It’s high time that we restored breakfast to its glorious throne, says Helen Peacocke

‘To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day.” So said Somerset Maugham.

Sadly, we all lead such busy lives that there’s seldom time to eat a decent breakfast even though it’s considered a healthy springboard to the day. During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, breakfast was a feast served in magnificent silver chafing dishes, sometimes going on until at least 10.30am.

Today most of us make do with a hot drink and toast, or go without breakfast altogether. That’s why the cereal and oil seed division of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (HGCA) established Breakfast Week, which is running right now until Saturday. Its aim is to encourage us all to think about the arable farmers and all food producers responsible for supplying the breakfast ingredients we sometimes choose to ignore. “Shake up your wake-up” is the motto this year.

My aim is to inspire you to find time for breakfast by discussing grilled kippers which fell out of favour in the 1970s. Thanks to celebrity chefs who are now endorsing a kipper’s nutritional content, and the Marine Conservation Society which recommends it, the kipper is becoming popular again.

This glorious fish is actually a whole herring sliced in half head to tail, gutted, salted or pickled, then smoked. They are normally sold in pairs and are stocked at quality fish counters, often sold alongside Arbroath smokies – which are equally tasty but created from haddock.

It is an unforgettable experience to eat a smokie minutes after it has been removed from the barrel where it was smoked. They can be eaten hot or cold, as a pâté, a terrine or just as they are with salad vegetables and hot buttered toast.

Both kippers and smokies are rich in Omega 3 and an excellent source of Vitamin D.

Grilled kippers, served with brown bread and butter, were once the quintessential British breakfast, famed for their place in the railway dining car of the Brighton line. Who can resist those glorious complex flavours, the kipper’s tantalising aroma, and the crunchy skin smothered with melted butter? No wonder grilled kippers have remained a permanent fixture on the Savoy’s breakfast menu since the hotel opened in 1889 — and have been enjoyed by mankind since 3,000BC. Many people find the bones rather difficult, but kippers can now be purchased ready filleted. They can also be bought wrapped and ready to boil in the bag, which reduces the kippery smell that wafts round the house as they cook.

Another food cultivated by ancient civilizations 9,000 years ago that is also enjoying a resurgence is spelt flour. It makes excellence bread, which in turn makes superb toast.

Spelt is mentioned in the Old Testament and appears in many Roman texts. This ancient sub-species of common wheat was once widely grown in continental Europe. It new popularity is due to its nutritional qualities and the fact that it contains less gluten than traditional grains, making it easier to digest.

Spelt flour is a pale greyish colour and has a sweetish nutty flavour. High in protein, spelt contains all the essential amino acids we need.

Unlike wheat, it does not lose its vitally nutritious bran and germ during milling.

Homemade spelt bread (see recipe opposite) has excellent keeping qualities and doesn’t shed loads of crumbs when sliced, as it’s a soft-textured bread. Try toasting spelt then smothering with butter and you have a breakfast food that marries perfectly with grilled kippers.

HGCA arranged the first Breakfast Week in 2000. It proved a great success and has gone from strength to strength ever since. Events are varied, many of them taking place in primary schools, restaurants, retail outlets and farmers’ markets. A variety of campaigns aim to educate consumers. Participating venues emphasise the importance of eating breakfast.

“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper” is a saying cereal producers take seriously as there are masses of benefits to be had by incorporating a range of cereals and oilseed products into our diets. And a good breakfast will not just set you up for the day, but help keep you warm on a frosty morning.

To find out what’s going on in your area go to shakeupyourwakeup.com/content/breakfastweek-2015