THE BEST PUB SNACK BAR NONE
Pork scratchings top a survey as the best savoury companion to a drink but tastes have been getting more exotic in Britain
WHEN pubs reopen on April 26, eating might not be at the forefront of people’s minds.
A cool pint of lager or the sweet clink of ice in a giant gin and tonic may be the priority.
But snacks and nibbles are an important part of the out-for-a-drink experience, whether it’s a bag of crisps ripped open on a sticky table or a bowl of olives in a cocktail bar.
A survey has revealed the UK’s favourite bar munchies and in No1 spot is pork scratchings – a crunchy, hairy chunk of pig fat that has been salted then baked until crisp.
They’ve been around since the end of the 18th century when enterprising hog-owners would roast the fatty skin of the pig, chop it into small hunks and then sell it in the ale house to sustain hungry drinkers.
They fell out of favour in the wine bar revolution of the 90s when they were associated with heavy dimpled beer mugs and red-faced men drinking pints of foaming ale.
But they have had an artisan glow-up in recent years and gastropubs now make their own.
Crisps and nuts are the perfect companion to a cold beer or glass of wine. But post-pandemic we won’t be seeing little bowls of salty snacks along the bars of fancy hotels – they’ll be replaced by bottles of hand sanitiser.
We will have to develop a new etiquette for sharing bar food. And bar keepers, who know customers drink faster when eating something heavily salted, will have to find another way of boosting their bottom line.
Scotch eggs had their moment when lockdown lifted last year and English drinkers had to order “a substantial meal” with their drinks. The humble sausage-covered egg was classified as substantial enough to fit the bill and they had a surge in popularity.
A hard-boiled egg surrounded with sausage meat then deep-fried in breadcrumbs is certainly wellplaced to soak up alcohol on an extended session. It packs a lot of protein into a small package.
Like scratchings, Scotch eggs have had a designer makeover. They now come with black pudding, haggis or venison in the sausage meat. Dinky versions made with quail’s eggs look cute but won’t do much to mop up too much Guinness. Pork pies have also had the artisan treatment and are now likely to be offered by pubs that take pride in their food and cook it on the premises. Pickled eggs were mentioned by almost 10 per cent or people quizzed. For the other 90 per cent of the population, this is a bewildering choice. Why would anyone want to ruin a perfectly good egg by immersing it in vinegar? And having done that, why spoil a pleasant evening in the pub by eating one? Drinkers’ tastes have evolved since the days when a pork scratching was thought of as a rare treat. Pistachios, the peanut’s posh pale green cousin, was the choice of 17 per cent. This might be a hangover from holidays in Spain and Greece, where the smell of fresh roasting nuts is a feature of many nights out in a seafront bar or restaurant.
Olives, another popular choice, are an essential part of any tapas or mezze spread or to nibble with drinks before dinner.
Bombay mix – a spicy mixture of fried noodles, lentils and peanuts – is another sign of our evolving palates. David Arnold, of Perspectus Global, who carried out the survey, said: “Almost threequarters of people cited their local pub as their No1 happy place and we hope the nation is looking forward to getting back to meeting friends and family over a drink and a bite to eat.”