An Edible Voyage

June 2021 When researching my Northern Ireland trip, I had no doubt I'd come across many a food and coffee place to add to my 'to try' list in Belfast, but I fully expected that once I was out in the 'wilds' of my campsite, any food and drink excitement would be limited by my (lack of) camping stove creativity.  To my delight, I was proved wrong.  Unexpectedly, the seaside town of Ballycastle harbours Ursa Minor, a sourdough bakery and treasure trove of local produce.  Sourdough loaves and seasonally flavoured buns and baked goods fill the window, whilst the rest of the shop bursts with locally made preserves and condiments in all manner of exciting flavours - lemon and fennel, strawberries preserved in acacia honey and rayu (Japanese chilli oil) jumped out at me, alongside delicious kombucha and all sorts of other delights. Sit in and enjoy a quality coffee - they offer all the espresso based staples, or take your haul down to the beach for a gourmet picnic. Find U...

April 2021 What more could one hope to come across on a blustery, hilly cycle around Shetland Mainland than a cake fridge! Yes, that's right, a fridge full of home baked cup cakes, mint aero tiffin, original tiffin, caramel tiffin... as well as hand knitted socks, Whalsay made jams (lime and Shetland Reel gin is particularly moorish) and Orkney fudge.  Open 24/7 on an honesty basis, you can satisfy sweet cravings at any time of day or night. Grab your goodies and head a couple of 100m east along the road to enjoy the view of the shimmering blue grey sea and lush green hills from the picnic benches, or, if you're there at a conventional time, why not venture in to the tea room for an even wider selection of baked goods and hot drinks.  Find The Original Cake Fridge on the road from Aith, just before East Burrafirth.

November 2020 My first visit to Newcastle upon Tyne meant the excitement of researching the bakery, coffee and general food scene.  Small batch microbakeries with exceptional hand crafted baked goods are the places of my dreams, so Northern Rye was top of my list, and I planned my journey to arrive in Newcastle at dawn on a Saturday so I could be first in line! I underestimated the popularity of this place though - it seems since opening on the river bank in Byker in June 2020, Northern Rye has gained a dedicated fan base.  Following the Ouseburn through Newcastle's creative quarter with its old warehouses sympathetically refurbished in to contemporary housing and office space, I could see the queue long before I could see Northern Rye!  The riverside spot made for a scenic location for some weekend people watching and the wait was more than worth it.  I was greeted with a handsome display of coconut and blackcurrant croissants, ginger and fennel buns, deliciously me...

November 2020 Doughnuts seem to have suddenly become a thing.  I'm sure a few years ago they were restricted to the sugar sprinkled rings or jam oozing balls from supermarket bakery counters or fairs.  Now places are vying for the best - the more outrageous the flavour combination, or elaborate the decoration, the better it seems. Perk in Inverness is fully on board with this latest trends.  6 flavours each month, usually with a vegan offering, ranging from simple but perfectly executed cinnamon dusted rings, pillowy and warm from the fryer, to decadent Kinder inspired hazelnut ganache inside a doughnut that's topped with white chocolate, hazelnut crumble and a stick of Bueno.  There's usually at least one fruity offering, as well as something to satisfy even the most adventurous, like the Breakfast of Champions maple and bacon doughnut.   Coffee is from the Dear Green coffee roasters in Glasgow, and there is also a menu of crispy toasties with a variety of...

January 2021 Breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day, whether a simple bowl of cereal or a decadent brunch, I often leap out of bed in anticipation.  Spring, autumn and winter, my go-to is porridge.   I love the comforting creaminess and the way I can feel it warming me from the inside, and I get excited by the endless topping possibilities so I’m sharing a few of my favourites.   Bay, my mum’s plum jam, nut butter and dukkah.   Infusing the milk with bay leaf whilst the oats soak imparts herbal notes which add a depth of flavour, and the sweetness of the jam is balanced by the savoury, toasted flavours of the dukkah. Custard.   I recently discovered that custard in porridge works exceptionally well – it’s great for balancing any tart fruits whilst also using up fridge leftovers.   Mince pie.   Following on from my custard discovery, I upped the festiveness over Christmas and added leftover mincemeat along with custard to create a se...

