Warm Croissants or not????

[Barbel Bob]

Hi,

I have been buying the guest croissants fresh each morning from my local boulangerie, they are never warm so when i hear the guests coming down i pop them in the oven for 4 mins to re-heat them, i have had no complaints about this...however in a conversation with a fellow local B&B owner they said they do not re-heat any more since French guests told them they prefer them and are used to them cold, several guests have told her this. So my question is 're-heat or serve cold'??????

Also i have not been serving hot milk at breakfast, and the milk always comes back unused, should i be giving a jug of hot and cold????  most guests have been using yoghuts with cereal.

Oh and one more question whilst i think of it [:D] I have just introduced tea making facilities to the rooms, this is mainly for the english and american guests and wonder how best to give them the milk?? I have found small bottles in Champion but most of it goes to waste for one nighters?

Thanks to all Julie

[Pads]

As a customer yes to warm croissants and milk for the coffee... but as it takes only a few mins , why not ask ? Customers like to be given a choice as it looks like better service I dont mind waiting a couple of mins to get what I want .!![:)]

Use whats left in the bottles to heat up the next day in jugs.

[Callie]

We always ask our guests whether they would like tea, coffee or hot chocolate the night before.  You could ask them whether they would prefer the croissants hot or cold, and whether they would like hot milk, at the same time !  We have never served, or been asked for, hot milk, though....

[Cerise]

Often do hot milk for French guests with coffee.  Just ask what people want.  Croissants are straight from bakery and sometimes still warm so I don't re-heat them (except Monday out of season when bakery not open).

Supermarkets sell little packets of milk (Regilait) in dosette things.  Fine for bedrooms.  Surprisingly large number of French guests love kettles etc (large percentage of our guests are French) and I put tisanes in the container as well as ordinary tea and coffee.

[Pierre ZFP]

I don't run any kind of B&B etc but from a Guest point of view I would be very impressed to be asked the night before what temperature I would like my breakfast to be! What attention to detail.

Warm croissants, cold milk please and yes, milk in those little dosette things are definitely a good idea in the room.

[betoulle]

Agree about the French always eating their croissants cold - they like to dunk in their coffee/hot chocolate + they always ask for hot milk with coffee.  More & more of the 'Starbucks generation' now like hot milk with coffee too - so I always ask first - only takes a minute in the microwave.

As to tea & coffee facilities I have found it best to provide a separate room - many French do not like the idea especially in a Brit-run B&B - makes it too English & immediately alienates you from your guests........I have heard of disapproving French guests removing kettles etc from rooms.  Our GdF lady is not keen on it either as you would not provide it in every bedroom in your home...so we provide a separate room with fridge - solves the milk problem & means guests can feel free to bring food in for those times they wish to eat in.    Also always provide tisanes for the French - very popular.

[Atty]

Hi

Our guests get their croissants straight from the shop so we dont warm them but would be happy to if asked. We offer warm or cold milk for breakfast but are finding that most guests dont take milk at all in coffee. The herbal 'belle nuit' tea bags are very popular in the rooms.

[oscar]

[quote user="betoulle"]

As to tea & coffee facilities I have found it best to provide a separate room - many French do not like the idea especially in a Brit-run B&B - makes it too English & immediately alienates you from your guests........I have heard of disapproving French guests removing kettles etc from rooms.  [/quote]

You obviously have totally different French guests to us.  We've found that at first they didn't use any of the stuff and thought they didn't like it but it was because they thought they would be charged extra!!  A lot now use it but some still ask if they owe any more money for having done so.  I don't know how you think it makes you too English and alienates you from the guests.  Most of our guests have chosen us because they want to see what a Brit run B&B is like, or are anglophiles anyway.  Most are both surprised and disappointed to learn that I don't like tea and at least 90% of the French ladies who stay always ask for tea for breakfast, purely on the basis that we are English.  Needless to say, they never drink it because English tea, no matter how weak you make it, is always too strong for them![;-)]

[Barbel Bob]

Thanks everyone, i will go with asking!!!! simple enough [:D]

I have not seen any dosettes in the supermarket, are they by the milk section? they sound just what i need, and tisanes, never heard of them? what are they?

We aim to do a guest lounge when we get around to doing more renovating in the winter! enjoying the sun to much to stay inside at the mo! we provide a guest fridge in the dining room so will have a word with OH as the answer may be to simply put a kettle in there and tell guests to help them self to tea and coffee if they wish, no sink though so could provide bottled water for tops up i suppose!!

As usual all very helpful!  Next thing is to get bob to make me a new ironing board like the thread i read yonks ago from quillan! I am fed up of ironing already and not looking forward to so many one nighters during August! suppose it still beats sitting in an office in the uk though!!!!!!

Julie

[Clair]

[quote user="Barbel Bob"]I have not seen any dosettes in the supermarket, are they by the milk section? they sound just what i need, and tisanes, never heard of them? what are they?[/quote]

Dosettes

Tisanes or infusions = herbal teas

[Barbel Bob]

Ahhhhhh, thanks clair that will make them so much easier to find! I have had the infusions in the room with the tray but they have not been used yet, maybe in time.

[Lachouette]

I've found those 'dosettes' near the coffee in Carrefour.

Jan

[Cerise]

In most supermarkets the dosettes seem to be near the 'puddings' i.e. where ever you find evaporated milk etc.  Make sure to check the dates on the back as they are long life but supermarkets don't seem to check them that often (you can usually buy with 6 months shelf life).

