Breakfast with handpicked ingredients: what goes in and what never goes in
Breakfast at Gandum (because the day starts long before coffee)
At Gandum, breakfast is not just a service included in the price. It is a fundamental moment. Not because it is abundant—although it is—but because it says a lot about how we view food, the region, and the care we take of those who stay here. Before any plans, meetings, outings, or rest, there is a table designed to get the day off to a good start. Not quickly. Not automatically. But with attention.
A table set for choosing, not for impressing
Breakfast at Gandum does not appear to be an indistinct excess. The flavors and textures are organized by category, almost like a simple map that helps you choose according to your appetite, pace, and body on that particular day.
Some people start with warm bread and butter.
Some people prefer fresh fruit and something light.
Some people need protein.
Some people want a little bit of everything.
Here, no one is pushed towards a "right breakfast" idea. Each person creates their own.
Bread as a staple, not an accessory
Bread plays a central role. Not as a side dish, but as a staple.
We work with naturally fermented bread, made by artisan bakers in the region (Mó de Cima, by Chef Carlos Teixeira in Monsaraz), with time, flour, and patience. It is bread designed to last the whole day—and not just to fill your plate.
With homemade butter, jams made at Gandum, or simply with olive oil, bread here returns to what it always was: essential.
Fruit and vegetables in season
The fruit changes with the seasons. And you can feel it.
Watermelon in summer, figs at the end of summer, pomegranates and citrus fruits when they arrive, whenever possible from Gandum or nearby producers. There is no effort to "keep everything available all year round." There is a conscious choice to accept the natural calendar.
Vegetables are also on the menu. Grated tomato with olive oil, simple, fresh, no frills. For those who like to start the day with something savory and light.
Dairy products, plant-based alternatives, and informed choices
There are natural yogurts, including plant-based versions, and cow's milk yogurt from Elvas. There are artisanal cheeses from small producers in Alentejo, chosen more for the honesty of the product than for their fame.
The milk is organic from the Azores, accompanied by plant-based alternatives such as oat milk. Not because "everything has to be there," but because there are different people at the table—and that deserves to be respected.
Protein without spectacle
The eggs come from Gandum's chickens, raised outdoors and fed with garden scraps and organic feed. They are prepared on the spot, according to each person's preference.
There is also local charcuterie, made in the region, without unnecessary additives. Small quantities, good origin, conscious use.
Here, protein is not excess. It is balance.
Sweetness without hidden sugar
At Gandum, sweetening does not mean industrializing.
The jams are homemade, sweetened only with organic honey produced in partnership with Mel Pirata, in Montemor-o-Novo, from our own bees. There is also a homemade carob and hazelnut cream, indulgent without being artificial, and nut butters prepared in the kitchen, without preservatives.
Everything is sweet enough to give pleasure—and simple enough not to weigh you down.
Cereals and seeds with intention
The granolas and whole grain cereals are made at Gandum, with natural ingredients, seeds, raw cocoa, chia, and flaxseed. They are not catalog "superfoods." They are foods designed to sustain, not to promise miracles.
Coffee, tea, and drinking time
The coffee is organic. The tea is Gorreana, from the Azores, the oldest in Europe. There are also fresh infusions harvested from the Gandum gardens: lemon verbena, mint, rosemary. The water is flavored, simple, refreshing. Here, even the drinks are designed to be part of the rhythm—not as an immediate stimulus.
Clear provenance, without vague discourse
At Gandum, provenance is not just a nice word. It is a concrete list. There are things produced here. There are things that come from nearby. There are things that come from further away—and that is accepted. We know where the eggs, honey, cheese, bread, coffee, and tea come from. We know how many kilometers they travel. And we know that not everything can be local—but everything can be chosen with care.
Transparency is not perfection. It is honesty.
Start the day right
Breakfast at Gandum does not try to be memorable in a spectacular way. It tries to be fair. To the body, to the territory, and to time. It is a meal that prepares you for the day without taking up all of it. That cares for you without weighing you down. That nourishes you without distracting you.
And that, for us, is the best possible start.