Historians reveal the VERY surprising ingredient that used be part of a full English breakfast but fell out of favour over the centuries

• Historians say it is time for a classic fruit to be included in the English Breakfast 

The English Breakfast Society has caused a stir after suggesting a new addition to the nation’s traditional breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes.

According to historians, it’s time for a fruit which grows far away from Britain’s wet and windy climes to be returned to the classic staple.

The fruit in question? Pineapples, of course.

The society is urging diners to replace mushrooms or tomatoes with a grilled round of fresh or tinned pineapples, The Telegraph reports.

In past centuries, the exotic fruit was seen as an indicator of fine status and of having a sophisticated palate.

Guise Bule de Missenden, founder of the English Breakfast Society, insisted pineapples have a long standing on England’s breakfast plates.

He said: ‘Interestingly, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the pineapple was considered to be a high-status breakfast item in Great Britain.

‘Pineapples used to be seen as exotic, expensive, difficult to obtain and were a highly prized breakfast ingredient for wealthy English families, which is why you can find lots of old English pineapple breakfast recipes.

‘King Charles himself loved them, so if you wanted to add a touch of the exotic to your plate and eat like a 17th century lord, there is no reason not to give it a try. A slice of grilled pineapple can add variety to the English breakfast plate. Simply swap the mushrooms or tomato for a frilled pineapple slice in someone’s English breakfast one day to give them a surprising and unexpected delight.’

Despite Mr Bule de Missenden’s confidence in bigging up the pineapple, his English Breakfast Society has previously ruffled a few feathers among the nation’s purists.

The society previously called for an end to hash browns at breakfast time in favour of traditional bubble and squeak.

Mr Bule de Missenden defended the move and pointed out the hash brown’s origins as fastfood popularised by McDonald’s.

He added: ‘Somebody had to put their foot down. Otherwise, we’ll find kebab meat in our English breakfast before long.’

The society’s calls have been backed by dietitian Juliette Kellow, who pointed out that canned fruit is just as nutritious as fresh.

She said: ‘Canned pineapple in fruit juice is a great choice – just two rings count as one of our five daily portions.’

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus is credited with first introducing pineapples to Europe after coming across them in Guadeloupe in 1493, and they quickly became the toast of the Spanish royal court.

The fruit also became a popular emblem in architecture as a signature of wealth and refined taste. Sir Christopher Wren incorporated them at the top of the towers of St Paul’s Cathedral in London towards the end of the 17th century.