Bilby Bites is the brain-child - intellectually challenged perhaps - of Natalie Taylor, myself. I am a freelance Marketing Consultant who lives in the beautiful, foodie heaven that is Devon, with my partner JC. I have long been a huge fan of cooking, eating and in some cases, simply admiring, food. My aim here is to share my favourite recipes, collected over 15 years, food suppliers & produce, restaurants, cafes & more, with anybody else who is enamoured with food and interested in reading about it.
There is something hugely egotistical about believing that there are other people out there who would be interested in anything I have to say on an hourly, daily or weekly basis, but since technological advances such as blogs, forums & social media sites have made it easy to express yourself online, I can kid myself that I am riveting and oh so worthy of a place in cyberspace. Just bear with me!
I grew up in Australia and moved to the UK in 1992 to the not-so-foodie location of Reading. No offence meant to Reading or it’s inhabitants, as it was fairly representational of the UK food scene as I experienced it, but coming from Sydney where you tripped over a great restaurant every few metres, it was very different. I couldn’t quite get my head around the idea of egg sandwiches that had been prepared days before hand and were being sold pre-packed in petrol stations. I don’t think I’m over that really. In the last 17 years, things have changed dramatically and the UK is now full to the brim with wonderful chefs, food producers and restaurants. Even pub food has pulled it’s proverbial socks up.
This change in the culinary landscape has led to a growth in the number of specialist food shops across the country and Devon is no exception – in fact it is the perfect example of a county that has seen the food industry contribute greatly to the success of local tourism resulting in a match made in heaven. If you love food and you want a weekend away to scour the farm shops for local delicacies, eat fresh local produce in top restaurants and sip regional wines and ciders in friendly, warm pubs, Devon is the place to go.
You will quickly work out which way my loyalties lie in terms of cuisine as my site content grows, but I can tell you that almost anything Italian, Thai, Spanish or Moroccan are firm favs, with traditional British fayre such as good sausage or pie and mash, definitely in my Top 10.
Of course, no blog would be complete without interaction with followers so please get in touch and let me know your foodie thoughts and experiences. Remember, these reviews are my own opinion and your views are just as important. I only aim to tip you off and maybe point you towards something you may not yet have found. Sort of like a tour guide. Welcome aboard …