Working from home has its advantages (like no commute time and being able to start work while you’re still in pyjamas) but it’s easy to get bored of staring at the same four walls. Sometimes we all just need a change of scenery and coffee shops provide a great alternative to working at home or in the office. The vibrant atmosphere of a busy coffee shop beats the silence of working or studying by yourself at home, while also offering less distractions and often a more productive environment. There’s also the major bonus of having lattes, espressos and mochas on hand to give you your caffeine fi ..read more

I’m so excited to be collaborating with fellow Notts enthusiasts It’s in Nottingham to promote the city’s very first Restaurant Week! This seven day, city-wide event will celebrate Nottingham’s fantastic food scene and offer local foodies like you and me the chance to dine out on a discount. More than 40 independent businesses and big name chains are getting involved. You can view the full list of participating restaurants on Restaurant Week’s official Eat Nottingham website. When is Nottingham Restaurant Week? Restaurant Week kicks off next week and will run from Monday 15th May to Sunday 21s ..read more

This post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading ..read more

The only thing that makes me happier than having a cocktail in hand is having one in each hand, so I’d like to start this blog by extending a personal thank you from me and my bank balance to whoever invented the genius concept known as ‘Happy Hour’. Happy Hour is any cocktail enthusiast’s best friend. If you’ve somehow gone through life without discovering Happy Hour, it’s a beautiful time of day when bars and pubs sell their cocktails (and sometimes other alcoholic beverages) at discounted prices. Although the term is singular, Happy Hour usually lasts for two hours or more, meaning more ti ..read more

As a food blogger, I’ve sampled a wide variety of cuisines, but I always come back to my first love: Italian. My life-long obsession with pasta is notorious among family and friends, and one of my earliest and happiest memories involves watching my grandad plate up a big bowl of cheesy fusilli just for me. By comparison, my feelings towards pizza growing up were rather lacklustre. This probably had a lot to do with me being raised by a pizza hater (sorry Dad) and the fact that my experience of pizza was limited to the ASDA frozen section (sorry Mum). Thankfully, my perspective on pizza has com ..read more

The countdown to Christmas Day is on and it’s time to start ticking off names from the long list of gifts you need to buy. This year I decided to create a guide for Nottingham gifts and take the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the fantastic local independent businesses in the city. From dedicated gift stores to local experiences and foodie gift vouchers, this blog post contains a wide range of gift ideas for all your Christmas shopping needs. Whether it’s a ‘gift for her’ or a ‘gift for him’ that you’re looking for, I’ve got you covered! Why shop local and independent? Independent ..read more

When I was younger, Halloween was my favourite time of year. Some of my best memories involve trick or treating with my dad and sister, and (several years later) getting drunk at fancy dress parties with my friends. Nowadays I still enjoy Halloween, but I prefer to embrace the spirit of the spooky season in ways that don’t involve knocking on strangers’ doors and asking for sweets (although if I could get away with it, I totally would!) There’s lots of Halloween events for adults happening in Nottingham this year, from horror film screenings to ghost hunts and club nights, so why let the kids ..read more

[Blog post updated April 2023.] Every Brit knows that the best way to enjoy the sun is with a bev in hand. Luckily for us Notts residents, there’s no shortage of bars and pubs with outdoor seating to be found in Nottingham city centre. From relaxing in a good ol’ beer garden to socialising on the waterfront, here’s 10 of the best places in Nottingham for having your alcoholic beverage al fresco. Reading this blog while out and about? Tap on the location details for each place to view the venue in the Google Maps app! Cured — 97 Carrington St, Nottingham, NG1 7FE Opening times: Monday to Thursd ..read more

[Blog post updated April 2023] Life is all about balance, but recently my eating habits have been tipping the scales towards ‘naughty and nice’ more than nutritious. The problem is going out for food with my partner and friends is one of my all-time favourite things to do, which makes eating healthier feel like even more of a struggle. So, I decided to go on the hunt for healthy lunch options in Nottingham– you know, for those days where you fancy something lighter than a carb-on-carb lunch and more exciting than a supermarket sandwich (sorry Tesco)– and I came up with this list of 12 places ..read more

[Updated April 2023] I can confirm that I’ve officially reached the age where coffee shops have replaced cocktail bars as my preferred location for a catch-up. Few things make my heart happier than a comforting mug of coffee and some cosy conversation. If I’m in a cute café and hot chocolate’s also on the menu, even better! If you enjoy a good catch-up over coffee, you need to add the 10 Nottingham businesses that feature in this blog post to your list of places to visit. All of the coffee shops featured are independent businesses because, despite loving a grande caramel latte as much as the n ..read more