International Bacon Day – 5 September

International Bacon Day falls on 5 September in 2026, the first Saturday of the month. It's an informal food celebration rather than an official international observance, but it gives us a good excuse to explore an ingredient with a surprisingly long history.

Preserving pork by salting and curing it is far from a modern invention. Forms of cured pork have been eaten for centuries, while the word we now recognise as bacon developed from older European words used to describe pork. Over time, different countries have developed their own cuts and methods of curing and smoking it.

In Britain, bacon has a particularly familiar place at the breakfast table. From a traditional cooked breakfast to the simplicity of a bacon sandwich, it's a food that feels equally at home at the kitchen table and as part of an informal breakfast gathering.

Breakfast catering can work particularly well in the workplace too. Early meetings, training sessions, conferences and team get-togethers don't always need a formal lunch. Providing breakfast gives colleagues and guests an opportunity to arrive, grab something to eat and settle into the day together.

From breakfast meetings to office events, familiar favourites can help create relaxed, welcoming catering. International Bacon Day is an opportunity to celebrate one of those simple ingredients that can transform a breakfast or sandwich with its distinctive savoury flavour.

Sometimes the simplest food is the most satisfying. A freshly prepared bacon sandwich and a good cup of tea or coffee can be just the thing for an early start, a busy morning or a chance to catch up with colleagues before the working day gets underway.

International Bacon Day sounds like a pretty good excuse to make breakfast the main event.