Brighten your morning with these top places for brunch

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For a lazy weekend or a mid-week treat, you can’t beat a spot of brunch.

This hybrid of breakfast and lunch has grown in popularity in recent years and you'll now find a great choice of places to go for brunch in the Harrogate area.

If you like a traditional hearty breakfast to ease you into the morning, head to Fodder – the Great Yorkshire Food Hall for a delicious Yorkshire brunch selection made from the very best local produce. Read on to find out more.

Or try something a bit different with a brunch that's influenced by other cuisines. At Kismet in Harrogate, for example, Turkish-inspired dishes will make your tastebuds sing. Eggs, avocado, meat and fish are infused with herbs and spices and accompanied with yoghurts and freshly baked breads for a delicious way to start your day. You can read about Kismet’s menu below.

And with the rise in dog-friendly venues offering brunch, why not grab a bite to eat before heading off into the great outdoors, or enjoy some well-earned refreshment after a morning’s walk? You could even stay outside and enjoy a brunch with a view – and what better place to do this than at Brimham Rocks, where you can immerse yourself in nature and refuel at the same time.

The history of brunch

The term ‘brunch’ was first coined more than a century ago, and the tradition probably dates back even further.

The first use of the word brunch in print is thought to have been in an 1895 British essay championing a relaxed and social late-morning alternative to Sunday lunch. By the 1930s it had crossed the Atlantic and been embraced in America.

The concept is believed to stem possibly from the Catholic tradition of fasting before mass and then eating a large meal, or from the breakfasts that hunting parties enjoyed after a morning’s shoot.

Traditionally eaten only on Sundays or at the weekend, brunch now appears throughout the week on the menus of cafes, restaurants, pubs, hotels and farm shops.

Kismet Contemporary Brunch & Meze Bar

For an alternative take on the traditional English brunch, Kismet offers a diverse menu influenced by Turkish cuisine and based on the concept of sharing platters.

Its dishes blend the traditional and contemporary, catering for all tastes. Delicious must-tries to start the day include the Turkish Eggs with dill yoghurt, dukkah - a condiment of herbs, nuts and spices - and spiced butter with avocado. Other customer favourites include Squid and Smoked Haddock Kedgeree, and Green Toast - a vegan dish of sourdough with grilled lettuce, chermoula, humus, avocado, zesty vegetables and dukkah.

And the Full Turkish is a tasty alternative to a Full English, which you’ll find on the menu alongside Eggs Florentine if you prefer something a little more familiar. Accompany your brunch with a refreshing smoothie or expertly brewed coffee.

Headed by experienced chef Barish Gurler, Kismet’s menu focuses on quality over quantity. And it's not just tasty brunches that are on offer. Whether you're looking for a hearty breakfast, a light lunch, or an exquisite dinner, Kismet has something to satisfy every palate. Visit later in the day for a varied menu that includes chicken and lamb dishes alongside vegetarian and vegan choices. Gluten free options are available, while a wine list includes organic and natural wines, an increasingly popular choice among diners.

Kismet is at 146 Kings Road, Harrogate. It is open from 9.30am to 2.30pm Tuesday to Sunday, as well as 5.30pm to 10pm Wednesday to Saturday, including a special early evening menu from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

Visit the website for further details.

Brimham Rocks

Enjoy brunch with a difference at Brimham Rocks. Bring a blanket, perch on a rock and enjoy a brunch in nature, taking in the views across Nidderdale. Head to Surprise View for a brunch feeling like you’re on top of the world or walk a little further to Mushroom Rock and enjoy a quieter brunch immersed in the heather moorland.

You can find a selection of food and drinks at the refreshment kiosk, from a warming sausage roll or pasty, to a soup and sandwich, follow up with a yummy ice cream or a slice of cake. And you can feel even better about brunching at Brimham Rocks knowing that every cuppa, bite of a sausage roll, crunch of an ice-cream cone and penny you spend goes back into helping the National Trust care for this special place for everyone to enjoy. 

Visit Brimham Rocks at Brimham Moor Road, Summerbridge, Harrogate HG3 4DW, or find out more on the website.

Fodder – the Great Yorkshire Food Hall

If you’re looking for a wholesome and delicious Yorkshire brunch, look no further than Fodder – the Great Yorkshire Food Hall.

Proud to support over 430 local farmers, producers and suppliers, Fodder serves fresh and tasty dishes in its newly refurbished Kitchen (café) while supporting the industry as all profits goes to registered charity, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. So every bite goes back into the farming community whether its funding Countryside Days which are free for thousands of school children to visit the Showground in June to teacher training courses and grants to support the next generation of farmers.

Overlooking the stunning green fields of the Great Yorkshire Showground, Fodder serves a fabulous selection of brunches, complete with a pot of tea for two or a tasty coffee made with freshly ground beans from Coffee Brothers in Huddersfield.

Choose from the Great Yorkshire Breakfast which comes complete with Butcher’s bacon, Fodder pork sausage, Lishman’s black pudding and all the trimmings. There’s also The Yorkshire Med which includes grilled Yorkshire Dama’s halloumi, spinach, grilled tomato and toasted buttered sourdough.

There’s Avocado Sourdough, Staal Smokehouse Smoked Salmon or light and fluffy Homemade Pancakes. Don’t forget crunchy Yockenthwaite Granola Pot which comes from the Yockenthwaite Farm, in Skipton, farmed by the Hird family who are fifth-generation hill sheep farmers.

All eggs served are free range from Ian Taylor, Hambleton View Farm in Burton Leonard and Fodder prides itself on selling and serving the very best of local!

Fodder is at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Head to the website for more information.