Cafe owner names favourite coffee to order after making £30k in a month

Small enterprises across the UK are battling to survive, with challenging economic circumstances cutting footfall on our high streets. Yet despite all the convenience of food delivery platforms such as Deliveroo and JustEat, Brits still cannot resist an occasional Full English Breakfast.

Sergen Tasar, who runs the Paradise Cafe and Bistro in Arnold, told Notts Live that whilst more contemporary options such as wraps and avocado on toast feature on the menu, the traditional Full English remains his top seller.

And regarding drinks orders, there is one that stands out as Sergen's personal favourite. He reveals: "Most people still drink tea, but I think the best drink we do is a flat white with oat milk.

"I like oat milk flat white because it's the perfect balance with the coffee. It's not too much milk ...or it's not less of a milk so it's just the perfect balance with the coffee - I like oat milk because it gives that the real flavour and it's easier to digest. I guess it's a bit healthier than the normal milk too."

But while Sergen prepares dozens of traditional fry-ups daily, he never finds time to sample one himself.

"I just have a couple of bits of toast," he states, noting that during his lengthy working day - which begins around 7:30am and extends well beyond the cafe's 4:30 closing time - he simply lacks the opportunity to eat. Since launching the Paradise Cafee approximately nine months ago, Sergen has already extended the enterprise once, resulting in a substantial boost to his earnings.

"In August, my cafe made £31,000," he reveals. Before expanding into the empty shop premises next door, Sergen was only generating around £10k monthly.

Despite his enhanced revenue streams, he clarifies that he faces considerable expenses. "The Full English mostly comes from the Netherlands," he highlights, noting that a substantial portion of his inventory is imported.

Even a simple tin of baked beans, he notes, contains American beans that have merely been processed here in the UK.

Through his YouTube channel, Sergen guides viewers through the intricate heritage of the Full English.

He revealed: "The idea of big breakfast in England goes back to the 1300s. The gentry - wealthy landowners - loved showing hospitality with huge spreads of meat, bread, and eggs.

"By the Victorian era, it had become a working class tradition. Factory workers needed energy for 12-hour shifts, so the fry up became a staple."

Nowadays we manufacture less than half of the food we consume, according to Sergen.

He adds: "The UK only grows about 45% of what we eat. The rest are important from Ireland, Poland, and the Netherlands."

The expense of all that foreign produce creates a significant impact on Sergen's profit margins.

The most premium breakfast on Paradise's menu would cost you £9.50, though he worries he may need to increase his prices in the forthcoming months should costs continue climbing. The most budget-friendly fry-up currently available across the UK costs just £1.59 - though you'll need to enlist in the Army to access it, as it's exclusively served in military base canteens.

One Reddit user acknowledged it's difficult to quibble with such pricing: "Not the best quality ingredients, but only £1.59 so I can't complain,".

Meanwhile, at the opposite extreme, a full English breakfast at The Ritz in London likely ranks as the priciest at £56.

However, whilst ingredient costs continue their upward trajectory, Sergen's most substantial overhead remains staff salaries.

He elaborates: "We have six people in total that work in this cafe, to make it run."

Skilled personnel prove vital for the cafe's seamless operation.

Sergen himself lacks any culinary industry experience, having previously worked as a bus driver before venturing into the cafe trade.

Despite challenging times for enterprises across the board, he remains convinced there's appetite for intimate, neighbourhood establishments.

"People want connection, story, and authenticity," he explains.