Originally the word scran had an entirely different meaning than the one we’re most familiar with today. A great old Scots (and Northern English) word, scran was used as shorthand for cheap, tasty, filling grub.
Scran even saw itself at the centre of an old myth, suggesting that its real meaning stood for “sultanas, currants, raisins and nuts” - a mixture of dried foods once used by sailors to prevent them catching scurvy on long trips. But despite the fascinating narrative this story paints, it is not true in the slightest.
The earliest known use of the word dates back to the mid-1700s and has therefore seen various definitions since then. However, historically the term was used to describe inferior or scrappy foods - later picked up by the military who started using scran in reference to all meals or rations.
Today the definition of scran is a little looser and particularly in the north of England is used to describe food overall, rather than just the scraps. For example, if you were hungry you’d likely say “I’m absolutely starving, fancy getting some scran?” and next thing you know you’re heading out to get some delicious grub (feeling like we might need some scran ourselves now).
Off the back of this, a trend that has continued to grow over recent years is sports scran, which refers to the food served at sports venues.
People have been using dedicated social media accounts to showcase and discuss the food available at sports venues and stadiums around the world. They will often discuss the quality of the food featured - which in some cases has been quite shocking, generating a lot of attention from fans and followers. The accounts will share photos (and even videos) of the food in question, the price and overall whether it was good or bad.
Whilst the rising trend has certainly generated some laughs, it’s been a lot more transformative for sports fans than just enjoying some light entertainment. The documentation of the sports scran on social media, which simply lets the photo of the food do the talking, has actually incentivised some football clubs to drastically improve their matchday food.
So, next time you’re tucking into a delicious Katsu Curry, loaded fries or juicy burger at your favourite sports venue, give a little nod to sports scran!