How to create a breakfast buffet The Traitors would be proud of

You can trust no one in the show – except the catering staff who adorn the breakfast room with pastries…

By Kate Jones

The Traitors (which you can watch on iPlayer now) is known for many things - the castle, the round table, Claudia Winkleman’s exceptional fringe line - but one element that has become an unexpected fan favourite is the show’s breakfast buffet.

While the breakfast scenes are a crucial aspect of the programme, as players gather each morning to find out who has been ‘murdered’ by the unknown Traitors in their ranks, the buffet itself has attracted significant attention online.

“I would apply to be on The Traitors for the breakfast buffet alone,” one user of the social media service X (formerly known as Twitter) writes on the platform. “Would really like to go on The Traitors because the breakfast spread looks good,” another writes. “Happy to spend my entire time on edge and anxious, occasionally aggressively accused of deception, if there’s an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet with fresh fruit juice available every morning.”

On the show we're not sure how much remains uneaten. We're inclined to believe it's because everyone’s too nervous to eat. They're focussing on whether their best buddy or arch nemesis will walk through the door and then there’s the inevitable fall out if they don’t (or do).

While we’re unable to reach into the TV and claim the treats as our own, we can, instead, create our own buffet table of delights.

Here’s how to create your own Traitors-style breakfast …

Appearances are everything

Before we get onto the food itself, lets begin by creating a true Traitors vibe. You want your table setting to make people feel both important but also (emotionally) uncomfortable. If you’ve got a couple of tables, put them into an L shape, creating an ‘us and them’ atmosphere depending on where the different clans sit.

Dress the table with a tablecloth, ornaments and a long line of seasonal country garden flowers – or given it’s January and that’s highly unlikely to be available, cheap plastic ones – think the kind of garb that’s been in the storage room of a wedding venue for 20 years and has finally been donated to a charity shop.

Most importantly, stick photos of all the diners on the wall – with ‘sorry, can’t make it’s’ having a big X through their picture. That’ll teach ‘em.

If that seems a step too far, a quick round of wink murder while you’re eating a pain au raison may give you a flavour of the experience.

Perfect your pastry

From croissants to cinnamon rolls, if you’re a Traitors superfan, you’ll know that the show’s breakfast is a real pastry affair. What a great antidote to the ‘January diets’ social media is feeding us. So, start by deciding what pastries you’re going to have at the table and whether you’re going to make them from scratch.

We’re going to level with you. Creating flaky pastry takes time.

“It’s about having the patience to be able to roll your dough out, add a layer of butter, fold the dough and allow it to rest before you roll it out again and you add your next layers,” says Mikey Bain, head chef and general manager at a branch of the bakery chain KNEAD. If you’re looking to make croissants, for instance, Bain notes that this can involve lamination, allowing the dough to rest, rolling out and shaping the dough, proving it and baking it.

It’s a labour of love but doable and the results can be incredible.

Or use a few cheats to get the desired pastry effect

Many of us aren’t going to be able to spend hours in the kitchen perfecting a Danish pastry. At least not when we’re just after a quick TV show-inspired breakfast.

Fortunately, a shortcut is available, Behold, ready-made puff pastry. “You can spend hours and hours making your own puff pastry, or you can get ready-rolled pastry from the shop and cut your time to nothing,” says Reshmi Bennett, founder of London and Surrey cake-delivery business Anges de Sucre.

Puff pastry can be filled with sweet and savoury options. And next to it in the supermarket aisle is pre-made croissant and pain au chocolat dough.

If you fall into the shop-bought croissant camp, add a home-made touch, says food blogger Rizwan Asad, by making ham and cheese croissant bakes. “Slice croissants in half and layer them with slices of ham and cheese in a baking dish.

“Whisk together eggs and a splash of milk, then pour the mixture over the croissants, letting it soak in. Bake at 190C for 20–25 minutes, or until the custard is set and the tops are golden. This savoury dish is rich, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to prepare.”

If you fall into the shop-bought croissant camp, add a home-made touch, says food blogger Rizwan Asad, by making ham and cheese croissant bakes. “Slice croissants in half and layer them with slices of ham and cheese in a baking dish.

“Whisk together eggs and a splash of milk, then pour the mixture over the croissants, letting it soak in. Bake at 190C for 20–25 minutes, or until the custard is set and the tops are golden. This savoury dish is rich, satisfying, and surprisingly simple to prepare.”

Dough you dare?

Another option is to make dough-based breakfast treats – such as Chelsea buns. If you’re making the dough yourself, this can take time, however some fast-action yeast will help speed things up. Our top tip? Prepare the dough the day before, and just take it out of the fridge 30 mins before you’re going to start baking to warm it up.

Add some character

Fruit and juice play a key role in the Traitors display too. In fact, this series we’re pretty certain we’ve already seen halved figs and wedges of watermelon (see the picture at the top of this page). How lavish.

“Normally, if you think about a breakfast buffet or breakfast foods, [they look] very beige,” Bennett says. “I think a lovely big bowl of breakfast fruit always adds colour to a buffet, [plus] our eyes are attracted to colour anyway.”

Another way to add vibrancy is through cheeses and hams. “You can make it look like you’ve got a lot more than you do by folding them over,” notes Bain (who says that elevation is another essential element in a Traitors-style feast).

Involve other (breakfast) faithfuls

Extra marks if you serve toast in one of those old-fashioned toast racks. That will absolutely up the Traitors effect. These are especially good if you like your toast cold. Because they’ll be sitting there unnoticed for at least a few minutes.

Muffins are another item that have featured on The Traitors’ breakfast table and this could create a talking point.

Make a variety of flavours, see which ones your guests take and then, only then, judge them for it, telling them what type of Traitors character they’d be due to their muffin choice…

Blueberry muffins: Odds on faithful, a real wholesome character who can easily be duped by Traitors. They’re either out in the first episode or make it all the way to the end. There’s no middle ground.

Lemon muffins: Pleads to Claudia to be a traitor, claims they’re ‘made for the role,’ only to struggle with the deceit and back-stabbing. Is the first Traitor to be found out. Cries with relief when their cover is blown.

Chocolate muffins: Sturdy faithful who people think could be a traitor because they’re just so friendly and down-to-earth. Mortally offended when their name comes up at the Round Table. When they’re banished, they leave with anger and resentment at the lack of loyalty. Especially because they figured out who the traitors were from the start.

Raspberry and white chocolate muffins: The traitor who’s cover is never blown and wins, or at least makes it to the final. They know how to play the game. Deceit comes easy.

Whatever you make, enjoy the breakfast you’ve created - you’ll be a lot less stressed than the players on the show.

Watch The Traitors on BBC One Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays or catch up on BBC iPlayer

Originally published January 2024