Octopus toast

When it comes to food in lockdown, Chris has been surprised by some of his friends’ inventions

- Chris van Schaick

Reports reaching me from Brockenhurst say they’ve been reduced to eating tinned octopus on toast during the crisis. That Hampshire village is a wonderful place. I lived there for seven years while my father was headmaster of the primary school and I had great times at the sixth form college.

But the o-on-t lockdown lunch was very Brockenhurst in its charming eccentricity. For our friends Fiona and Neil, the next grocery consignment was a few days away. So they had a rummage at the back of the cupboard and there it was – tinned octopus. Who knew? And how would Delia suggest serving it? Well, that bread’s getting a bit old. What about putting the octopus on some toast?