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Hello there!

I’m Sophie, a 20-something food and travel blogger helping you discover great eats and adventures in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and beyond. I’m passionate about good food, independent businesses and finding beautiful places. I hope my stories inspire you to explore somewhere new!

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Eat & Explore

  • ✨Today is an exciting day!✨ [ad] I am SO excited to be hosting an exclusive supper club tonight for local press and bloggers to celebrate the brand new @lqhomes Saxon Reach Development in Milton Keynes! 🎉 There is going to be a tasting menu served by one of my favourite local restaurant, @nonnas.woburnsands and I'm thrilled to have them on board representing the great independent food scene here in MK! 💛 The new development is just outside Wavendon and will soon be complete. L&Q homes are built to a high specification and are larger than the average new build - great news for first time buyers! 🙌🏼 As you know I'm buying a house right now and am very invested in All Things House so I am looking forward to showing you the homes and why MK is a great place to live! 🏡 Keep an eye out on my stories this evening for lots of content about the event - and if you're coming along this evening I will see you there 😉 *Paid partnership with @lqhomes #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #Sophieetc
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    ✨Today is an exciting day!✨ [ad] I am SO excited to be hosting an exclusive supper...
  • Greece already feels like a million miles away 💔 I can't be too sad though, it's not long until I go to Ibiza to celebrate @spinkdot's birthday 🙊 This week is BUSY already - meetings, restaurant reviews, hosting press events... whilst working full time oops. It's a tricky balance to strike! 😬 I'm a happy gal this morning because there are officially less than 10 tickets left for #SophiesSupperClubMK with @oletapasbarmk - which, by the way, is next week!! If you'd like to join me for an evening of sangria and tapas, head to the link in my bio to grab a spot now 🙌🏼 Are you coming to my first supper club? Which MK restaurant would you like to see me collaborate with next? 👀 #EatandExploreEverywhere #SophieetcWears
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    Greece already feels like a million miles away 💔 I can't be too sad though, it's not...
  • One of the best things about visiting the Ionian Islands is the food 😍 Fresh seafood, lots of locally grown ingredients and plenty of feta all homecooked! It's often cheap (though the northern Ionian and the mainland was more expensive than the south!) Here are some of my favourite meals from our trip 🇬🇷 🦐 Fresh grilled prawns and prawns in tomato and feta sauce from a lovely little taverna in a Preveza sidestreet 🐖 Spit roast pork from Restaurant Alexandria in Lakka 🍆 Stuffed aubergine, mushrooms and pepper from Restaurant Alexandros in Lakka 🌿 Grilled halloumi with fresh pesto and Tzatiki in Lakka 🌯 Plated gyros from Georgeos Family Restaurant in Sivota Mourtos 🍆 The best Moussaka all week from Restaurant Stasinos in Lakka 🌯 A final gyros from Apollon opposite Atkion Airport which was just €3! What's your favourite Greek dish? I have to say you can't go wrong with fresh Tzatiki or some saganaki (deep fried cheese) and I absolutely love Moussaka! 😍 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreEverywhere
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    One of the best things about visiting the Ionian Islands is the food 😍 Fresh...
  • Kalimera!✨ I'm back on the grid 🙌🏼 Did you miss me? For the last 10 days I've been sailing around the Ionian Islands and decided to take a bit of a break from posting⛵ I've never taken more than a week off work and WOW does it make a difference - 10 days of sun, sea and sailing is so good for the soul 💛 This year we headed north and explored parts of Greece I'd never been to before - this is my tenth year of sailing holidays and I've ticked off so much of the southern Ionian! 🇬🇷 Lakka was one of my favourite spots - that water 😍 I've got a few holiday snaps to share before resuming business as usual with my MK content - I'm hitting the ground running this week as I've got restaurant reviews, events to host and meetings to have 🙈 Hope you have all had a fab weekend! Today I'm off to @sweatstudios yoga festival at @tiptopvenues_ which I think is the perfect way to continue those holiday vibes - namaste! 🙏🏼 #SophieetcExplores #EatandExploreEverywhere
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    Kalimera!✨ I'm back on the grid 🙌🏼 Did you miss me? For the last 10 days I've...
