friends having brunch Always ahead of the game, those fashionable New Yorkers have been 'going for brunch' years before it became synonymous with the Sex and the City lifestyle. With long working hours, evenings reserved for paddling in the dating pond and lunchtimes no more than a quick Starbucks snack, the weekend days are the perfect opportunity to get friends together for brunch

So you've got to wonder it's taken us so long to catch on to a trend that makes the most of that little lull between breakfast and lunch and brings the dinner party kicking and screaming in to the present day. Be a pan-wielding pioneer with our guide to being the perfect brunch time host.

Hasty pastry

Making your own croissants can be a bit of a faff, so pick up some from a bakery or supermarket and customise by whizzing 150g butter, 75g icing sugar, 4tbsp flour, 300g almond flour and 1tsp of almond essence before spreading ¾ inside six split croissants and the rest across the top. Sprinkle with 50g of sliced almonds, bake for ten minutes on 170C then sprinkle with icing sugar.

But if even that's too much baking for your liking why not simply pack a basket with brioche, croissants and pastries, jams, chocolate spreads and slowly softening butter and serve with a cafetiere of freshly brewed Colombian coffee?

The meaty brunch

Take a tip from our American cousins and brandish that griddle pan for a full on meat feast.

We're talking streaky bacon grilled until it shatters and drizzled with maple syrup, lightly scrambled eggs and hash browns made by grating six peeled potatoes and one small onion and stirring with one beaten egg, 1tbsp plain flour, a sprinkle of salt and a tbsp of olive oil then fried in vegetable oil until brown.

Or, you could try an Antipodean brunch favourite, banana and bacon pancakes, an unusual but moreish combination of salty and sweet. Whizz up some plain pancake mix and combine grilled bacon, sliced banana and lashings of maple syrup.

For something less fiddly simply fry some good pieces of rump steak, place them on toasted ciabatta and add fried onion, grilled tomato or Portobello mushroom and an egg fried to just this side of runny. Serve with a strong coffee or an early doors beer and you're on your way to the perfect weekend.

Calorie conscious

You and your fellow brunchers will feel light as a feather but pleasantly sated following a simple spread inspired by some of our European cousins. Greek yoghurt accompanied by figs and runny honey or maple syrup feels wickeder than it is while a platter packed with a selection of melon and grapefruit sprinkled by berries is as fresh as it comes.

Or for something rustic and homemade why not custom make granola? Simply mix together 100ml maple syrup, 2tbsp vegetable oil, 2tbsp honey and a splash of vanilla extract before stirring in 300g rolled oats, 100g of sunflower and pumpkin seeds (split however you like) and 100g flaked almond then spreading evenly across baking sheets. Bake for 15mins at 150C before adding handfuls of dried berries, dried fruits or coconut depending on your taste. Offer a selection of flavoured and plain yoghurts and watch it disappear along with your carefully selected fruit juices.

Quick and easy

When time is of the essence keep it quick with easy to make, easy to serve food that tastes good hot or cold and even travels well. Think French toast with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Or simply slice a selection of bagels and fill with cream cheese and smoked salmon, flaked mackerel and horseradish or crispy bacon tomato and mayonnaise.

Cocktail hour

When it's not quite breakfast and not quite lunch, there's every reason to indulge in a cocktail or two. For the classic brunch cocktail combine two shots of cucumber vodka, 115ml of tomato juice, a twist of lemon juice, a sprinkle of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces with celery salt and pepper. Channel Tom Cruise for some vigorous cocktail shaking before straining over ice and adding a celery stick for the perfect Bloody Mary, or leave out the vodka for a thirst-quenching Virgin Mary.