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Hello there!

Hey! I’m Sophie, a 20-something food and travel blogger eating and exploring my way around Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and beyond.
You’ll find me talking about food, sharing travel tips and proving that there is more to my hometown of MK than chain restaurants and roundabouts. I hope you find some great recommendations here!

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Eat & Explore

  • Hello, hello it's nearly the weekend!✨ I've had the biggest smile on my face this week because I've had SO much love from this little online space. Two people have approached me this week whilst I've been out and about and told me how much they love my content. It literally makes me SO HAPPY because this isn't my full time job, blogging doesn't pay the bills (yet!) so it is wonderful to know that people love what I create 💛 And it makes me so happy when you guys tag me in your posts and say that you've visited somewhere on my recommendation! I am very proud that I'm changing perceptions about Milton Keynes and showing it's more than Chian restaurants and roundabouts 🐄 Spread a little love today and send a message to your favourite bloggers and creators - it really does make their day 💛 Dress and shoes from @asos and photo snapped in front of the orange @mk_gallery wall 🧡 #SophieetcWears #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
    sophie_etc
    Hello, hello it's nearly the weekend!✨ I've had the biggest smile on my face this week...
  • Your interior inspiration comes from Pinterest, mine comes from restaurant décor 😏 Such dreamy colours and tones in the @thewavendonarms following it's transformation - Leafy greens, jewel blues and copper accents 😍 My dream! You can see more photos of the interior and the new menu in my latest blog post - link in bio! Will you be heading back to The Wavendon Arms to see it's new look? ✨ [Gifted meal] #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #LoveMK #SophieetcEats #SophieetcExplores
    sophie_etc
    Your interior inspiration comes from Pinterest, mine comes from restaurant décor 😏 ...
  • How do you like your eggs in the morning? 🍳 I like mine poached with sourdough, toast, mashed avocado, bacon and extra hash browns from @thegreedyitalian 👀 GUYS. If you haven't been to The Greedy Italian for brunch yet, get yourselves there. The menu is 👌🏼 and the food is 😍 You can find it in my MK Food Guide to the best brunches in Milton Keynes along with some other solid brunch spots. I've been updating my guides this weekend so make sure you check them out - Link in bio! 🍋 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #LoveMK
    sophie_etc
    How do you like your eggs in the morning? 🍳 I like mine poached with sourdough,...
  • ad-gifted | Who's ready to grab a pizza the weekend? 🍕 Living my best life last night at @louissocial 😍 This little restaurant in Buckingham makes colossal pizzas! You'll be disappointed to know I didn't eat all of this myself, I had some help from Dan and our friends, Georgia and Tom. A 22 inch pizza is perfect for sharing with pals! Honestly, two slices is enough 😂 We went half and half with the toppings: BBQ pulled pork and sweetcorn, ham and pineapple (sorry not sorry) 🍍 Thank you for having us Louis'! ✌🏼 What's your favourite pizza topping? 🍕 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
    sophie_etc
    ad-gifted | Who's ready to grab a pizza the weekend? 🍕 Living my best life last...
  • ad-gifted | I had a very lovely evening last night at @thewavendonarms for a press preview of their new refurbishment and menu ✨ It's had a proper facelift and the interior is absolutely beautiful: Think opulent, jewel tones, lots of gold, copper and teal... Basically the decor of dreams 😍 The menu is inspired by social dining, so expect lots of shareable dishes. This is a great concept because I love catching up with friends over good food. You can catch up with the evening on my stories and I'll be sharing a full review of our experience this weekend. Big thank you to The Wavendon Arms for giving me and my friends a great excuse to catch up. We had such a wonderful evening! 💛 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcEats #LoveMK
    sophie_etc
    ad-gifted | I had a very lovely evening last night at @thewavendonarms for a press...
  • TACO TUESDAY 🌮 Oh man, I had the absolute pleasure of eating these wonderful tacos from @tacoshackmk at Sunday Streetfood Sessions. Corn tortillas are the BOMB and these blue corn ones were super funky! Filled with tender, smoked chilli beef and topped with cheese and Taco Shack's 'brave' spicy sauce (it was spicy FYI) these were a Mexican dream 😍 I've just added Taco Shack to my #MKFoodGuide to the best street food in MK so make sure you check that out. I've also refreshed the photos and added some new dishes from my favourite vendors. Link to the guide is in my bio! 🍋 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #LoveMK
    sophie_etc
    TACO TUESDAY 🌮 Oh man, I had the absolute pleasure of eating these wonderful tacos...
  • Happy Monday! ✨ I hope you all had a lovely weekend? It was SO NICE to have some sunshine! Fingers crossed it sticks around ☀️ [ad-gifted stay] There's a brand new post up on the blog all about our stay at Chicheley Hall in Milton Keynes. It was such a beautiful place for a spring weekend. I feel very lucky to have such a lovely location like this right on my doorstep. As always, link to read is in my bio! 🍋 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcExplores
    sophie_etc
    Happy Monday! ✨ I hope you all had a lovely weekend? It was SO NICE to have some...
