One month of soccer fever has finally come to an end as South Africa says goodbye to the World Cup. What a fantastic competition it’s been with shock results for almost every team, the much fancied Brazil and Argentina squads never delivered on their initial promise, England nose-dived amidst staunch optimism surrounding the players, and semi-final stalwarts France and Italy couldn’t even make it past the group stages.

The ever efficient Germans powered on to the semis, Uruguay warmed south American hearts and broke African ones, and The Netherlands made it to their first ever final. While all this madness was going on however, one thing remained constant, the tournament favourites for well over a year, Spain, played some sublime football and eventually emerged as worthy victors. Their super accurate passing and uncomprimising finishing ability came through helping them to a well deserved first World Cup win.

Spain as a collective nation is really on song currently and as been for sometime within the domian of sport, Nadal recently set Iberian hearts pounding as he stormed to a Second Wimbledon title in three years. Outside of sports however, Spanish catering, which has always been somewhat over-shadowed by its French and Italian counterparts, is really creating a buzz at the moment.

Independent Tapas eateries are starting to spring up on high streets all over the UK , offering an exciting alternative to the clich©d pizza, pasta, curry or Chinese debate. Spanish food is unique in that it is served not in clearly divided courses but as a continual stream of small and varied dishes designed to ignite your taste-buds. The dishes are constructed from cured meats, fresh fish, rich cheeses, chickpeas, olives and roasted vegetables to name a few components, cooked and seasoned using a range of traditional methods.

Tapas can be treated as a posh sit-down meal or a casual snacking-platter which you can pick at while chatting at the bar enjoying a cold beer, or better still, a sherry! A Spanish meal could even form a dynamic and imaginative centrepeice for a corporate Christmas Party in 2010. Just as Spain’s game is beautiful when they manipulate the ball with vigor and soul, their food is as exciting and skillfully prepared as their game-plan. Celebrate Spain securing their first World Cup with a slap-up tapas meal.