When you wake up late for breakfast but it’s too soon for lunch, the remaining option is brunch. Every day in April celebrates National Brunch Month – the food, the history, and the people we celebrate it with!
Brunch, both the word and the meal, have a long, interesting history. Originated in England in the 19th century as a light afternoon meal following extended church services, eventually transitioning into lavish multi-course meals. It wasn’t until the 1930s in Chicago that brunch began an integration into the United States.
Two of the earliest printed mentions of the word brunch point toward Oxford, England. The first in July of 1895, Margaret B. Wright writes about several terms used in Oxford, England for various meals. In her article titled “Lunch at Oxford” published in The Independent out of New York Wright says, “…when a man makes lunch his first meal of the day it becomes ‘brunch’…”
Many will also reference an article in the obscure Hunter’s Weekly dated November 1895 that credits Guy Beringer with a lighthearted article describing brunch – a meal for late-night carousers, those returning from church, and hunters combining the words breakfast and lunch.
In Beringer’s article, he suggests the meal should be light and the occasion sociable. The meal combines dishes from breakfast with heavier dishes from lunch. While the brunch menu changes over time and from place to place, the social part of a brunch remains the same. Friends and family gather casually to enjoy conversation, good food, and beverages. A brunch is also a good excuse to nurse a hangover with the hair of the dog – cocktails, and spritzers combined with fruit or vegetable juices come to mind.
National Brunch Month also celebrates the foods, beverages, and places we go for at that meal between breakfast and lunch. Many restaurants and pubs offer brunch to their patrons. These buffets offer something for everyone including signature dishes, cocktails, and traditional brunch fare. You can expect eggs, fresh-baked breads, waffles, fruit, salads, and much more. And don’t forget the beverages. Coffee, juice, tea, champagne, mimosas, and Bloody Marys all make the list.
Though brunch doesn’t require a special occasion, it does include the element of friends and family. And what’s better than that? Celebrate all April long with National Brunch Month!
National Brunch Month History
Ebb & Flow founded National Brunch Month to celebrate all the ways brunch brings us together.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBrunchMonth
Wrap up your weekends with friends and family (and of course, the perfect cure for the night before) with a dose of brunch. Whether you visit your favorite restaurant or pub (like Ebb & Flow), linger on the patio, or host brunch in your home, the meal will be delicious and the company enjoyable. Share your favorite brunch celebration by using #NationalBrunchMonth on social media.