New to Hosting...

[Sally379]

Hello fellow AirBnb hosts, I'm a new host and would love to hook up here with other hosts. My home is a listed historic house in the West Country of England and I'm aiming at delivering a great stay. I cannot offer my guests an en suite bathroom (to create this I'd have to knock into an old lathe and plaster wall which is not an option) so to make up for this (I leave the bathroom, cleared of most of my belongings, entirely to them in the morning, as there is separate downstairs cloakroom, which I can use) I aim to offer a great (what we call here a continental, ie, not cooked) breakfast. So far the feedback has been that this is exceeding expectation. One guest told me that on the continent (Europe) he was lucky to get a kettle and a few packets of tea. I would love to know what other hosts are offering in terms of breakfast. I look foward to your replies!

[Susan151]

@Sally379

This thread https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Breakfast/m-p/792814 is very recent and outlines what other hosts are offering.

Perhaps this will be helpful to you?

[Sally379]

Thanks Susan, this is helpful. 

[Sally221]

Hello,

fellow Sally! We live in the Berkeley Ca. hills and as I always fantasized about having a BnB, love to bake and have no shops, cafes or other retail in realistic walking distance, I make fresh baked scones for my guests each morning served with fresh fruit & great coffe & an assortment of teas. it is my own particular niche.  The charm of airbnb should be in the particulars of the experience beyond being safe, clean & comfortable. Your part of the world is justly famous for fabulous dairy products, right? So, rock what you got and provide a uniquely lovely experience, all the best, Sally

[Sally379]

Sally in Berkeley - hello from Sally in Somerset! Many thanks for this swift and enthusiastic response. I agree - I'm up for rocking what you've got. At the moment, I offer fresh yoghurt and berries, fresh croissants, homemade preserves, and of course tea and coffee. As winter kicks in, I'm planning to replace yoghurt and berries with porridge and perhaps an apple puree. We need something hot in midwinter (not there yet and a blissful Indian summer so far). But I don't want to go down the total cooked breakfast route, as a full English is a real professional production involving bacon, pork sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, and it's all a big greasy deal ha ha!

[Lizzie]

Hello again @Sally379,

It is great to see you post here. It's lovely to hear you are enjoying hosting. 

I am a big fan of Somerset, it is a beautiful county. Just looking at your listing, I think you photos are very attractive and really help to paint a picture of what it might be like to stay. 

I wonder, if you are a little concerned about your bathroom, perhaps you could include a photo of it and at least your guests might have a better idea of what to expect. 

Just a thought.

It would be great to hear what others think and if you have any tips. 🙂

Thanks,
Lizzie

[Shaun69]

@Sally379 I wish you the best of luck with your new venture, regarding breakfast offerings we did a fair bit of research into this subject before we opened in March, the bottom line is provide your guests with a good but cost effective selection for their first morning with you. We do the usual tea, coffee, milk, sugar, butter, marmalade (good quality), variety pack of cereal (so you cover all bases), fresh eggs (our own chickens) but our trick is to ask our guest what type of bread they would like then spend the money on that item regardless what the cost is !!!! That good quality artisan loaf means the world, it works for us so hopefully it will work for you.

P.s Do not get involved with the " I can only eat figs on a Monday market"

Regards Shaun

[Sally379]

Shaun, thank you so much for taking the time to reply and to impart your hosting wisdom. We are lucky here that there are several great bakeries, and so amazing bread and croissants are never a problem to source. I've decided not to go down the egg-cooking route, but rather offer yoghurt and fresh berries (so far) but plan possibly to switch to an apple puree (this is Somerset after all, apple country!) in winter, with porridge if guests would like. Will see how it goes. There have been several guests with food intolerances, but I am well used to catering to this. Those guests come well prepared, but I'll toast some mixed seeds for them to have with their fruit, to make up for lack of yoghurt! Thank you for your good wishes, same back to you, Sally

[Victoria567]

Couldn’t agree more @Shaun0

Look up YouTube

Howto become gluten intolerant by JP Sears 

an absolute hilarious insight into the mindset of the entitled guest.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Sally379 in Frome

Your cooked breakfast does not have to be greasy!

I supply quality grilled smoked back bacon, quality grilled sausages ( chipolatas the meaty long thin ones so they cook evenly) organic eggs which ever way the guests wants ( fried, boiled, poached or scrambled) with Heinz baked beans served in a separate container and grilled slice of haggis ( you could do grilled sliced black pudding).

No mushrooms ( a lot of mushroom allergies this August....I jest ye not)

Vegetarian option is either falafel, mushroom pastry or a filo spinach and feta parcel served with freshly made cous cous.

I make the veggie options in advance and freeze them except the cous cous Turkish style with freshly finely chopped tomatoes, finely chopped cucumber, fresh mint and finely chopped spring onions.

I ask the guests the night before what they want in their cooked breakfast or offer the vegetarian option to those who state on booking they are vegetarian.

My unique selling point is my fabulous breakfast always with my freshly grown organic fruit in season available too.

Most if my reviews comment in the quality of the breakfast provided along with fresh OJ and a choice of an espresso Mokka machine of coffee, a cafetière of coffee, Twinings English or herbal teas.

All served on Royal Doulton fine quality china plates,Viners cutlery and Edinburgh crystal glassware and of course napkins.

Ive now had to be strict regarding allergies and do not cater for this group as it’s my family home where I cook daily using nuts,wheat flour, dairy produce and cannot professionally deep clean/ deep steam my kitchen to prevent cross over contamination or afford an ambulance chasing lawyer after the guest may deduce from my extremely well a

pounted comfortable home that I may have the odd bob or two!.....there is some business I can do without.

Also I only host for 4 months a year, and air bnb is not a source of income I depend on.

Im just doing it for fun and to meet others...but the slew of entitled guests I encountered this season has surprised me somewhat.

Its these guests you tend to remember for all the wrong reasons.

Top of the guests....Germans, I just love em. Ditto Canadians and our Antipodean Commonwealth cousins......lovely friendly genuine people without a single PC entitled bone in their bodies!

Its not Fawlty Towers, it’s my family home!

Good luck to you Sally.

[Sally379]

Hello @Victoria567 in Bonnie Scotland, thank you for your thoughtful and detailed reply. Lots of useful tips here, for which I am most grateful! This is proving to be a really enjoyable venture, for sure. Sally

[Victoria567]

Best of luck to you @Sally379 in Frome.

Ive met some fabulous people, along the way, several of whom have become friends and we keep in touch.

I may sound like Atilla the Hen but it’s been part of the sum of my experiences, mostly enjoyable journey, as both an air bnb host and as an air bnb guest.

You will generally get a feel for the character of the guests during your stay and with experience adjust your hosting style and house rules as you progress.

[Sally379]

Very wise counsel, thank you Victoria, best wishes, Sally

[Sally209]

Hi Sally from another Sally near Gatwick. I provide a fruit bowl, various cereals individual packs and granola. juice, large selection of teas and coffee and 2 or 3 bread products - bagels, crumpets, seeded bread etc + jam, marmalade, peanut butter, marmite and nutella. Quite a lot of my guests don't have breakfast as they are leaving very early to fly off and others have everything! The key is to avoid too much waste so I choose things that either I or the chickens will eat if they go out of date! As I also work cooked breakfast was never an option. I also have some regular guests so always make sure I have what they like available.  I do offer our eggs to guests staying for a few days which they can prepare themselves. Happy hosting!

[Sally379]

Thanks Sally, this is a great insight, thank you for taking the time to advise. Best wishes, Sally