June 2020 Bakey and chocolaterie, can you get a better combination?!  Nestled in amongst the historical buildings of the picturesque, coastal village of Orford in Suffolk is Pump Street Bakery.  The counter bursts with both sourdough and yeasted bread, baguettes, baked goods and pastries, as well as their own made chocolate.   I arrived at opening time to find there was already a long queue and I quickly found out why.  Having devoured the Bear Claw - flaky, perfectly laminated pastry filled with gooey, nutty almond paste, and a great flat white, I queued up for round 2! The highlight was the pillowy doughnut filled with sweet but refreshing rhubarb jam.  It really was like eating the most delicious cloud. The chocolate selection is as equally exciting, with beans sourced from all over the world.  My all time favourite bar is the 72% Solomon Islands which really tastes of baked banana.  I'm also very excited to try th...

June 2020 What do you want in a doughnut?  Pillowy dough? A generous dusting of sugar to coat your lips?  A sweet, fruity and jammy, or creamy and custardy filling? There's a bakery start-up in Oxford that can deliver you all of these and more.  Patron.  With exciting fillings such a hazelnut praline, lemon curd, chocolate and tonka bean, and the cheery sounding chuckleberry jam, you will be spoilt for choice.  And if that wasn't enough decadence, they also make banana bread and gooey chocolate brownies.  Eco-friendly home delivery around Oxford by bike or collect from Jericho Coffee Traders Osney Mead or Tap Social's White House Horse Box outside The White House pub on Abingdon Road.

March 2018 You need a good breakfast to keep your energy up for a day in the life of a burkutchu (eagle hunter).  Semolina porridge served with kaymak, a local dairy product similar to clotted cream, is certainly hearty, but what would a meal in Kyrgyzstan be without adding butter and one of the wide varieties of jam that adorn every table - it also adds flavour and makes it much less bland.  

March 2018 As in many nations, tea is a popular drink in Kyrgyzstan.  A Kyrgyzstan table is almost always adorned with butter and multiple flavours of  jam, and at the house of the family we stayed with in Bokonbayevo, butter and raspberry jam are added to tea to sweeten it and set you up for a day's hunting. 

March 2020 Afternoon tea always feels so decadent  but they can be quite samey.  I jazzed mine up with some exotic flavours.   'Sandwiches' of Red Leicester and Lincolnshire Poacher with home pickled rhubarb adding a crunch and cutting through the richness off the cheese, on deliciously chewy Yorkshire Levain bread.  Scones with sweet and spicy pineapple and pink peppercorn jam, kefir lime to freshen it up, and coconut cream for that luxurious creaminess.  Light, zingy and gluten free pistachio, rosemary and almond polenta cake with orange and thyme syrup, offset by malty assam tea.  The sparkle of prosecco bubbles fizzing on the tongue...

February 2020 During Fasching, the carnival season in Munich, trays of krapfen (doughnuts) fill shop windows, with every flavour imaginable from traditional apricot to wacky chilli.  Jam filled, and glazed or simply dusted with icing sugar, these fluffy balls of dough aren't dissimilar to your standard doughnut. Find them in every bakery or konditorei.

January 2020 Medialunas Breakfast means two things here – coffee and medialunas or coffee and tostados (see below).    The streets are lined with cafes offering coffee and medialuna deals.    These crescents of deliciousness are slightly crispy and syrupy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle.    The coffee perfectly balances the sweetness, I didn’t want them to end!    The best ones I found were at Dulce Maria in Martinez which has the added bonus of being on the Rio de la Plata beach, with views across the water to the city.    Go on a Sunday, late morning, to soak up the atmosphere when locals head to the beach. Tostados The other breakfast option (breakfast is a simple and light affair in Argentina).    Toasted bread served with cream cheese and jam – these work surprisingly well together and are a good option for a tasty breakfast that will leave you with space for an asado later. Find it everywhe...