We understand better than anyone that what you eat on your holiday is an essential part of your enjoyment and cultural experience.  This is why we ensure that our trips have a real focus on food, opting for home-cooked or local dishes whenever we can. If you are walking with one of our hosts, they’ll take you to places they know and love and, more importantly, have actually been. If you’re walking on one of our self-guided trips, we can give you all the insider tips and recommendations before you head off.

We’ve spent enough time on the ground to know the best spots in town to fuel up, but knowing where not to go is just as important. After all, there’s nothing worse than arriving in a town after a full day’s walk and finding nothing open. Because we walk these paths every year, you can rest assured that your itinerary will have you in the right place at the right time.

Many of our trips will have a generous evening meal included because you’ve either walked a long distance or because we know that it’s worth it. These meals are often enjoyed in the charming places we stay, prepared by passionate chefs or the enthusiastic cooks that own and operate some family run accommodation.  They’re generally simple, traditional dishes with fresh and seasonal ingredients – particularly delicious after a day spent walking.

We highly recommend taking full advantage of any opportunities to sample local specialities too, whether it’s pulpo (octopus), cheesecake, pommes aligot or the Basque pintxos. And in some places, the staff at the various tavernas and guesthouses are just as memorable as the food. Take Roberto, who will be fussing around at breakfast to ensure you’re enjoying your fresh orange juice. Or Yoli, at our favourite tapas place, who is always happy to give both hugs and recommendations. Then there’s Nic, passing a beer and paella across the counter since we’re only a kilometre from town and we should, in his opinion, be celebrating already. And Beatrice, with a notoriously heavy hand when it comes to an afternoon gin.

But when it comes to food and drink, every destination is different. On our Camino walks, for example, wine is included with all your meals. Ample wine, we should say, much more than what’s needed for those who have 20 kilometres to walk the following day!

Our Japan walks could be confused as culinary trips given the incredible presentation and mouth-watering flavours. Forget the landscapes; the curry alone is worth a trip back to Japan. Then there’s the Shabu Shabu, the yakimono and perhaps an opportunity to cook your own okonomiyaki. Though these may not necessarily be the fanciest places you’ve ever dined in, you’ll remember the meals for years to come.

The UK approaches things slightly differently to Japan. Gone are the delicate designs and painstakingly complex presentations; this is comfort cooking at its best. British pub-style meals are a walker’s best friend and full English breakfasts can get the achiest muscles moving in the morning. There’s also Scotland’s Arctic char – an upmarket salmon dish – and plenty of haddock that has become a firm favourite with many of our walkers.

Wherever you walk, you can walk knowing that a satisfying meal is never far away. After all, we believe that the only thing you should be hungry for is new experiences.