  • [ad-gifted stay] Morning Campers 💛 I wish I was waking up in this lovely bed this morning 💤 We had a wonderful stay at Chicheley Hall on Friday night. It was so nice to just drive a few miles down the road and have a mini staycation in my own home town. Keep your eyes peeled for a review on the blog soon 🍋 How are we all? I've taken a bit of a break from posting on Instagram this week because I've been feeling so uninspired. When you try and create every day and be present it can be so draining. I'm feeling in a much better space now. We're off to Sunday Street Food Sessions at Middleton Pavillion this afternoon - Tell me what you're up to today! ✨ #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcExplores (Edited with 'Clean & Bright' from the @bethsandlandpresets basics collection)
    sophie_etc
    [ad-gifted stay] Morning Campers 💛 I wish I was waking up in this lovely bed this...
  • Happy TUESDAY 💛 I hope you all had a gorgeous bank holiday weekend? We had such a lovely time up north. Yesterday we walked 6 miles in the Peak District which countered the excess of food and gin I've consumed this weekend 🌚 I'm starting to get into the swing of these four day weeks 😂 Not long til the next one guys, we can do it 😏 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcEats
    sophie_etc
    Happy TUESDAY 💛 I hope you all had a gorgeous bank holiday weekend? We had such a...
  • Still dreaming about this chicken Bunny Chow from @nownowchow 😍 Curry. In bread. Groundbreaking. This was sweet, spicy and so delicious 🙌🏼 The street food scene in and around MK is going from strength to strength and it is so great to see! This weekend saw another hugely successful @mk_eat on Friday as well as a brand new event, @bitestreet, in Northampton which also looked like it was a fab event! Shout out to the MK based vendors who smashed it 😜 It's going to be another great summer of food and drink - head to my What's On calendar and filter the events by 'food and drink' to see what's on over the next few months 💛 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcEats . . . . #foodflatlay #foodbloggers #lovemk #MKfoodguide #southafricanfood #bunnychow #Miltonkeynesfood #mkfoodie #topbitesmk #lovemk #MKbloggers #miltonkeynes #eatingfortheinsta #eatindependent #indpendentmiltonkeynes #eatstreetmk #streetfood #streetfoodmk #foodphotograph #foodblogger #foodmakesmehappy #thisgirleats #foodiefavorites #foodigram #discoverunder5k #SmallBlogger #microblogger
    sophie_etc
    Still dreaming about this chicken Bunny Chow from @nownowchow 😍 Curry. In bread....
  • Happy three-day weekend✨ We are currently hurtling up the M6 to Cheshire to see Dan's mum for a few days. The weather is not looking quite as warm as the last bank holiday but we've still got a lovely weekend planned! 🌥️ The blossom in Milton Keynes is just starting to fade BUT there's loads of wisteria that I 100% need to go and find and take loads of photos of 🌸 Funny story behind this photo: I had to take it on my front camera because my lens was steamed up from dropping my phone in the toilet (lol). Cue some weird looks from passers by and a few forehead shots 😂 Thankfully my phone camera is no longer steamed up and normal photography can resume 📸 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #sophieetcexplores . . . . #lovemk #miltonkeynesblogger #Miltonkeynes #mkbloggers #newportpagnell #blossomtree #springtime #springblossom #mycolourfulcorners #thesehappysquares #Thisishowihueit #slowandstylishadventures #bankholidayweekend #bloggersdoitbetter #bloggershare #Thecaptionclub #chattycaptioncommunity #scenesfrommk #bloggerlife #travelblogging #travelgram #visitbucks #visitengland #hiyabucks
    sophie_etc
    Happy three-day weekend✨ We are currently hurtling up the M6 to Cheshire to see Dan's...
  • Bank holiday weekend you say? Pass me the gin🍸 Still dreaming about these giant G&Ts from @40stpauls 😍 They pour doubles as a standard and garnish to bring our the botanicals in the gin. My kind of bar. It was also voted best gin bar in the world. So, y'know, no biggie. ✨ Definitely worth a visit if you're in Birmingham! What are you up to this weekend? We're heading up north to see Dan's mum and will be spending some time in Manchester tomorrow. Can't wait!🐝 #EatandExploreEverywhere #SophieetcEats . . . . #birmingham #40stpauls #ginbar #ginandtonic #visitbirmingham #hellobrum #brumbloggers #foodbloggers #ginlovers #ilovegin #eatingfortheinsta #foodmakesmehappy #foodadventures #gindrink #gindrinkers #gindrinkersofinstagram #ginstagram #birminghameats #independentbirmingham #bloggersdoitbetter #mycolourfulcorners #thesehappysquares #theuncoolclub #stylishandslowadventuring #chattycaptioncommunity #SmallBlogger #microblogger
    sophie_etc
    Bank holiday weekend you say? Pass me the gin🍸 Still dreaming about these giant G&Ts...
