In my wanderings over the last 3-4 years, I have had the pleasure of sampling some fantastic and some not so great food at local non-league grounds throughout the southeast. In the past, many places would only sell burgers or hot dogs if they were serving food on game day.
Luckily, there is a ton of new and more interesting match information available, perhaps much of it having to do with interactions on social media. Images of new ideas are getting huge views on the internet and inspiring clubs to try bigger, spicier and some downright crazy items on their menus!
As a willing attendee or two at non-league matches over the years, here are my top ten matchday deals from local clubs in the Berkshires and Borders.
Hungerford City
One of the first clubs to benefit from social media exposure was Hungerford with their Bulpit Beast burger hitting the web. Unfortunately, they’re not currently selling the famous burger but they still have a menu filled with delicious cheeseburgers along with chicken burgers, sausage & chips and a selection of vegan burgers, all worth between £4.50 and £5. They do have plans for a new menu next season, so stay tuned!
Bracknell City
I’ve been to Bottom Meadow a few times and tried a variety of burgers and hot dogs over the years that were okay, but they made their way onto my list with flashbacks to previous times on their menu and happily one of the league’s teams started pursuing, the humble pie. What’s better on a freezing winter’s day than enjoying a pie (with a choice of different fillings), chips and hot Bovril for around a fiver?
Reading YMCA
The first of several clubs to try something different and succeed. Their match menu is a chilli fiesta, you can choose a chilli pot, chilli hotdog or chilli nachos, all for £4.50. Perfect to warm you up on a cooler afternoon but also light enough to eat on a sunny day.
United Yateley
Back to the burgers and hotdogs in Yateley but they were excellent and the cheapest I’ve seen in all my travels. If you use quality products, people will keep coming back for more (highlighted by the fact that I ate a bacon cheeseburger and hotdog on my last visit!).
Wokingham City
Wokingham has a variety of delicious burgers on their clubhouse menu, cheeseburgers, bacon & cheeseburgers, half pounders, and Bear burgers (includes cheese, bacon & sausage!). They also offer chicken burgers, jacket potatoes with various fillings and you can also order a portion of chips, chips topped with chili, sausage & chips and cheese chips. The hardest thing on the Sumas menu is choosing which one to eat!
City of Newbury
I recently visited Newbury for the first time and Sarah’s Grill on Faraday Road was a revelation. I enjoyed the special of the day, a large bratwurst with fried onions in a fresh baguette for a delicious £7.50. They also serve a range of beef and chicken burgers priced between £6 and £9 (for a large burger), and their loaded fries come with a choice of toppings including cheese, chilli cheese, garlic parmesan cheese and the stunning looking chilli heatwave fries. Note: I will be back next season!
Holy Harbour
Recent visit and useful visit. Their Port Burger with bacon, egg & cheese is a thing of beauty. Other items on their menu include cheeseburgers, breakfast bap, bacon & egg rolls, hotdogs, nuggets & chips, and cheese chips. Worth a visit just for the Port Burger alone.
Burnham
Burnham is another club that has a large menu and does everything very well. I think I’ve checked out their entire menu over the last few years and have never been disappointed. Their menu includes bacon patties, sausage & egg rolls, fried egg rolls, jumbo hotdogs (my favorite), burgers, chicken burgers, as well as chicken nuggets and chips which I definitely recommend! All cooked fresh in their kitchen and available at very reasonable prices.
City of Reading
Another club that became an internet sensation thanks to its menu and all because of a joke. Twitter site Footy Scran picked up a joke post showing China City’s Selection Box costing £12 and before they knew what was happening, hundreds of thousands of people had seen it on social media.
The club received visits from people all over the UK and beyond just to try the box, which I believe continues to this day! They also have an excellent 6oz deluxe burger on their menu which ranges from £5 to £7, along with all the other usual options. A great place to enjoy good food while spending a day playing football.
Ascot United
The kitchen at Ascot United is quite amazing as is the variety of menus they offer. Choices include breakfast menus, burgers, chicken burgers, nuggets & strips, and hotdogs. You can also order jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings, wraps and several vegetarian options. I’m not sure if they still do it but during the winter a few years ago, they used to have specials every week. I tried a selection of homemade chicken curry, lasagna and chilli in a bowl, they were all excellent and for £7, fantastic value. Last season I was talking to the ladies who prepare the food at Leatherhead and the topic of Ascot’s food choices came up. To say they have kitchen envy is an understatement! The biggest menu, freshly cooked and definitely suitable for Footy Scran fans.
Many teams across the Berkshires have increased the choice of food they offer and this is great to see. As mentioned before, I know people who visit certain places just because they saw them on social media (and yes, I have done that too!). Excellent food options appear to be a growth area in non-league football, with clubs across the country looking to outdo each other in terms of the size, variety and quality of their menus.
If you attend a game in the future, check out the options available, it might surprise you!
Have more options to try Wandering Tractor? Let him know in the comments and he’ll be there as soon as he can..
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