My first trip to Mexico was late 2019. I flew into Austin, Texas, and travelled south through Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa, Jalisco, and onto Mexico City before carrying on my journey to Colombia.

Little did I know that the events of the impending pandemic would not only give me 6 months extra in Colombia, but give me a whole year in Mexico that I hadn’t accounted or planned for.

Its a cliché to say I fell in love with the food, but I think really its hard for anyone not to. The abundance of street food on every market and corner leaves you spoilt for choice. And its often the most unassuming looking places that surprise you the most, with explosions of flavour, or some kind of unexpected flare. Food is deeply rooted in Mexican culture, and its a joy to see and sample the hundreds of regional dishes as you travel. From pre-hispanic recipes of the Mayans in the Yucatan peninsula, to Middle-Eastern immigrant inspired Pastor tacos of Mexico City.

I eventually came home with a desire to bring those flavours back to London, and change people’s view of Mexican away from Old El Paso Fajita kits and fake queso cheese, to real, hearty food, with fresh ingredients and an abundance of flavour!