Without exception our French guests have all been delighted by kettles etc in their rooms.  At the beginning a few thought they had to pay but I now explain when showing them round that it is 'offert par la maison' and they are impressed.  As I have a non-English name and reply to their enquiries in French they often don't realise we are English until they get here.  I can't imagine any of them being ignorant enough to complain about such a thing.

We've got a guest fridge separately in the downstairs hall for picnics etc, so if anyone wants to have their own milk they can do so.  Milk in the rooms is not practical.  And, tell the GdF lady that I quite enjoy making a cuppa in my own bedroom.[:)]    Whenever I go away, as I'm an early riser, I hate it is there are no tea of coffee making facilities.  Don't want to wait 2 hours for himself to surface before I can get a drink, and I doubt most people would want me down for breakfast at 6.00 am

[cassis]

I can think of a few reasons why not to reheat croissants for guests.

1. It spoils a perfect, properly baked, fresh croissant - assuming your baker is any good
2. Most guests will not give a fig one way or the other
3. If you don't offer a choice then whether the croissant you serve is hot or cold will never cross their minds - it will be a non-issue until you drag it to their attention

4. It's going to be a right faff unless you make everyone have breakfast at the same time (imagine four  lots of guests with breakfasts at different times - in the oven, out the oven, in the oven, out the oven, in the oven ...oops! I've burnt that lot!)
5. Guests come down 10 minutes early and their croissants aren't ready as they are just going in the oven
6. Guests come down 10 minutes late and their croissants are either cold again or burnt
7. Why not take an order for what flavour of jam they prefer, instead - if  the warmth of a croissant is that important to someone, then they probably appreciate a choice from a list of 50 different confitures, as well. Or a choice of 10 different teas, or 15 coffees .... oh, and I nearly forgot the most important one, if you are doing this seriously:

8. It will not bring you a single extra booking

I can't understand why people get so precious over these things.  You can prepare good standard breakfast to please 99% of people without making a load of extra work for yourself for the finnicky few.

[Anton Redman]

For what it is worth if breakfast is included I expect a croissant, a roll, butter and jam plus a choice of tea, coffee and chocolate. A great breakfast will not redemm an otherwise mediocre stay but a crap breakfast will spoil an otherwise good night. A tray full of jams which nobody ever eats and butter which only Edward Scissorhands can open are the bitter end.

If hotels charge € 14 for breakfast or worse still £ 25 then I expect a good half of my fruit and calorie intake for the day.  

[Pads]

I stayed at a place in toulouse the other day for 12e I got mini almond, choc, fruit, and plain crossaints , yogurt and a fruit sauce , cornflakes  ,basket of fruit,  toast, fruit juice, coffee/tea laid out on a buffet table to help your self to as much as you wanted . and it was all fresh and lovely set out table . Fantastic service  

[cassis]

Don't forget that any fruit and yoghurts that you can't manage to eat at breakfast should be taken away for your lunch.  The owners always appreciate not having to clear it off the table.

[Quillan]

[quote user="cassis"]Don't forget that any fruit and yoghurts that you can't manage to eat at breakfast should be taken away for your lunch.  The owners always appreciate not having to clear it off the table.
[/quote]

Don’t forget the soaps and toilet rolls from the bathroom either.

We use the little round UHT milks as well as the powdered ones mentioned, no complaints to date.

The easy solution with hot or cold bread is to buy a toaster from a French shop with a heating grill that sits on top. The French know how to use these but you may have to show the Brits. They can then choose for themselves.

If you have a 'Drakes' lorry pass your neck of the woods you can ask them for frozen Croissants and Choco's. These are not cooked and are very small. You take them out and shove them in the oven for 10 minutes and you have fresh cooked bread. Leaves a nice smell in the house but as said if your timing is out and the guests arrive before the bread is cooked you can have a problem. I tried them once and they are actually quite good but it's still quicker for me to go and get them from the shop.

As for hot milk make a little sign for the server that says 'Hot milk available on request'. It is my experience that it is mainly the Spanish who ask for it. The English are happy with cold and the French normally have none.

You don't have to go mad and put all this stuff out but you need to let the guests know it is an option you offer if they ask.

Get some chickens; the guests love it when you send them round to the chicken run to get their fresh eggs. Their little faces positively shine with glee as they return with a still warm fresh egg to have it boiled and presented to them.

Don't forget the more 'fussy' you make the breakfast the more it eats in to any profit you make. Every thing you give or do should be costed and done in the most cost effective way as it all eats away at your profit. As said give a good but not over the top breakfast but remember they don't stay with you just for your breakfasts.

As for me well mine is about the same as Cerise but with the added option of fresh eggs.

 

[cassis]

We've recently added the option of milk squeezed fresh from the udder into the cup.

[Cerise]

Cow, goat or sheep?  I feel I need to know before I book![6]

[Clair]

[quote user="cassis"]We've recently added the option of milk squeezed fresh from the udder into the cup.

[/quote]Do you do a vegan option?

[cassis]

See?  Typical picky types.  No pleasing some people.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Cerise"]Cow, goat or sheep?  I feel I need to know before I book![6][/quote]

Wot ! No camel milk.

[mint]

And what about ass's milk for my bath?  I mean I might not be Cleopatra but I might just want to try her bubble bath!

[mint]

Oh, OK then, the milk of donkeys as the thought police wouldn't let me say the milk I really, really want!