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When did breakfast hit $20 in Sydney?

Esther Han
Esther Han

The egg and bacon brioche roll at Kepos in Redfern.
The egg and bacon brioche roll at Kepos in Redfern.Edwina Pickles

Never has the pursuit of a tasty breakfast been taken so seriously in Sydney, with many willing to splurge $20 or more on a well-crafted staple coupled with a solid coffee or a fruit-packed smoothie.

Order the eggs benedict at Kepos Street Kitchen in Redfern, and expect to see lashings of green tahini and steamed leek among the usual ingredients – and a $19 price tag.

Israeli-born chef and owner Michael Rantissi said his breakfast customers usually spend just over $20, in line with what most would now pay for a nourishing eat at one of Sydney's growing number of bustling cafes.

"Our produce is locally sourced, we use free-range eggs, not caged ones, and bread made with organic flour, not just white, normal ones. Our chefs are also well-trained, they're not just doing eggs," he said, alluding to his own stints at fine diners such as the

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Sydney breakfasts are rapidly departing from the old fashioned fry-up, showing signs of Middle Eastern and South American influence and being loaded with quality ingredients. Terms such as "organic", "seasonal" and "house-made" are commonplace.

Mr Rantissi believes

As Sydney's cafe culture gathered pace, there was a fresh injection of seasoned chefs, such ex-Rockpool head Mike McEnearney, who opened a canteen-style cafe two years ago in Rosebery. Rantissi said the better eats meant a natural lift in average prices.

In the past six years, the number of breakfast dining occasions has increased by 30 per cent – a much faster growth rate than lunch and dinner – according to John Hart, head of Restaurant and Catering Australia.

While breakfasts have become pricier, the popularity of eating breakfast out has lowered the average per person spend at restaurants by 20 per cent to $28 in the past five years.

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Mr Hart dismissed suggestions that $20 was excessive. "It's easy to compare it to the cost of making it at home, but the cost of the meal is serving it. There's a cost to the service and experience."

Hospitality consultant Tony Eldred said serving breakfast was not as profitable as it looked, pointing to high labour costs and other overheads. But there were one too many rogue players riding the wave of interest and upping the prices without improving the quality of their meals.

"Some places gouge at breakfast by using very basic and inexpensive ingredients, but still charge for premium produce. I have walked away from a few places recently thinking 'that was a rip-off'."

James Naylor, co-owner of Excelsior Jones in Ashfield, believes some cafes might be "taking the piss a bit" when it comes to prices. "

The average price of its new springtime breakfast menu is a modest $11.24, with the crowd-pulling pork hash dish being the dearest at $16.

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The cafe's out-of-the-way position in a largely residential area kept prices as customer-friendly as possible, he said. "We're a community cafe. We need to look after our locals, keep the relationships, and ensure that they consider what we sell to be of good value."

Joanna Savill, director of Good Food Month, says Kepos' food was the perfect example of how rapidly the breakfast scene was becoming "world food focused", pointing to the Saigon street eats at Pottery Green Bakers in Gordon and Turkey-inspired dishes at Le Cafeier in Balmain.

In October, the $20 Breakfast Club deals return, with 17 cafes and restaurants across Sydney participating. For more information: goodfoodmonth.com

Esther HanEsther Han is a homepage editor at The Sydney Morning Herald. She was the overnight homepage editor based in New York City, and previously covered state politics, health and consumer affairs.

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