I tried the ideal picky bits lunch, with a Scottish twist

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There’s another new spin on a cold meal of nibbles

Apparently, Google Trends search data shows that UK interest in “picky bits” is up 100 per cent year-on-year.

Marks & Spencer even decided that last Saturday was National Picky Bits Day.

It’s a bit of a rebrand. Just last year, the internet was calling this assemblage of cold uncooked stuff a “girl dinner”.

Call me an early adopter, but we’ve been doing snacky meals of random fridge haberdashery for ages, except in our household we call it a smorgasbord. It’s perfect for summer, when you don’t feel like hot food.

I had a real picky bits/girl dinner shocker last week. My plate featured a large dollop of cottage cheese, rollmops, a boiled egg, a sliced avocado with Worcestershire Sauce on top, almonds, tomato, buttered toast and a bit of tablet for afters.

So strange, yet so delicious, and I feel that all the major food groups got cameos, even though my husband doesn’t like to see me tackle my herrings. “You eat like a cat,” he says.

However, I’m sure that when Marks & Spencer is promoting “picky bits”, the marketing team means stuffed olives, padron peppers, Cornish Cruncher and other expensive nibbles.

We’re a bit more low rent than that.

There are exceptions. Whenever we do a self-catering staycation, which is our holiday of choice, we always spluge, and have smorgasbords for dinner and a couple of lunches.

I suppose the dream would be East Coast Cured Fennel Salami, Highland Fine Cheeses’ new Ooh La La, Perello olives, smoked almonds, pickles, Phantassie Organics salad and other delights.

As long as we can include a rollmop in the mix, I’m quite happy.