  • AD | Summer might feel like it's ending, but you don't have to stop creating summer flavours in your kitchen! ☀️ I've created another delicious recipe with @sacla_uk using their black olive pesto. The ingredients include dark Italian olives with oil, nuts, cheese, fragrant basil, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. It is perfect livening for up a simple meal 😋 This bruschetta is great as an appetiser for your late-summer BBQs - or maybe even an indulgent lunch for one...! The black olive pesto provides a lovely rich base to bring out the flavours of the toppings. EASY-PEASY BRUSCHETTA INGREDIENTS - Sacla Black Olive Pesto - Baguette (stale ones work well!) - Mozzerella - Fresh tomatoes - Handful of basil - Olive oil - Salt & pepper METHOD 1. Pre-heat your oven to 150 degrees. Slice the baguette and drizzle in olive oil. Put on a baking try and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp. 2. Roughly chop the tomatoes and season with a little salt, pepper and bit of oil. Slice the mozzerella. 3. Put a teaspoon of the pesto on each slice of bread, followed by the mozzarella and chopped tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves and voila! Easy peasy bruschetta that took you 20 minutes. I would love to see your recreation of this recipe - pesto is so versatile so show me how you cook with yours! 🍝 Sacla Black Olive Pesto is available in Sainsbury's stores RRP £2.50. *This is a paid collaboration with Sacla, the Pesto Pioneers. #SaclaUK #SophieetcEats
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    AD | Summer might feel like it's ending, but you don't have to stop creating summer...
  • The face of a girl with a gyros in her hand 😍 Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend? Firstly a HUGE thank you for all the lovely feedback on #SophiesSupperClubMK - It means the world that you're all looking forward to it! 💛 Speaking of food, we headed to the brand new @greek_affaire in Stony Stratford yesterday to check out the food. And you'll be pleased to know it's GOOD 🇬🇷 It's a new venture from the owners of @french_affaire and they've nailed the Greek flavours. I absolutely loved the gyros 😍 [complimentary meal] Link to my review is in my bio! 🍋 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
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    The face of a girl with a gyros in her hand 😍 Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all...
  • Ad | Who wants to join me for an evening of tapas and sangria at @oletapasbarmk? 😍 Of course you do! I'm so excited to announce that my first supper club event will be at Ole Tapas Bar in Wolverton! 🇪🇸 Chef Juan will be cooking up a delicious spread of tapas, including some of Olè's favourites such as chorizo lollipops, Gambas and of course churros! 🦐 Want to join me? Tickets go on sale this week and are £30 per person which includes a drink on arrival and a three course tapas menu. This is a social supper club, so you'll be sitting on big tables and sharing delicious plates of food! 🍽️ I'm expecting tickets to go pretty quick so follow the link in my bio to find the link to the Facebook event to find out as soon as the tickets go live. I'll also be sending a link out to my email subscribers so make sure you sign up via the link in my bio if you aren't on Facebook! 🍋 I hope you guys are as excited for this as me! Can't wait to see some of you there 💛 #SophiesSupperClubMK #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
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    Ad | Who wants to join me for an evening of tapas and sangria at @oletapasbarmk? 😍 ...
  • HAPPY FRIDAY 🎉 Today is a good day for three reasons... 1. The September edition of The Squeeze is out today with a pretty exciting announcement about something I am launching 👀 2. We're going to IKEA and B&Q tonight to scout out furniture and paint and I'm so bloody excited 🙌🏼 3. IKEA trip will be followed by a trip to House of Chicken because it's been recommended to me by no less than seven people. Can't wait 🐔 Hope you all have a lovely Friday and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the September edition of The Squeeze! (Link is in my bio to sign up if you haven't already!) 🍋 #SophieetcWears #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
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    HAPPY FRIDAY 🎉 Today is a good day for three reasons... 1. The September edition of...
