When exactly did breakfast and lunch become ‘BRUNCH’?

1
When exactly did breakfast and lunch become
BRUNCH?
2

• Brunch such a lovely sounding word, conjuring up
  mouth-watering images of lavish spreads designed
  to keep hunger at bay until dinner, and a word
  that somehow sounds far more refined than
  breakfast or lunch. Brunch has become something
  of a culinary tradition, and not just in the US,
  but when were the words breakfast and lunch
  first combined to create brunch?

3

• Well, it would appear that there is no
  unequivocal evidence of exactly when brunch was
  first created and enjoyed. There are those who
  believe it to have originated among the English
  upper classes in the 19th century, where it was
  designed as a means of feeding the huntsmen after
  a hard fought morning hunt. The huntsmens tired
  taste buds were tickled with a vast array of
  meats, egg dishes and alcoholic beverages during
  an early lunch, after which many of them would
  snooze the afternoon away and rise again for
  their evening meal. Then there are others who
  suggest that it arose when Catholics used to fast
  before mass and would then sit down to a slap up
  feast.

4

• Evidence to support the theory of brunch having
  originated in England, lies in the first known
  appearance of the word in a British publication
  entitled Hunters Weekly, in 1895. The piece
  was written by a man named Guy Beringer, in which
  he promotes the benefits of a light meal with
  friends on a Sunday, instead of the more
  traditional large, late and heavy meals commonly
  served in households throughout the United
  Kingdom. The article was reprinted by the world
  renowned British Periodical Punch and many
  believe that this was when brunch as a concept,
  really took hold and became popular in England.
  The trend was then picked up in the States in the
  late 1920s, with Chicago being the first known
  city to promote brunch in its restaurants. The
  elegant hotel, The Ambassador, was home to the
  Pump Room which quickly became a popular Sunday
  mid- morning brunch haunt of the rich and famous.

5

• Then there was World War II, and with fewer
  people attending church, the public wanted
  something else to do to pass the time. Instead of
  saying prayers and singing hymns, people began
  spending their Sunday mornings relaxing with
  friends and family, and brunch seemed a far more
  convivial way to sit, eat and be merry together.
  Convenience foods had not long been on the scene
  either, helping to make brunch a less laborious
  task.

6

• Social changes in America played a part in the
  popularity of brunch, too, as after urbanization
  and industrialization, Sundays became the only
  real day in which families could spend some
  quality time together. There was also an influx
  of married women looking for work after the war,
  and after a hard weeks graft, the last thing
  these ladies wanted to do was slave over an oven
  for hours on end instead they would dine out and
  have brunch in local restaurants.
• So there we have it, the history of the brunch in
  brief, and if you havent been for one yet, well
  why ever not you dont know what youre missing!

7

• Northshore Brasserie is one of the fancy
  restaurants in Knoxville, TN serving homemade
  French Belgian cuisine in a relaxed yet elegant
  atmosphere. We serve a variety of beer, wine and
  hearty food. Visit our Northshore restaurant, for
  fine dining in Knoxville, TN.