On my wanderings over the last 3-4 years, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting some fantastic food and some not so good at local non-league grounds all around the south east. In the past, many grounds were limited to maybe a burger or hot dog if they produced any matchday food at all.

Thankfully, there has been an explosion of new and more exciting matchday morsels being available, probably a lot to do with interaction on social media. Pictures of new ideas receiving massive viewing numbers across the internet and inspiring clubs to try bigger, spicier and some downright mad items on their menu’s! 

As a willing participant in a burger or two at a non-league game over the years, here’s my top ten of matchday offerings from local clubs in Berkshire and borders.

Hungerford Town  

One of the first clubs to benefit from social media exposure were Hungerford with their Bulpit Beast burger going stratospheric on the web. Sadly, they don’t currently sell the famous burger but they do still have a menu which contains a delicious cheeseburger along with chicken burgers, sausage & chips and vegan burger options, all excellent value at between £4.50 and £5. They do have plans for a new menu next season so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Bracknell Town

I’ve been to Bottom Meadow several times and tried their range of burgers and hot dogs over the years which were okay but they get onto my list by having a throwback to an earlier time on their menu and happily one even league sides are beginning to catch onto, the humble pie. What can be better on a freezing cold winters day than having a pie (with a choice of different fillings), chips and a hot Bovril all for around a fiver? 

Reading YMCA

The first of a few clubs trying something different and smashing it. Their matchday menu is a feast of chilli, you can have a choice of chilli pot, a chilli hotdog or chilli nachos all priced at £4.50. Perfect to warm you up on the colder afternoons but also light enough to munch through on a sunny day. 

Yateley United

Back to burgers and hotdogs at Yateley but they are superb and the cheapest I’ve seen on all of my travels. If you use quality products people will keep coming back for more (highlighted by the fact I had both the bacon cheeseburger and a hotdog on my most recent visit!). 

Wokingham Town

Wokingham have a great burger range on their clubhouse menu, cheeseburger, bacon & cheeseburger, half pounder and a Bear burger (which includes cheese, bacon & sausage!). They also offer chicken burgers, jacket potatoes with various fillings and you can also order a portion of chips, chips with a chilli topping, sausage & chips and cheesy chips. The most difficult thing with the Sumas menu is choosing which one to have!

Newbury Town

I only recently visited Newbury for the first time and Sarah’s Grill at Faraday Road was a revelation. I had the special of the day, a large bratwurst with fried onions in a fresh baguette for £7.50 which was delicious. They also do a range of beef and chicken burgers which cost between £6 and £9 (for an enormous burger), and their loaded fries which come with a choice of toppings including cheese, chilli cheese, garlic parmesan cheese, and chilli heatwave fries which looked stunning. Note: I will be returning next season!

Holyport

Another recent visit and a worthwhile one at that. Their Port Burger with bacon, egg & cheese is a thing of beauty. Other items on their menu include a cheeseburger, breakfast bap, bacon & egg roll, hotdog, nuggets & chips and cheesy chips. Well worth a visit for the Port Burger alone. 

Burnham

Burnham are another club who have a large menu and do everything really well. I think I’ve been through their entire menu over the last few years and have never been disappointed. Their menu includes bacon buns, sausage & egg rolls, a fried egg bun, a jumbo hotdog (a favourite of mine), burgers, chicken burgers, and chicken nuggets and chips which I would definitely recommend! All cooked from fresh in their kitchen and available at a very reasonable price. 

Reading City

Another of the clubs that became an internet sensation thanks to their menu and all because of a joke. Twitter site Footy Scran picked up a joke post showing City’s Chinese Selection Box for £12 and before they knew what was happening hundreds of thousands of people had seen viewed it on social media.

The club received visits from people throughout the UK and beyond just to try the box, which I believe continues to this day! They also have excellent deluxe 6oz burgers on their menu which range from £5 to £7, along with all the usual other options. A great place to grab some lovely food while having a day at the football.

Ascot United

The kitchen at Ascot United is quite amazing as is the extensive menu they offer. The options include a breakfast menu, 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 them but during the winter a couple of years ago, they used to have a special on every week, I tried the homemade chicken curry, lasagne and chilli in a bowl options, all of which were superb and at £7, fantastic value. Last season I spoke to the ladies that prepare the food at Leatherhead and the subject of Ascot’s food options came up. To say they had kitchen envy would be an understatement! The biggest menu, freshly cooked and definitely one for the Footy Scran enthusiast.

Many of the teams in Berkshire have stepped up with regard to the food options they offer and it’s great to see. As mentioned previously I know people who have only gone to a particular ground because they’ve seen it on social media (and yes, I’ve done that too!). Excellent food options seem to be a growth area in non-league football, with clubs all around the country trying to outdo each other on the size, varieties and quality of their menus. 

If you’re at a match in the future check out the options available, it might just surprise you!

Got more options for the Wandering Tractor to try? Let him know in the comments and he’ll be along just as soon as he can..