  • One of the most delicious things I ate this bank holiday weekend 😋 The most tender pulled, short rib beef on toast topped with spicy jalapeño pesto, oozy fried eggs and crunchy hazelnuts from @tendercow at @altymarket 😍 We love paying a visit to Altrincham Market when we go to see Dan's mum in Cheshire. It's basically a big collective on independent food businesses under one roof and has become a dining destination 🍽️ It's been so successful, it's been rolled out to other places too! Who'd love to see something like this in Milton Keynes? 💛 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreEverywhere
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    One of the most delicious things I ate this bank holiday weekend 😋 The most tender...
  • Bank holidays are for adventures 🌴 Swipe for magic 😍 Am I in a rainforest or Staffordshire? 🌴 We went for a great walk on Sunday afternoon and stumbled across Lud's Church. Which, by the way, isn't actually a church, it's a deep chasm which was created by a massive landslip on the hillside. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park!🦖 It's been a 10/10 weekend with hardly any screen time. It's amazing how much better it makes you feel 🙏🏼 How did you spend your Bank Holiday weekend? 💛 #SophieetcExplores #EatandExploreEverywhere #VisitPeakDistrict #LudsChurch
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    Bank holidays are for adventures 🌴 Swipe for magic 😍 Am I in a rainforest or...
  • Cute street appreciation post 😍 Buckingham is one of my favourite spots with an MK postcode. Can't help but love it when it looks like this at golden hour! ✨ Praise be for the long weekend - and a sunny one at that! We're off up north to see Dan's mum for the weekend and the weather is looking 10/10 😎 Hope you have all got a good one planned - let me know what you get up to and don't forget to hashtag your photos with #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes and #EatandExploreEverywhere depending on where you're enjoying the sun! 💛 #SophieetcExplores #VisitBucks
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    Cute street appreciation post 😍 Buckingham is one of my favourite spots with an MK...
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    Cheers to the long weekend!🥂 What are your plans? The weather is looking FIIINE 😍 ...
  • Gin and tonic ice lollies, Pimm's jelly purple gnocchi, wagyu beef carpachio, fresh pesto... 😍 [Gifted] Just a little taster of the gorgeous afternoon tea spread at @nonnas.woburnsands! ✨ It was like a tasting menu in itself and everything was beautifully put together and tasted SO good 🙌🏼 This was their celebration afternoon tea and if you are looking for something special - this is it! Honestly, some of the flavour combos were GENIUS 😍 Another amazing afternoon tea in Milton Keynes ticked off and filed for my next MK food guide! 🍋 Have you had afternoon tea at Nonna's? 💛 p.s Nonna's need your help! Head to the link in their profile to sign a petition to help them get changes to their licensing 🙏🏼 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #LoveNonnas
    sophie_etc
    Gin and tonic ice lollies, Pimm's jelly purple gnocchi, wagyu beef carpachio, fresh...
  • A pizza so big I can only just fit it in an Instagram square! 🍕🤤 You guys know what a huge fan I am of @louissocial in Buckingham! I went with my family last night for my Mum's birthday and we ordered THREE of Louis' finest 22
    sophie_etc
    A pizza so big I can only just fit it in an Instagram square! 🍕🤤 You guys know...
  • AD | Let's take a little trip down Diagon Alley... ✨ The Shambles is one of the most famous and oldest streets in York, with some of the buildings dating back to the 14th Century! Of course, many of us know it as The Street That Inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter⚡ I only appreciated the magic of the Shambles when we managed to see it without any tourists.The shops were quiet and you could see the cobbled streets that it's so well known for. If you want to get an empty shot, I'd recommend heading down around 7pm as people are going out for dinner 📸 Speaking of York, there's a brand new city guide on my blog all about my weekend in this beautiful place. I'm sharing everything you need to know including things to do and some great food spots! Link in bio 🍋 Have you been to York? What was your favourite part? 💛 #OnlyInYork #MakeitYork #SophieetcExplores #VisitYork [Press trip with @visityork]
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    AD | Let's take a little trip down Diagon Alley... ✨ The Shambles is one of the most...
