The greasy spoon guide

It was a fine phenomenon on the Internet, picking up prizes and even attracting a global following.

But now Russell Davies' search for the perfect greasy spoon cafe has produced a spin-off book.

Egg, Bacon, Chips and Beans: 50 Great Cafes and the Stuff that Makes Them Great lists the top places in Britain to enjoy a traditional fry-up.

It even comes with a handy colour wheel to check the colour of the ingredients.

It all began when account manager Mr Davies became obsessed with finding the perfect egg, bacon, chips and beans (EBCB) combination for breakfast.

He posted his musings about the London cafes he visited on a web blog and championed traditional greasy spoons, which he claims are being ousted by corporate coffee shops serving muffins and panninis.

The book also looks at things like table tops, sauce bottles and cafe people, who Mr Davies believes should be a 'broad social mix'. He said: 'There is nothing more nourishing and cheering than a good honest, no-nonsense fry-up.

'I hope the book will inspire people to go out and support their local caff before it disappears for ever.'

His quest for the perfect Full English breakfast even stretched to Scotland - but now it is going global.

The book includes an entry on the Three Steps Cafe in Sydney, Australia, in which a blogger called Eleanor speaks of a delicious ECBC.

The book is published by Harper-Collins at £9.99p.