Gender issues in restaurant kitchens are nothing new — but it’s time for London to set a better standard. By Victoria Stewart (illustration by Ellie Foreman-Peck) Last week I decided to imagine that I, a woman, was entering the London restaurant industry in 2017. Should […]
Writing
A mixture of stories, mostly about food and food-related travel stuff, from producer profiles to more general interviews with women and men working in the food and restaurant industry; cookbook reviews; community projects; food trends; eating out guides and food trails. I love food and drink and enjoy eating and drinking it, but I mostly enjoy covering the people behind it and the stories surrounding the food itself – how it was made, why it was made (and how it can be made more sustainably), how did it get there, who it was made by and why they wanted to make it in the first place. There are also some stories involving Impact Hub Brixton, the shared workspace that I’m a part of and was ‘storyteller’ for over a year between August ’16-December ’17.
This area is divided into specific ‘food,’ ‘travel,’ and ‘other’ sections for ease.
Please take a look around and if you are interested in commissioning me, please get in touch using the form on the ‘about’ section here.
The txoko: Basque culinary culture (Berry Bros & Rudd)
Txokos are societies dedicated to celebrating northern Spain’s extraordinary culinary and vinous heritage. Food writer Victoria Stewart reports on how these gastronomic gatherings came about and what goes on behind the societies’ (normally) shut doors Sitting in a room that feels like the intersection of […]
A guide to the best food markets and delicatessens in San Sebastián (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart celebrates San Sebastián’s star foodie producers San Sebastián (translated as Donostia in Basque), situated in the Basque Country in northern Spain, is a particularly special city because it is filled with all sorts of people discussing, praising, criticising, sharing, making and eating food. […]
Brixton People’s Fridge: meet the donors (Impact Hub Brixton)
By our resident storyteller, Victoria Stewart Brixton People’s Fridge. Heard of it? If not, it’s a fridge called Freddie. Well, it’s a fridge in the sense that it looks like one, acts like one and it has food in it. After that, everything about it is […]
Ramadan 2017 in Bloomsbury: An evening breaking fast and sharing food with strangers (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart attends a public iftar during the Muslim festival of Ramadan Sitting cross-legged on the floor of a huge marquee, it is only when my neighbour offers me a bowl of dates to share, before quickly swigging from a bottle of water, that I realise […]
Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen: the West African food we should all be eating (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart interviews Zoe Adjonyoh, owner of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen about delicious West African dishes we should all be cooking at home. (Photo: Nassim Rothacker) If you’re a hesitant cook, there’s nothing worse than a cookbook that insists you must follow it to the word, or […]
Stir it up: London’s cocktail craze (Foodism)
From cocktail bars to mixing masterclasses and the number of drinks being served, Victoria Stewart charts the facts and figures of stratospheric rise of London’s cocktail scene WE ALL KNOW Londoners love cocktails. The availability, quality and interest in them has been growing steadily since about […]
Local sustenance: meet the Brixton restaurants feeding Open Project Night
By our resident story teller, Victoria Stewart Imagine an evening where anyone – literally anyone, regardless of their background, race, gender or beliefs – was welcome to come and meet in one place to share ideas about how they wanted to change their local community. […]
Mazi Mas: why you should follow this London catering business (Evening Standard)
This London catering business employs migrant and refugee women to bring dishes from their home countries to London, Victoria Stewart Mazi Mas is a London catering business founded in 2012 by Nikandre – Niki – Kopcke, employing migrant and refugee women who cook dishes from […]
Happy Nowruz: 3 British-Iranian cooks share their favourite New Year dishes (Evening Standard)
Today is the start of Nowruz, Iranian New Year. Victoria Stewart talks to three London-based cooks about what they cook to celebrate Today is significant for Iranians around the world, most of whom will be celebrating New Year, the start of a 13-day festival of […]
Food Memories: Harneet Baweja on growing up in Calcutta (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart talks to Gunpowder London founder Harneet Baweja about his childhood food memories and how they influence the menu at his London restaurant. Harneet Baweja is the co-founder of the Shoreditch restaurant Gunpowder London, which he has owned with his wife, Devina, since 2014. […]
How to eat your way around Trang, Southern Thailand (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart looks beyond the beaches on Thailand’s Andaman Coast and finds a buzzing foodie scene (Photo: Richard Poole) Following a recent trip to Trang Province in Southern Thailand with Saiphin Moore of Rosa’s Thai Cafes in London, Victoria Stewart rounds up her favourite places to eat there. The […]
Making Kanom Jeen Noodles Is a Full Body Workout (Vice Munchies)
Article by Victoria Stewart; photo by Richard Poole In Trang Province in southern Thailand, rainstorms don’t prevent you from cooking. When there are noodles to be eaten, finding yourself knee-deep in water is no reason to stop. Having just turned off one of the many […]
Finding the balance (Berry Bros. & Rudd blog)
(Article originally published on BBR.com, November 2016) Inspired by a trip to Kiln Soho, food writer Victoria Stewart writes about finding the perfect sense of poise, the balance not just within a dish or a wine, but between the two. (Pic: Kiln Soho) A good wine and food pairing […]
The kitchen cupboard essentials you need for Syrian-inspired cooking (Evening Standard)
Victoria Stewart gives you the lowdown on Syrian cuisine (Pic: Syrian Supper Club) Food adventurers, I’ve got an idea. When did you last eat Syrian food? In fact have you ever tried Syrian food? If not, maybe this is the month you give it a […]
Animal instinct: under the skin of Soho restaurant Smoking Goat (Foodism)
Smoking Goat and Kiln restaurateur Ben Chapman’s dedication to careful sourcing means success not only for him, but his suppliers too, by Victoria Stewart BEN CHAPMAN IS a special kind of restaurant owner. If his name isn’t familiar to you, then Smoking Goat, the Thai […]