  • Spent yesterday exactly how I intended to: flowers in my hair, glitter on my face, wellies on and dancing in a field (and in the woods!) ✨ We had the best time at the Festival of Beer at @blackpitbrewery 🙌🏼 Great food, music and beer all less than half an hour away from Milton Keynes 🍻 We will definitely be back next year but for now it's back to bed to nurse this hangover 😂 #FestivalOfBeer #SophieetcExplores #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes
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    Spent yesterday exactly how I intended to: flowers in my hair, glitter on my face,...
  • Happy as a clam 💛 Can't wait to spend this weekend at @blackpitbrewery Festival of Beer with this guy. Hopefully he'll still want to live with me after a weekend of camping 😳 It's been a long week but I am definitely ready to put some glitter on my face and dance in a field💃🏼 Hope you all have a lovely weekend! ✨
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    Happy as a clam 💛 Can't wait to spend this weekend at @blackpitbrewery Festival of...
  • [Ad-gifted] The face of a girl about to dive into afternoon tea from @french_affaire 😍 As it's #NationalAfternoonTeaWeek there is a bonus review on the blog of what might just be the most beautiful afternoon tea in Milton Keynes! ✨ French Affaire is one of my favourite spots in MK and it's the most Instagrammable café by far. The afternoon tea did not disappoint at all and if you're looking to treat someone, this is definitely the place to go 💛 Have you tried the afternoon tea at French Affaire? Tag someone who'd love this 👇🏼 Link to the review is in my bio! 🍋#EatandExploreMiltonKeynes #SophieetcEats
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    [Ad-gifted] The face of a girl about to dive into afternoon tea from @french_affaire...
  • Sushi for breakfast? 😍 The sushi from @akasakawolverton is the best in MK by far! I always get the salmon and avocado roll - a classic. The tuna negitoro is also delicious! 🐟 Unfortunately, the Wolverton restaurant is closing soon and I am absolutely gutted 😭 It's my favourite restaurant in MK and our go to takeaway 💔 They couldn't renegotiate their lease and the landlord made it sky high so they have no choice but to close. Thankfully, the CMK restaurant will stay, but the Wolverton Akasaka will always be my favourite as it's the original! 💛 At the moment, they close on the 25th August, so make sure you book a table before then! 🍣 Have you been to Akasaka? What's your favourite sushi? 🐠 #SophieetcEats #EatandExploreMiltonKeynes *A very special thank you to the staff at Akasaka Wolverton who were so welcoming last night and gave us complimentary drinks and dessert with our meal! 💛
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    Sushi for breakfast? 😍 The sushi from @akasakawolverton is the best in MK by far! I...
  • AD | Hello from York! 👋🏼 We are spending the weekend here courtesy of @visityork eating and exploring our way around this beautiful city! 😍 York Minster is perhaps the most famous building in York. It has been a place of worship since the 7th Century and is the largest cathedral of its kind in northern Europe. The gothic structure is stunning and if you go inside, you'll be blown away by the gorgeous stained glass windows. We walked up 275 steps to get to the top of the main tower and boy was it worth it for this view! I love going UP when I go to cities - it gives you a completely different perspective. York Minster is my favourite church and I'll never cease to be amazed at how beautiful it is 😍 Stay tuned for my of my adventures in York! 💛 #OnlyInYork #MakeitYork #VisitYork #SophieetcExplores #EatandExploreEverywhere *This is a press trip with Visit York. We've been provided with travel, accommodation and VIP city passes in return for content.
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    AD | Hello from York! 👋🏼 We are spending the weekend here courtesy of @visityork...

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