FA Cup Snackage

I seem to have an uncanny ability to double book myself on days of important football games. The number of times I've been delighted to secure a hard-to-book dinner reservation at a restaurant only to discover I'll be missing a World Cup qualifier. Or, indeed, to arrange a (as it happens) lovely bonding / brainstorming sesh several weeks in advance and then discover it's Champions League Final night.

The one exception though is the FA Cup. While I'll be deeply cynical about the Big Four and their grip on the competition (sooner we get rid of 'em into a European Super League the better, frankly), it's a day I absolutely love, from build up to the lifting of the cup. Of course, with today's coverage being on ITV it's been a bit crap - and regularly dotted with plugs for Britain's Got Talent, for chrissakes - but that just gave me a bit of extra time to get down to Borough this morning and get some decent snackage in.

It's been a good week for food all round - the surrealism of last weekend's Beluga-fest and a lot of lunching (stand by for posts on Sushinho, Gilgamesh and the best meal out of the week, the £4.95 delights of Thai food at the Hammersmith Cafe) - but I think my pre-match starter has trumped most of it. Toasted Tortano from Neal's Yard Dairy. Some slightly warmed, mace-heavy, lemon splashed Morecambe Bay potted shrimps. A perfectly ripe Haas avocado (a bargain 50p from Elsey & Bent). A bottle - cheers Petra! - of WEST's St Mungo beer. Life doesn't get better.

Well, not until halftime, when I break out the Tunworth, more toasted Tortano, a slab of Montgomery's, a little Cotherstone (in awesome form) and a couple of ultra ripe Beefsteak tomatoes...