8 Best Breakfasts in Buxton

We go on the hunt for the best breakfasts in Buxton…who gets YOUR vote? Ben Jones goes and finds out..

Whether you’re prepping for a hike in the adjacent Peak District National Park or recovering from a night out on the town, Buxton has several establishments offering their own version of the full English breakfast. At risk to both my arteries and waist size, I tried a few out, taking a break from my usual preoccupation investigating supernatural mysteries. After all, visitors from other worlds should not be challenged on an empty stomach.

These days, a quintessential meal like The Full English can feel like an endangered species. More and more people flock to the banners of Vegetarian, Vegan or Meat Reductionist and let’s face it, the classic English breakfast is basically a round up of the entire farmyard. Far from the trends of the city, at least a rural town like Buxton can put products on your plate that have been locally and ethically sourced; that sausage probably grew up in a nearby field and was very happy.

I’m pleased to say that none of the breakfasts I ate were awful and Buxton seems to supply a decent overall standard. There are some variations in price and location.

1. No.6 The Square

If you like a postcard view whilst ingesting a massive collection of protein and carbohydrates, then No.6 The Square sits opposite Buxton Opera House and the Pavilion Gardens and you might be able to get a seat outside. Despite “being down the posh end” No.6 presents the usual bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, egg and beans although you will be paying an extra few quid for the privilege. A big plate and home-made bread go some way to justifying the cost. You are then free to walk around the gardens before those beans kick in and things get a lot less genteel.

2. The Chakra Lounge

They breakfast all day! Yep that’s right folks… as far as we know, it’s the only place in Buxton that does.  The breakfast options are aplenty including Breakfast wrap, India Teacake, Punjabi Toast and of course that all important full breakfast with an Indian twist (£6.50). The ‘If Indians Did It’ breakfast includes all the favourites you’d expect but with those aromatic and tasty Eastern flavours; like the potato home fries – a dead pinch from the west, in fact the US, they’re lovely. Eggs – have them how you want them, fried, poached, scrambled…the highlight for us is the beans, they’re spicy with (we think) cumin and served in a side bowl. The coffee served here is Peak Bean coffee (roasted in the Peak District) and it’s really good coffee too.

3. Dubbing Good Food

‘The Full Shebang’ is the breakfast here and it really is that too. What’s great about this place is its noticeable that the owner Hannah and her team make a huge effort to source everything locally but also be really ethical – such as palm oil free and a big push on waste reduction – you won’t find any drinks in plastic bottles for sale here for example. So back to the breakfast, the sausages were delicious and we loved the avocado served on the plate too. Definitely felt very full upon leaving too.

4. Fiveways Café

At the gateway to Higher Buxton resides Five Ways Café (many cafes and bars in Buxton have numbers in their names which gets confusing even when you live here). Five Ways is both a café and a laundrette and therefore the go-to place when you’re hungry and your washing machine is on the blink. I believe this was the cheapest of the breakfasts I had. The staff were friendly and the general vibe was chilled; a bit like nipping into your favourite auntie’s house for a bite to eat. The breakfast was a tad fluid but this could have been prevented by my own investment in extra toast. I’ll know for next time.

5. Eat @ No.5

Across the road is [email protected]. This place had so much great stuff on its menu that ordering a Full English seemed shamefully unadventurous. However, I’m glad I did because it was tasty and well-presented; remarkable for its lack of grease and fantastic sausages. The man behind the counter said he got them from a place in Bakewell, which shows how important it is to get your ingredients from somewhere decent. My only gripe was mixing the beans with the egg. To me, this is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters. Somebody needs to tell the chef you never ever mix the beans with the egg.

6. The Tradesman’s Entrance

My favourite breakfast on this escapade was at The Tradesman’s Entrance. I apologise to the other establishments who, to be fair, gave reasonable competition but here, the Full English had obviously been trialled and perfected. I don’t know how the crew at “The Tradesman’s” source and cook their reasonably-priced plate of excellence and I don’t want to know; I’m more than content for it to be an enigma. I merely recommend that you go and try it for yourselves. You don’t have to be an actual tradesman.

7. Cafe at the Cavern – Poole’s Cavern

Worthy of mention is the café at Poole’s Cavern. This probably isn’t the obvious place to go for a morning fill up but now I’ve discovered it, I’ve found myself going back a few times for a sausage and mushroom bap. The café itself is pretty and as it’s out in the sticks, you can watch squirrels and other wildlife frolicking out of the window. Afterwards, you can work off the calories with a walk in the woods.

8. The Hydro Café

At the other end of the town centre is The Hydro Café. Like No.6, this eatery borrows its style from Buxton’s Victorian heyday as a centre for hydrotherapy. It doesn’t quite offer the same idyllic views but it’s a little kinder on the wallet. The breakfast was fine and broke the mould with the inclusion of a fried hash brown and a Derbyshire oatcake. To me, an oatcake is a welcome companion when tackling a meal that includes a lot of liquid like beans, tomatoes, egg and general grease as it soaks up all the juice like a fun and tasty sponge. Hailing from The Potteries, a Staffordshire oatcake would be the optimal extra but a Derbyshire version will suffice (I’m not starting that argument again. I had to hide for a few months last time).

If you think Darcus has missed a good breakfast somewhere in Buxton, get in touch and we’ll send him to try it out. PS, Don’t mix the beans with the egg.

Darcus Wolfson for Explore Buxton.