Gourmet Girl Columns

If ever there was a place name that would excite my little food-loving brain, it would definitely be something called ‘The Pantry’. And so good […]

Harvey Nichols’ Foodmarket, with their brilliantly curated selection of foodstuffs, has been a favourite since they first opened. From one angle, they satisfy the simple […]

As far as awesome job titles go, I think ‘Chocolatier’ sits pretty highly on the fantasy list. Whether it invokes thoughts of working as a […]

I hope that the new year has started off well for all and that you’re looking forward to a delicious (lucky!) year ahead. This month, […]

I love stories that go along the lines of ‘I wasn’t happy in my job, and so I decided to leave and retrain to become […]

Greetings all! I hope you’re well and this finds you ready for some August festival fun here in Edinburgh. For us natives, it’s been a […]

We’re halfway through the year, and I can’t be the only person who’s nervously feeling a little body-image conscious about this being heralded as ‘The Year for British Sport’. London 2012 (TM/Copyright etc etc) is about to launch the nation into fully-fledged sports mania. As sofa-glued spectators, that is, rather than actual athletes. I began 2012 with intention of trimming down, really showing my food-writer’s belly what’s what. With expertise and motivational support from Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen, I’ve managed to find my running legs again after a year’s break. New trainers and the challenge of running another 10k in the autumn have helped burn off some of the calories. I also started the year with the express intention of giving up biscuits during my working day, as frankly, the shortbread habit was getting out of control. ‘Graze’ boxes are now de rigueur, and I enjoy snacking on the various assorted seeds, nuts and dried fruit. So the legs are getting in shape, I’ve managed to switch one snacking habit for another, yet thanks to my enthusiastic food-centric lifestyle, this belly still persists. Gardening is touted to be good exercise, so taking care of our not inconsiderably-sized back patch (whilst technically not ‘sport’) must be good for me. Then the reward will be the dragging out of the BBQ for bangers and a beer. I haven’t even mentioned the mid-afternoon ice cream break. In this year of Rule Britannia, The Times’ columnist Caitlin Moran suggested the motto for The Queen’s Jubilee was ‘Get drunk and eat cakes’. The upcoming Games have put the marketing gurus into hyperdrive with endorsements which seem to include multi-national soft drinks and fast food brands. The next motto could very well be ‘Drink cola and eat a cheeseburger’. Not particularly sports-friendly. My suggestion would be to keep it local and promote that most British of dining institutions. That’s right, Fish ‘n’ Chips. So this summer, as the world’s top athletes prepare themselves for the competition of their lives, you’ll find me in my pounding the pavement along the shore. On my […]

Considering myself to be an ‘adopted’ Leither, it’s always a joy when Bite comes round our way. In fact Gourmet Girl’s first ever outing for […]

Being the first person in a bakery before it opens for the morning’s business is quite exciting. The heat, the hypnotic sound of K-mixes finishing […]