What on earth are bubble & squeak croquettes – and should they be allowed on a Nando’s menu?

Living in Putney, I’m a few hundred metres from both Nando’s UK head office and their local restaurant.

When I popped in this week for my usual fix, something on the menu made me do a double take. Bubble and squeak? At Nando’s? 

After two decades in London, I thought I’d seen every British culinary curveball the UK could throw. But the peri-peri chicken chain beloved by South Africans worldwide serving up something this decidedly un-South African? That’s a new one.

When Peri-Peri Meets British Leftovers

For those scratching their heads back home, bubble and squeak is about as British as queuing and apologising for things that aren’t your fault. It’s a traditional dish made from leftover vegetables (usually cabbage and potatoes) fried up together until crispy. The name comes from the sounds it makes in the pan.

Nando’s festive menu featured Bubble & Squeak Croquettes as a starter. Five crispy numbers filled with shredded Brussels sprouts, mash and red onion, served with Caesar dressing for dipping. Standard festive fare for the UK market, you might think.

Would South Africans Even Recognise This?

Here’s the thing: ask most South Africans what bubble and squeak is and you’ll get blank stares. It’s not exactly a staple in Joburg or Cape Town. The dish is so quintessentially British that you won’t find it on Nando’s menus back home, and you’re unlikely to see it there any time soon. While Brits grew up with leftover Sunday roast transformed into Monday breakfast, South Africans were perfecting the art of the braai and biltong. Different countries, different comfort foods.

A Portuguese Snack?

Here’s where it gets cheeky. Nando’s described these croquettes as their “twist on a popular Portuguese snack.” Portuguese? The dish dates back to at least the 18th century in Britain, with its name rooted in Cockney rhyming slang territory.

Granted, Portugal does have croquetes, but calling bubble and squeak Portuguese is like calling boerewors Italian because they also have sausages.

The Verdict

For South Africans used to peri-peri chicken, chips and Portuguese rolls, seeing Brussels sprouts croquettes on the Nando’s menu feels like spotting a springbok wearing a Christmas jumper. Technically festive, but somewhat culturally confusing.

The good news (or bad, depending on your appetite for British-Portuguese fusion confusion) is that these croquettes have now left the building. As of early January 2026, Nando’s festive menu has been hibernated, taking the Bubble & Squeak Croquettes with it.

Safe to eat? Sure. Authentically Portuguese? Not by a long shot. But then again, Nando’s UK has always been about adapting to local tastes whilst keeping that peri-peri flame burning.

Sometimes traditions are best enjoyed Hot, as Nando’s says. Sometimes they’re best enjoyed back in their country of origin.