I have a confession to make.
A confession that will divide opinion. A confession that many of you won’t be able to understand. A confession that might change the way you think of me.
But, here goes… I am NOT a foodie. There, I said it.
But wait – there’s more: I like McDonald’s. I love a good Subway. I live for KFC. And I will happily eat all of these things, regardless of whether I am at home or in Italy, Poland or Spain. Sometimes I’ll even get a Burger King (as a last resort, of course).
And what’s more – I’m not ashamed.
The Golden Arches in Yaroslavl
So why am I sharing this deep dark secret with you?
Several people have recently told me they believe food makes up 90% of the experience of travelling. I couldn’t disagree more.
Of course I’m not saying I don’t make an effort to try regional food and drink – I’ve had Pierogi in Gdansk, Black Balsam in Riga and chicken kievs in Kyiv (yes, they do come from there) – but I also don’t stick my nose up at cheap, easy eats when I’m on the road. And more importantly – I don’t think for a minute I should feel ashamed of that.
If McLenin’s were, I’d eat there
Foodie-ism has become such a huge phenomenon, but I think that somewhere in between the instagrams of quinoa and the life-changing decision of whether to go gluten-free, a huge side-dish of snobbery has been served up, too.
And somehow, as a result, admitting to enjoying fast food when travelling feels like taboo.
A beautiful Sunday Lunch in Manchester
If picking the perfect place to dine is your thing – that’s great. However, I’d rather head to the first half-decent-looking restaurant I see then spend hours trawling the streets for that ‘special something’. If I’m travelling alone, I’d rather pop in for quick McChicken and have more time for exploring the city than diligently hunt out the best pulled pork and sweet potato fries.
But what do you think?
Should I make more of an effort to ditch the fried chicken? Or do you think being a foodie has become an excuse for being a snob?