Yes I cannot believe it too. It is two years ago today, that I assaulted the internet with my barrage of hot air and vulgar food photography, which may as well be classified as taboo, and I would just like to start by saying Thank You for reading and putting up with me. So far I have made public 376 pieces of nonsense, approximately 220 of which are visits to restaurants, mostly within the M25, some are further afield, and Jay Rayner has said of one of posts to be ‘intriguing but blogrreah’.

I think the best part of being a blogger is seeing how my opinion fares against others out there, and how (and if) it is valued by others. Agreeing with like-minded individuals inevitably leads to warm, mushy feelings inside, but over time, I’ve learnt that it is ok to disagree, so long as it does not become personal (or if it does then at least become entertaining), all in the favour of constructive debate. That’s the point of blogging, afterall.

In my own capacity, I strive to be fair, considerate and mindful – the considered opinion is important to me. I am but a child in the wide, wide world of food. Growing my knowledge of food is a daily learning curve, I am ever respectful of the work of restaurants and offer advance apologies to those who have had to put up with my occasional candor, and if I had gotten the facts wrong. I have never believed that the ability to eat is a skill, rather, I think of blogs as personal adventures, observation and commentary, made public.

I am amazed at the rapid advancement of food blogs, for the sheer number of those who share their thoughts online or otherwise, and for those who do it, the commitment to quality & consistency to maintain a well-read blog. For anyone who loves reading about food or gathering reviews of restaurants, we now have so much to choose from. As we watch old media flail its arms at the photocentric digital contemporaries (or are we beneath?), I am at the opinion that editorials will never die, and that the food critic will always be around. They are the professionals afterall. Marina really knows what she’s on about. Most of the time.

I feel that more than ever, food blogs represent the alternative to the critic. It is quite literally, the other side. The unedited, unending, exhaustive reel of thought, like a behind-the-scenes show & tell, in total contrast, yet completely complimentary to the reporter, not striving to be better, or to be a carbon copy, but to offer a bona-fide alternative point of view. Fractious and as awkward as that relationship between the blogger and writer is sometimes, I am certain it is nothing but growing pains, and someday, a renewed respect for one another will emerge, if it is not already taking place. Shake it long & hard enough, eventually water and oil do mix. Hey I read AA Gill novels. And of course I respect the food writer, afterall, who else would be our rolemodels?

Looking ahead into my murky crystal ball, I am ever impassioned with food, it has been a slog at times getting stuff online, but it is rewarding to see that my words and photographs are read, seen and occasionally appreciated. My goal now is to try and evolve the consummate amateur review, hence the themed newsletters, written around a genre as it helps me extend my personal knowledge, and the holistic approach is perhaps more useful than a singular, isolated pseudo-review. Perhaps. However, none of this would be possible, if not for the fabulous restaurants out there, I continue in my capacity as the ultimate fan of cutting edge hospitality.

Thank you ever so much again for reading my blog, I hope you like it so far and may I continue to serve many more page views to an internet near you in the days ahead.