Food, travel, family and the stories behind every plate.

Food has always been part of our family story.

As I grew up, I always knew food was my dad’s passion. It was there in the cooking shows he watched, the dishes he wanted to try, the ingredients he talked about, and the way he could turn a simple meal into a conversation. After more than 30 years as a chef, he never saw food as just something to eat. To him, food had craft behind it. It had history. It had people, places and stories woven into every bite.

We always loved travel, and we always loved trying new dishes, but the journey really began when my dad decided to take a year out. After decades in kitchens, he wanted to really see the world. Not from a hotel balcony or a guidebook, but properly on the road, through markets, coastlines, cities, backstreets, cafés, family-run restaurants and places most tourists would never think to stop.

He started planning an extraordinary trip: riding a motorbike coast to coast across the USA, heading down into South America through Brazil and Argentina, then on to Fiji, New Zealand and beyond. It was bold, slightly mad, and completely him.

I was compelled to join part of it.

Australia was where the journey became ours

We met in Sydney and travelled up towards Cairns, exploring Australia through its food, landscapes and culture. Some memories from that trip have never left me: the long open roads, the strange quiet of the outback, and one night in the middle of nowhere when the car lights went out and everything suddenly felt very far from home.

Those are the moments travel gives you. Stressful at the time, funny later, unforgettable forever.

Alongside the adventure, there was always food. In Sydney, we wandered through fish markets where the air was salty and alive with the smell of fresh seafood. We tried prawns, meat pies, flat whites and dishes shaped by Britain, Asia and the Pacific. Dad was fascinated by how Australian food carried so many influences at once.

The journeys kept coming

After that, the trips kept growing. We crossed Morocco, travelling from Marrakech to Agadir on roads that felt chaotic, thrilling and unforgettable. We explored Europe, from Prague to Zurich, through Italy and beyond, finding that every country had its own rhythm at the table.

In Italy, it might be warm bread, olive oil and pasta made with quiet confidence. In Germany, sausages and mustard at Oktoberfest. In Norway, smoked salmon on dark rye, warming fish soup and the rich caramel flavour of brunost cheese.

More recently, we travelled to France for the Paris Olympics, soaking up the energy of the city while enjoying buttery croissants, bistro food and the feeling that food is part of everyday French life, not something separate from it. Another trip took us to Le Mans and Normandy, where history felt close at every turn in the towns, the roads, the coastline, and the food that still carries the identity of the region.

Food became the way we understood a place

In Kenya and Tanzania, we found food that was generous, social and full of soul. In Nairobi, we ate nyama choma with ugali and kachumbari, the kind of meal that naturally brings people together. In Tanzania, we saw coffee beans being ground by hand and wandered through spice markets where cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg told the story of trade routes, migration and the Indian Ocean.

It was impossible not to see how deeply food, geography and history were connected.

Wherever we went, we were not just looking for something nice to eat. We wanted to understand why people cooked the way they did. Why bread matters so much in India. Why coffee is prepared with such care in Tanzania. Why spices travelled across oceans. Why certain dishes survive for generations. Why a recipe can tell you something about climate, trade, family, celebration, hardship and home.

• Morocco showed us how road trips, markets and bold flavours can make a journey feel alive.
• Tanzania reminded us that even something as simple as coffee can carry ritual, care and history.
• India made us think differently about bread, spice, texture and the importance of everyday food.
• France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, Bali and the Seychelles all added something different to the table.

More than 75 countries later

Over the years, we have influenced each other’s journeys too. I found myself returning to South America more than once, especially Brazil and Argentina, drawn back by the fire, colour, markets, music, meat and culture. My dad kept exploring too, including Bali this year, still curious, still tasting, still chasing the story behind the plate.

Between us, we have now visited more than 75 countries, but the feeling has never really changed. The best memories are still the simple ones: sharing food somewhere unfamiliar, asking where a dish came from, finding a local favourite, getting lost, laughing about it later, and realising that a meal can stay with you long after the journey ends.