The European Compass : A Food & Travel Podcast

The Full English: History, Controversy and What Your Breakfast Says About England

Season 1 : Eating Europe | Episode 10 | England, Derbyshire What does a plate of bacon, eggs and sausages say about a country? In this episode, recorded after a trip to the Peak District in Derbyshire, I look at the full English breakfast — its disputed origins, its contested ingredients, and why it still defines how the world thinks about British food. I cover the five pillars of the full English according to the English Breakfast Society, the three components they left out, the hash brown controversy, and why beans in a ramekin divides opinion more than you might expect. I also compare the breakfasts I was served across three very different places in Derbyshire — from a five-star spa hotel to a Peak District pub — and what the differences revealed about quality, sourcing, and what a full English actually takes to do well. We also look at why half the British population ate a cooked breakfast every morning in the 1950s, and why that number has fallen so dramatically — and why it might be coming back. Mentioned in this episode: * The Peacock at Rowsley, Derbyshire * Champneys Buxton Crescent, Buxton * The Old Hall Inn, Chinley

Cretan Food: Courgette Fritters, Stuffed Vegetables and What Greece Does Best

Most people go to Crete expecting gyros and Greek salad. I did too. What I came home cooking was something quite different. In this episode I share everything we ate during a trip to the southeast corner of Crete, staying near Makrigialos, a quiet bay that feels like Greece in the 1970s. We talk about why the most traditionally Cretan dishes on the menu were the vegetarian ones, the stuffed courgette flowers at George's taverna that no Michelin-starred kitchen could match for sheer beauty, and the courgette fritters I have been making ever since, including exactly how to make them properly (the key is getting all the water out). We also cover dolmades, the Cretan version and why the rice goes in raw; dakos, Crete's answer to tomato bread; the Greek salad that has nothing to do with lettuce; gemista, the stuffed vegetables baked with white wine and potatoes; a revelation about tzatziki and why you should add the garlic before you squeeze; deep fried aubergine; spinach pies both baked and fried; and what eating watermelon like a cucumber did for my understanding of the fruit. Plus raki at the end, complimentary, because that is just what they do. Further reading:Makry Gaillos travel guide: https://theeuropeancompass.com/which-part-of-crete-is-best-to-stay-makry-gialos/All podcast episodes: https://theeuropeancompass.com/podcast/

Burgundy Wine: Pinot Noir, Aligoté and a Wine Tasting That Changed My Mind

Burgundy is famous for its wine. But walking into a restaurant in Beaune and being handed a book-sized wine list would challenge any wine lover. In this episode I visit Burgundy's wine country as an enthusiastic amateur rather than an expert, and come back with a much better understanding of what makes Burgundy wine so particular, and so expensive. We start with a cellar walk at Patriarche et Fils in Beaune, one of the oldest négociants in the region, where 5km of underground cellars hold wine at every stage from barrel to bottle. From there we cover the difference between Pinot Noir and the bigger Bordeaux-style reds, why Burgundy Chardonnay behaves differently from the Chardonnay you find everywhere else, and the aligoté grape that most people overlook and I have always quietly loved. We also visit the Clos du Moulin aux Moines, a small grower whose Chardonnay genuinely changed my mind, and finish with a €60 red at Bistro de Beaune chosen by the sommelier, who turned out to know exactly what he was doing.

Burgundy Food: The Dishes That Define France's Most Famous Wine Region

Burgundy is one of Europe's most celebrated wine regions, but the food is just as remarkable. I travel to Beaune and returns with a full account of what I ate, including a dish I had never encountered before that turned out to be one of the best things I have ever eaten. The episode covers oeufs en meurette - the classic Burgundian poached egg dish with a history that goes back centuries and now has its own world championship - along with beef bourguignon, escargot de Bourgogne, truffles found on a Beaune side street, Dijon mustard and why it is not actually a protected category, crème de cassis, and the story of the French Resistance canon whose name became one of France's most iconic aperitifs.

Porto Wine: Port, Vinho Verde and the Farmer's Rosé from the Tap

I went to Porto expecting to drink port. I came home with a bottle of pink port, a new appreciation for Vinho Verde, and a firm opinion about a farmer's rosé served from a tap in a 100-year-old tasca. In this episode I cover everything I drank on my recent trip: Vinho Verde at the Mercado do Bolhão paired with sardines, the Alvarinho from the Dão region that I'll be seeking out at home, and Espadal — the slightly sparkling farmer's rosé on tap at Tasca da Badalhoca, known locally as the wine of the poor and considerably better than that suggests. We also go into the Pink Palace at WOW and taste five glasses of rosé including Mateus Rosé, with a proper look at where it came from and how it connects to the Espadal tradition. Then it's on to port: the English connection, how fortification works, Ruby versus Tawny, the difference between vintage and blended, and why Late Bottled Vintage is where the value lies. Plus pink port and tonic, and why I think it might be the next Aperol Spritz. The European Compass is a podcast for culturally curious travellers who believe food is the best way into a place. New episodes explore food culture across Europe, not just what to eat, but what it means. Read the companion publication at theeuropeancompass.com