All posts by j

General, Scotland

Scottish Bakery Treats: Introduction

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I recently moved to Ayrshire in Scotland. Having only been north of the border a handful of times before, my food encounters here were limited.

I knew about haggis, neeps and tatties, I’d heard about cranachan, and I’d eaten unlimited amounts of shortbread, but while strolling past a local bakery, I glanced in the window to see a number of unfamiliar items.

I only caught a glimpse, and one of them made me think of a yellow marshmallow peep chick. Walking on a bit further, I pondered what it could have been. A meringue-topped cake? A lemon tart of some sort? A version of that odd ice-cream cone filled with marshmallow one sometimes finds? Continue reading Scottish Bakery Treats: Introduction →

Cafés, Oxfordshire, Restaurants

Oxford Breakfasts

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Towards the end of 2010, I temporarily moved to the Jericho area of Oxford. Migrating from a 3-bedroom house in a village to a no-bedroom studio flat in the city meant my boyfriend and I now lived in close proximity to many eateries, as well as to each other.

To stave off cabin fever we took to venturing out more for meals. Sunday lunch started to become a regular fixture, as did Saturday breakfasts or brunches. Lying in bed, we would weigh up laziness versus hunger, until hunger inevitably won. Sometimes this would mean a brief trot for one martyr down the road to Gluttons deli to snag a Chelsea bun, but occasionally we would rise from underneath the duvet and head out for food. Continue reading Oxford Breakfasts →

Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Restaurants

Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Splashing the Cash

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I’m reluctant to write very much about any of these places. Of all the local places I’ve covered, these are probably the most heavily reviewed and well-known. I’ve contented myself with a few comments and an indication of when I last visited. Continue reading Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Splashing the Cash →

Cafés, Farm Shops, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire

Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Cafés

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Sometimes I want to eat somewhere a little simpler, where prices are cheaper and the atmosphere more informal. Perhaps all I want is a drink, or a light snack, or maybe a teeny treat to brighten a rainy weekend.

Oxford is overflowing with cafés, many relying heavily upon paninis, baguettes and wraps to draw in the tourists. Outside the city they are scattered a little more thinly, often nestling within the embrace of another larger business in order to ensure enough customers. Continue reading Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Cafés →

Buckinghamshire, Restaurants, Wiltshire

Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Internationally Delicious

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The fact there are only two entries in this post is mainly because restaurants offering a more diverse cuisine don’t tend to spring up in small villages. My favourite local Indian, Thai and Chinese restaurants (4500 Miles from Delhi, Bangkok House and Paddyfields or Oriental Condor depending on dish) are all in Oxford, my preferred French restaurant closed down a few years ago in Abingdon, and I haven’t settled on a top Italian yet. Continue reading Escaping from Oxford to Eat Out: Internationally Delicious →