  • Happy #LoveMKDay! 💚 Did you know Milton Keynes has its own special day? Well, now you do! As you know, I like to prove to the world that there's more to MK than concrete cows and roundabouts. So here's three things I love about my hometown! ✨ 1. You are never more than 10 minutes from a park or open space 🌳 2. The independent foodie community who are just amazing. I have made so many wonderful friends through my platform and everyone is doing their bit to put MK on the map 💛 3. MK is so unique and it's baffling if you don't live here. But it's home and there is SO much more to this place than meets the eye! 🔎 Are you from Milton Keynes? Let me know why you love it in the comments! #LoveMK #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #LoveMKday2019
    sophie_etc
    Happy #LoveMKDay! 💚 Did you know Milton Keynes has its own special day? Well, now...
  • Got buns, hun? 😏 Yesterday, someone asked me what meal I'd eat if I could only eat one more thing. Right now, I think it would be bao 😍 We tucked into these DELICIOUS bao buns at @_tigerbitespig in Birmingham on Saturday which has been on my list for ages. Safe to say it did not disappoint and yes, we actually did order one of each meat buns off the menu, then another beef one because that egg yolk 🙌🏼 If you could eat one more meal, what would it be? Let me know in the comments!✨ #EatandExploreEverywhere #SophieetcEats
    sophie_etc
    Got buns, hun? 😏 Yesterday, someone asked me what meal I'd eat if I could only eat...
  • We had such a good foodie day in Birmingham yesterday for Dan's birthday 🙌🏼 ✅ 8 courses of heaven at @thewildernessjq ✅ Gins galore at @40stpauls ✅ Ridiculous cocktails at @nocturnalb2 ✅ Bao at @_tigerbitespig Fun fact: I used to call Birmingham home 🏠 I went to university there and it's where my passion for food began. In fact, the first food review I ever wrote for sophieetc.com was of The Lost & Found on Bennett's Hill when it first opened 🙈 I forget what an incredible food scene Brum has and we'll definitely be going back again. Though we won't be falling asleep on the train and waking up in Watford next time... 😶 #EatandExploreEverywhere #SophieetcEats
    sophie_etc
    We had such a good foodie day in Birmingham yesterday for Dan's birthday 🙌🏼 ✅ 8...
  • The face of someone who is about to drink a whole lot of cider on a school night 😏 We had such a great evening at @saxbys_cider farm last night learning how this wonderful local cider is created! 🍎 We got to try all of the ciders, see the process behind it and the apple orchard which is currently in full bloom 😍 Philip and Amanda Saxby run this independent Cidery and it's so apparent how passionate they are about creating great tasting, local produce ✨ Look out for a full blog post coming soon! What's your favourite locally produced drink? Make sure you give Saxby's a try next time you spot it at the bar! 🍻 #EatandExploreEverywhere #NavigatingNorthants #SaxbysCider
    sophie_etc
    The face of someone who is about to drink a whole lot of cider on a school night 😏 ...
  • Just a little pic of me in the (very funky) @mk_gallery loos because I just wanted to tell y'all that my NEW WEBSITE IS LIIIIIVE ✨ I've been working so hard on this the past two weeks, around my full time job but I'm so proud to say I've built it myself. (With a little bit of technical help from @spinkscreative) My while site looks much more grown up! But don't worry, I've still got the same bright yellow branding, just with some funky new features! 🙌🏼 Here's what's new: 🍋 Faster site, easier navigation 🍋 What's on page, updated monthly 🍋 Community page for YOUR photos 🍋 'Testimonials' from my readers I'd love to hear what you think! 💛 Head on over to my stories as I've posted a little video of what it looks like on mobile. Make sure you check it out on desktop too! 💛
    sophie_etc
    Just a little pic of me in the (very funky) @mk_gallery loos because I just wanted to...
  • One of my favourite things about spring is new menus 🌸 Locally sourced, seasonal produce is always best enjoyed in the season it's grown in and is actually a more sustainable way of eating!👌🏼 I was invited to try the brand new menu at @fivearrowshotel which is on the grounds of @waddesdonmanor_nt. We had a wonderful meal and this poached cod loin with spring greens was an absolute delight 😍 You'll be able to read the review very soon on my brand new website which launches this week! ✨ What are your favourite seasonal dishes?💛 #EatandExploreEverywhere #SophieetcEats
    sophie_etc
    One of my favourite things about spring is new menus 🌸 Locally sourced, seasonal...
  • And just like that it's all over✨ What a glorious weekend it's been. Anyone else feel like it's been a proper four day holiday? This is how I spent most of my time - outside with a drink in my hand! 😂 Back to the daily grind, but at least there is a saving grace of another four day week 🙌🏼 This week I'm hoping to have my shiny new website live🤞🏼 Can't wait to share it with you, I'm so proud of what I've created! 💛 #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcWears
    sophie_etc
    And just like that it's all over✨ What a glorious weekend it's been. Anyone else feel...
  • Spring at Waddesdon Manor🌷 The gardens are in full bloom at the moment so it's a great time to visit! We've been trying to make more use of our National Trust cards as there are so many wonderful places in Bucks to explore💛 Absolutely thrilled that there's one more day of the weekend and it's STILL SUNNY! ☀️ Hope you have a good one!✨ #EatandExploreEverywhere #sophieetcexplores #VisitBucks
    sophie_etc
    Spring at Waddesdon Manor🌷 The gardens are in full bloom at the moment so it's a...

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