2018 what a year! I started my food blog earlier this year, just after I moved to London. I thank every one of you for your continuing support and encouragement and for being on this culinary journey with me 😊

In this post I will be reflecting 2018’s best food moments.

First up, moving to London has always been a dream of mine and it came true this year. So much happens here, there are so many delicious food places and great social spots for all ages. This was a great opportunity for me to eat my way around London and beyond!I moved in with my vegan bestie, Claire. She has inspired me to branch out of my comfort zone and try amazing vegan food – I discovered a range of vegan, gluten free and diary free brands. From starters right through to desserts and snacks. My favourite vegan brands of 2018 are Linda Mccartney – their sausages and now their pizza selections and items that stand out. Strong Roots provide a great range of veges – currently loving their sweet potato fries. Violife Cheese create an amazing range of diary free cheeses. We recently hosted a vegan Christmas party with their latest cheeseboard! However my favourite flavour from them is their mozzarella, a great flavour and it melts, which is amazing for a dairy free cheese!

The snacks I have warmed to are Eat Real Snacks quinoa chips – my favourite flavour would have to be their sour cream & chives, a flavour that is nostalgic and reminds me of Quavers.

Last but not least my favourite chocolate brands are The Raw Chocolate Company – Salted Caramel Vanoffe a replacement for white chocolate, Vego – a rich nutty bar of chocolate that reminds me of Ferrero Rocher (this is a much loved classic amongst vegans) and recently I found Cocoa Libre a silky milk free chocolate I will be buying in the future.

The top three restaurants of 2018 – Comme Chez Maman, Sketch and The Palomar – it was actually a hard choice picking which restaurant was my ultimate favourite of 2018 so I chose 3 and I’ve listed them in no particular order. They all had fantastic service and incredible food. I visited Comme Chez Maman in Paris by Chef Wim Van Gorp in early November, the service was on point Chloe and Catlin were amazing front of house, they really made our Paris trip! My partner and I were talking about this restaurant for days even after landing back in London.

Sketch was one of my ultimate 2018 accomplishments as it was on my list for a while, Claire surprised me by taking me there for my birthday! It was like stepping into your own wonderland, creative and magical. The Gallery room also known as the ‘Pink Room’ was sophisticated and quirky with monochromatic interior. We were treated like royalty with miniature bites and a range of sensational teas. And of course you cannot go to the Sketch without visiting their insta famous loos!

My third choice was my recent trip to The Palomar, which I recently featured on my blog. The team were excellent they went above and beyond to cater to your every need and the food was mouthwateringly good!

My top three desserts of 2018 – Matcha Fondant from Machiya, tiny pots from Sticks’n’Sushi and Yolkin. I am a lover of all things sweet so the best sweet desserts I have had this year was a Matcha Fondant from Machiya a Japanese restaurant off Haymarket, London. I still can remember my first bite, it was orgasmic. My sister and I took 5 to 10 minutes figuring out the best word to describe it, to be honest you have to try it for yourself, especially if you love matcha, as much as I do. All we could conjure up was, ‘a heavenly rich matcha genache’, the first bite was mind blowing. Highly recommend!

My second favourite dessert of this year would be the Sticks’n’Sushi dessert selection; 10 different delicious mini pots filled with luxurious treats. The 3 pots I tend to be drawn to are Gateau Marcel topped with chocolate pearls – rich and chocolatey with a moist sponge, Fondant (dark chocolate caramel and peppermint core topped with crunchy hazelnut brittle) – a rich dark chocolate sponge with melted peppermint chocolate centre with a nutty trial. Finally the Matcha financier marzipan, matcha dark chocolate – flavour was not overpowering, a light sponge with a melted chocolate in the centre.

My third favourite is the matcha macaroon ice cream sandwiche, from Yolkin – a tasty sweet matcha flavour with giant macaroons. Although it is not normally sold as a macaroon sandwich however it can be found in their ice cream scoops section, they love creating new flavours every other week to entice and excite our tastebuds.

This year has been exhilarating. I never thought I’d work with such amazing and passionate people. Thank you to the collaborations I had this year – Sophie, a home cook and Mum who hosted me and my friends at her successful Supper Club Dining experience. We indulged in 3 exquisite french courses, she was an amazing host and we loved every moment of it!

In September Waffles Amour approached me and asked to collaborate. Gladly I accepted and was sent a box of sugared waffles and chocolate waffles – both were very tasty and I was able to combine it with my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Next up I met Karla Thomas who is the cook behind Operation Cook Design – another passionate woman who loves to share her low calorie cakes with all and I had the pleasure of tasting her low calories brownies – light and chocolatey.

No.1 Kombucha was my next collaboration with Palm Public Relations. This was my first ever kombucha and now I’m always on look out for them in Sainsburys!

My final collaboration of 2018 was with Popcorn Shed sent by Delivered Social UK. I love their popcorn so much I have since then ordered more to share with my family and friends. I am so grateful that I was able to do all this within this year. I met some extraordinary people and worked with amazing brands! I am looking forward to 2019 and seeing my blog and social platforms grow.

What you can expect from me in 2019 is for me to continue to grow my food blog, I will continue to meet new foodies and incorporate some personal food recipes. I am also hoping to work with more chefs and brands.

Thank you all for supporting me through my food journey, its been one amazing year and I hope 2019 I will bring more delicious adventures to you all 😊