Food Diaries London started in 2010 as a Facebook Group for my friends who would not stop asking me about places to recommend. To make everyone’s life a little easier, I thought it best to direct them to my group, and later my blog ?

But REALLY, my obsession with food started quite early on. I credit my parents for it, especially my dad. A tiny kid, I had the appetite of an elephant ? If I was ever upset, my dad would ask ‘What would you like to eat?’ and my eyes would light up ? Birthdays menus were dictated by me to my mother ?

My mama used to call me a moody chef i.e.  I would only cook when I was in the mood. Growing up in Pakistan, you cannot help but NOT have an obsession with food. All our life occasions revolve around food, there’s a dish for every occasion. Nostalgia is attached to every dish…

The moment I discovered BBC Food on cable TV, I was hooked. I soaked in all the chefs who had their cooking shows, from Gary Rhodes (late) to the early days of Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger and Nigella… I was introduced to a whole new array of food. That’s why my dad started calling me his MasterChef ?

Moving to London in 2007 opened my eyes to all the cultures that harmoniously exist within this beautiful city, and with that I was introduced to a myriad of cuisines and flavours. The passion for food has stayed with me and will continue to do so. I’ve seen immense growth of food brands, sad closures of restaurants, food trends peak (remember the cronut craze??), to meeting some amazing people within the food community (restauranteurs, chefs, bloggers).

I don’t think I will ever tire of talking about food, writing about food and sharing some amazing places to blow your mind.

 

Your opinions, contributions and suggestions are most welcome. I would want everyone to contribute, share their experiences of places and make it more of a community than just a blog/website about food!

This blog is a treasure trove of content. I actively review places, collaborate with food brands/companies I admire and partner with PR agencies every now and then to produce content, that even if I was a paying customer, I would put my own money on. I take pride in the integrity of my reviews and I’d rather refuse a gig than write sponsored content that is not 100% me.

Love this quote by Bill Watterson:

“So, what’s it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don’t recommend it.”