Why subscribe to The Next Delicious Thing?
Because you love DELICIOUS THINGS. Obvs.
Especially fancy chocolate, flaky croissants and incredible desserts.
And especially things that are made ethically and with true care.
Plus if you’re signed up you’ll always have the free posts. On Substack most of them go behind a paywall after the first month.
If you’re someone who prefers to watch/listen than read, here you go:
This is a place where I champion ethical, quality food and the people and businesses behind them.
If you’re also keen to direct more of your money to these kind of businesses, rather than the behemoths who engineer product for maximum profit for them and maximum addictiveness for us, then please, hang around!
(I might also share some other things that don’t fit this category because they seem interesting or fun, but you’ll know about it.)
WHY ME?
I’ve gone into more detail below but the short version is that I’ve been running food tours of London for 19 years, worked as a food buyer and a food developer (designing food and creating recipes) and I’m a technical judge or grand juror for major food awards because I have a very good palate. There aren’t many things I’ll tell you I’m great at, but knowing good food is one of them. I also know how to properly fold a fitted sheet. I don’t ever actually do that because who has time for that?
There are 3,000+ people here already. I’d love to bring you into this food-obsessed fold.
WHERE NOW?
I live in London so a lot of what I share is new openings and pop ups that are here.
But,
I also share recommendations beyond London, including city guides from places I’ve been (see here for Barcelona, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, as examples. There are multiple posts on Paris and Melbourne) plus books and products that are available across the UK and sometimes abroad.
FACTS & TIPS
Most weeks I’ll share the explanation or history behind a food term so we all can feel a little bit smarter.
Some weeks you’ll hear from people I trust in the industry and get their hot tips.
My mission is to help connect you to genuinely delicious things.
I want to help you sort through the overwhelm of Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor and Google to enjoy things that I, and the people I trust, recommend.
I hope you’ll join the fun.
Also, most posts are free initially but get locked after a few weeks. If you’re signed up then you’ll still be able to read them in your inbox at your own pace!
AND it’s a recommended publication by Substack!
This happened in December 2023:
This made my year. 😄
What do I get if pay?
Great question.
I don’t put many things behind a pay wall because part of the point of this is to promote these brilliant businesses to as many people as possible.
So if you’re able to support me in this work because you also want these businesses to be known to as many people as possible then I would be so appreciative.
But I’d also like to make sure you’re rewarded for it, so:
PAID SUBSCRIBERS ALSO GET:
Access to my obsessive exploration of delicious things for just £49 for a whole year.
You can search the 100+ posts here by business name, food type, tube station name or any other random word, to see what I’ve written about that you can go and find. I hope this will help you make the most of your weekend exploring or your or your loved ones’ trip to London or one of the many other cities and areas I’ve been to.
Whatever place or food item or brand you’re curious about, if it’s bakery or chocolate related, I’ve probably written about it.
All of my city guides and my hit list Google map
The city guides are always behind a pay wall. They take more time to create and I feel more comfortable making them special bonuses for the people who support this production.
All paid subscribers also get a link to my Google map where I save all of the places I’ve heard good things about and want to visit - places I might not yet have written about but have on my radar. They’re all marked with croissant emojis so you can find them easily amongst your own saved markers.
Community and access to me
Well, if that doesn’t sound arrogant…
Some of my work is as a Food Innovation Consultant and although you don’t get that as part of your subscription I prioritise replies to paid subscriber questions and run occasional “ask me anything” threads on here.
I also really want to create a place for you to meet fellow food obsessed people. Once a quarter we’ll gather in person or online to taste food together and chat. I hope you’ll join us. We’re a lovely bunch. I’m excited for the first one (fully booked now) in December where we’re gathering to taste chocolate I picked up at the most recent Salon du Chocolat.
You also get first access to ticket sales for public events I’m involved with! These often sell out so hopefully this is a nice perk too!
Here are some of the top-read and most useful newsletters so far:
Paris, March 2024: Part 1 (26 places across two walking tours - one around Gare du Nord / Montmatre, and one around Saint Germain)
The 22 bakeries I went to in Copenhagen and which ones you should go to
My Food Guide to Amsterdam (a list of 40+ places I either went or had trusted recommendations for, including pictures, addresses and what I tried)
The best Melbourne Bakeries Part 1
The best Melbourne Bakeries Part 2
The best Melbourne Bakeries & Patisseries Part 3
Where to eat in Abruzzo, Italy
The best chocolate shop in Vietnam
Is this the best plant based chocolate cake?
Is this London’s best brownie?
Highlights from Salon du Chocolat in Paris (& therefore patisseries to visit in Paris)
Things I saw at the Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo (2023)
Why me?
Hi! I’m Jen. 👋🥰
Thanks for reading!
My actual day job is to show people delicious things. I’ve been running Chocolate Ecstasy Tours since 2005 (yep, I can’t get my head around it either) and I also work as a Food Innovation Consultant because I understand retail and manufacturing having worked as a Buyer and Food Developer (maybe one day I’ll write about what it was like to design McFlurry’s for McDonald’s…).
I am (or have been) on the Grand Jury of the Academy of Chocolate and the International Chocolate Awards. I’m also a judge for the Great Taste Awards, the Quality Food Awards, the Brazilian Chocolate Awards, and others.
Hopefully all of that means you’ll trust my recommendations. 😅
Each week I’ll tell you about things I genuinely recommend are worth eating (or drinking). I spend most of my time in London, sometimes travelling, I also visit food trade shows and share the most exciting new products that might be in a supermarket or deli near you soon.
Old emails will be locked so subscribe to get make sure you don’t miss a mention. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.
Join me!
We all eat better when we share our recommendations! I love hearing from you and this is where you can tell me you don’t agree with me - or let me know if a place’s standards have slipped since I told you about it. I’ll be here, replying back to you and someone else might chip in, too.
Come and join the food obsessed. The people who plan their trips around where they’ll eat. And the people who ask to see the dessert menu before they order anything else.
I can’t wait to chat with you!
Jen xx
P.S. if you’d like me to show you around (with London history too!), book a team building event, client entertaining or have me come and give a delicious after dinner talk (with chocolate, of course) then visit
https://chocolateecstasytours.com
☺️ or just email me: jennifer@jenniferearle.com.
