The Stove on Sunday: Starbucks' New Breakfast Menu

"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino!"

~Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

 

That would be me then.  My name from time to time has been known as Starbucks due to my sheer adoration of coffee and my utter distress at not having one near me at Uni, years ago.  So, okay, I'm sure there is better coffee BUT there is something about this entire brand that me and I guess the rest of the world have a deep rooted obsession with. 

Train from Boston to Bridgewater, MA February 2007

Starbucks, London, December 2007

Starbucks, Bluewater UK, April 2007

New York cab August 2008

Starbucks, Boston, nr South Station February 2007



Friends house July 2009



I visit this establishment every day for my tall skinny cappuccino or, if weather permits, skinny iced caramel macchiato but the only food I actually enjoy consuming here is the cheese and marmite breakfast panini.  I've built up somewhat of an addiction to this moorish delight.  Overall I am quite underwhelmed with Starbucks' food offering.  Their sandwiches, for me, don't have enough filling and although I love a good cake I'm never really enticed by any of theres and think they're a tad overpriced in comparison to other baked goods stores.  With lunch competition like Pret and Eat in London, I can't ever see Starbucks being able to win market share of the food lunchtime trade with their current menu.  I have been known on occasion to purchase my lunch elsewhere and visit Starbucks solely for my beverage and I think a lot probably do the same.  Where they could really nail it is in the breakfast business. 

 

 We're not like the States, there's not a million and one pancake joints or breakfast bars, even brunch is strictly a weekend event and even then it tends to be a bit of a wild goose chase to find a reputable restaurant to indulge.  From living in Massachusetts for a while and with three Dunkin' Donuts on campus a breakfast out was always easy to come by so I was more than impressed when I visited the Holland Park Starbucks to discover that they have dipped their toes a little further into the breakfast pool.

 

If you haven't spotted it yet in your local Starbucks, their new breakfast menu consists of...

 

Buttermilk Pancakes

 

Porridge

 

Natural Yoghurt

 

and of course, all their trusty favourites.

 

The coolest thing about the three meals mentioned above is the fact that you can customise these to your mood.  Fruit compote, mango compote, maple honey and granola are all available for 35p to add to your order.  More than reasonable. 

 

On Friday I picked up the buttermilk pancakes, which were warmed through for me, and two mini tubs of the maple honey.  The pancakes, on consumption, were nice.  They weren't "wowee out of this world" nice but they filled a whole and I had no complaints.  If you want wow factor then of course you're going to have to visit somewhere that actually cooks them fresh but good luck with that.  One tub of the maple honey would not have been enough for the pancakes but two, I have to admit, was a little too much, the sugar rush was immense!  I think Starbucks should have thrown a butter or two in the bag though as well, maybe if you ask they would but personally I think it should be a requirement with every order.

 

My pancakes were, I think £1.60, I can't quite recall and I also can't find it anywhere on their site.  With the added extras amounting to 70p my total breakfast cost was £2.30 which for what I got was just right.  I'd think twice if I had to pay any more.

 

For food on the go when your mornings just not working out these breafasts are more than adequate.  I'll be visiting again for sure, although my heart is still reserved for my cheese and marmite panini.  In summary, if you're bored of the choice between a croissant or a chocolate croissant that EVERYBODY else just sells then head to Starbucks for a little more choice!  (Or if you want to learn how to make super low in fat pancakes that are still delicious then check out this post here.)

 

Now for some weekend hilarity, here's a little Love Story (read a post about the real movie here) meets Starbucks skit I did back in the day when I dreamed of being a comedy actress and potentially Starbucks new advert.  Eh Starbucks?  Wadda ya say?!  If you've seen the movie you'll get the references and if you know me, then this might be mildly amusing...

 

 

*Images taken from http://www.brandchannel.com/ and http://www.starbucks.co.uk/