Britain may have many culinary sins – but something of which we can be proud (alongside our excellent puddings) is our approach to breakfast. The empire did not spread across the face of the civilised world on croissants or weisswurz – it was a solid English fry-up.

Every greasy spoon in London will put together a fried egg, sausages and bacon – but for the more discerning diner there are a wealth of options. Key to any meat feast is the quality of the ingredients and as I’ve mentioned previously, Hawksmoor have some great suppliers.

They only serve breakfast at their Guildhall branch – tucked a few minutes walk from Bank station. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed – a smattering of business breakfasts and foodies tucking into reassuringly vast steaming platters.

Their standard breakfast sticks to the tried and tested formula, but with excellent attention to detail. The bangers are their own recipe – using a blend of pork, beef and mutton. The three meats work in complete harmony to create a deep, dark sausage. Bliss. The beans also deserve a special mention – straying from the ubiquitous Heinz is brave – but the sticky, spicy house recipe is heavenly. Unbeatable. The toast is also well above average – a lovely rustic slice with good butter, made for soaking up those delicious bone marrow beans.

As to the extra bits: the orange juice was nice – though I’d have preferred it a little colder, and the coffee was pleasant – in the morning I like a stronger brew than their rather relaxed Ethiopian blend.

That said – it’s by far the best breakfast I’ve had in London and the perfect start to a day of busy sight seeing. If you’re in need of some serious morning sustenance – this is the place to go.