect breakfast and the cultural institution of The Full English.
Along the way, she meets with butchers, farmers, restauranteurs, friends, and production managers for local breakfast specialities. Her interest is genuine, but she also has a sense of humor about the whole situation that makes for fast, fun, and satisfying reading.
This would be easy to suggest to readers and her Instagram is equally delightful. Though, I think most readers will know if a book about a woman cycling around the UK in search of breakfast is for them or not! Thanks to Heather for sending this to me!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Sauce Brown Sauce: A British Breakfast Odyssey by Felicity Cloake is an interesting blend of a trip around the United Kingdom, mainly by bicycle, with a few mishaps along the way, and cook book, with a range of recipes on different breakfasts from the four nations.

I appreciated the quotes at the beginning of each regional chapter and the ingredient list, which broke them up. I adored her support network that helped her on her travels and the wonderful folks that shared their breakfast's with her. It was a lovely light hearted read with just one question - what do you have with yours?

I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on BorrowBox. I read this for the 52 Book Club Summer Reading Challenge 2024, for prompt 18, cycling, cross-country, related to the word "endurance".

[Tien · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧

An interesting question and I do reckon the answer is totally subjective. This author, however, decided to go on a cycling tour around the UK sampling all different kinds of breakfast and even visited some factories that made them (though she didn't get to go into the Marmite factory so we still don't know what exactly is in that). She's even included quite a few recipes if it's something you're keen to try cooking yourself (I will not be making my own brown sauce or marmalade).

A lighthearted travel x foodie book which was somewhat entertaining except that I felt she's channelling my husband a bit so I really wasn't too keen on hearing it both in IRL & in my audiobook LOL

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very British book about very British breakfasts. In her travels around Britain, the author encounters a lot of inclement weather, brusque customer service exacerbated by the pandemic at the time of writing, frustrating train and cycling travel logistics, and unappetizing sounding regional specialties such as Hog's Pudding and Black Pudding. While the destinations and the meals were interesting, there was a little too much time devoted to discussing her bike and the problems she encountered while cycling around Britain - she always seems to be catching ferries or trains at the very last minute. My favourite sections were the "tea breaks" that discuss various aspects of food history including hotel breakfasts, breakfasts on the Titanic and the history of cereals.

[Linda Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weirdly entertaining as long as you're interested in breakfast, usually of the fatty and fried variety. Felicity tours the United Kingdom, including NI, Scotland and Wales, to taste their interpretations and variations on a traditional breakfast.
I liked the interspersed recipes, without these I would have zoned out a little, particularly when she covers areas of the UK that I'm not familiar with or interested in. Perhaps one to dip into rather than read from cover to cover. Unless you too, are planning a cycling tour of Britain.
Don't pick it up if you're on a diet, it will kill you. I'm off now for a bacon bap .... with ketchup, of course :)