01 Mar The Globetrotter Foodie and Her Team
After years of globetrotting and exploring different cuisines, I decided to share my experience with you. More than that, I wanted to share my beautiful hometown Cambridge and all its culinary delights with others. I am a Foodie, I’ve walked many miles in Cambridge like to go off the beaten track and love a good tipple!
My love affair with food and travel started at a young age but soon became more than a hobby. With a professional background in the travel, hotel and hospitality industries, experience in food development, and knowledge gained from setting up a local Farmers Market and having lived in South Africa for many years, I wanted to share how I explore cities around the world.
I grew up in Friesland in the Netherlands and spent most of my childhood on the back of my horse or on my bike. My mother tongue is therefore not Dutch, but Frisian. After finishing my studies in hospitality management, I moved to the UK and then Germany, returning to the Netherlands a few years later for a little while. One of the most exciting jobs I have had was a product manager for a major retailer being responsible for ready meals and fresh fish. It was absolute heaven for a Foodie – going to the fish market early in the morning, developing ready meals and being part of a new food movement.
In 2000 I moved to my favourite city in the World, Cape Town. A real Foodie paradise with wonderful fusion cuisine and fantastic wines. When I moved to the UK in 2002, I initially struggled getting used to the British cuisine as I had been spoilt in the Cape Winelands. Now many years later, it’s a complete turnaround. I love the new take on British food, the fusion influences and even more, the quality which, especially in pubs, has really improved.
Although I have lived in Cambridge ( and beyond) for almost 15 years, I still explore Cambridge as a tourist. I like to walk, go where my eye takes me and every time I find something new.
The Cambridge food scene is booming and food tours are becoming the new way of exploring cities. As it’s impossible for me to run the food tours all by myself, I am fortunate to have met some enthusiastic foodies, who will show you Cambridge when I am not available and also assist at our Masterclasses and food events.
My favourite things when I am in Cambridge:
- An early morning walk with my dog and watch the world wake up
- Shop at the local market
- Shop for spices in Mill Road
- Enjoy a drink at Mill Pond
- Sip a crisp glass of white wine at the Chop House on Kings Parade watching the sunset change the
- colours of Kings College
- Walk to Grantchester on Sunday lunchtime for lunch
- Enjoy a good meal, from fine dining to pub or oriental food
- Try out some new recipes at home
- And.. still not too old for a bit of clubbing!
What they say..
“Gerla is so knowledgeable, passionate and committed to local traders, you find yourself being hauled off the beaten tourist track to the next little foodie nook.”
CAMBRIDGE EVENING NEWS
We are the local experts in creating unique food tours and events with an in-depth knowledge of the local Cambridge food scene and close partnerships with local businesses.
