I love all things food and drink, I love talking about it, preparing it, sharing it and love nothing more than a foodie experience with friends and family.
Being half-Italian, I was exposed to the Italian food culture and cuisine and understood the importance of good quality food from an early age. This led to a lifetime interest in all things food and drink related. Living in Rome for 6 years in the 1990’s, further enhanced my knowledge and love of Italian cuisine.
A chance meeting with Trevor Laffin, then Head of Division of Business, Management and Enterprise at Queen Margaret University, at a friend’s Christmas party, led to me enrolling in an MSc in Gastronomy. What an experience that was.
Studying for this MSc was one of the best years of my life. It made me look at food and where it came from in a completely different manner. I gained knowledge of the Scottish food and drink industry, which helped me understand the complex nature of this sector, the importance of agriculture, locally sourced products and quality ingredients and an appreciation of Scottish heritage in relation to food. As part of my masters, I met many experts and food businesses which allowed me to experience a wide selection of Scottish produce and understand the importance of provenance, production, food systems, consumer culture and food communications. I also studied topics relating to the food system including areas such as production, the supply chain, logistics and distribution.
Living in Edinburgh for nearly twenty years, I have met several Italians and Scots-Italians. I was keen to focus my dissertation on Italian-Scottish cuisine and wanted to find out if food reflects identity, then what is the identity of Scots Italians? It was brilliant, interviewing Scots-Italians and Italians to hear their thoughts and feelings on food and identity. More information can be found in the section on ‘When Italy meets Scotland’. More on this to come.
This blog will provide insights into a variety of topics relating to food, drink, travel, hospitality, food security, businesses and charities making a difference and much more. Lifestyle, wellness, wild swimming and food experiences will also be featured.
It’s a place for all those with an interest in food and related subjects to read, engage, share thoughts and experiences and provide some useful resources.
I am also delighted to collaborate with Maree Rudd from Wild Swim Scotland to bring you food and swim related events and some online cooking and foodie experiences. Watch this space, more information to come.