Substack 3 years on
The lessons I’ve learned (and now over to you …)
It’s honestly hard to believe I’ve been doing this for 3 years. It’s not so much that I doubted I could, it’s just that it’s gone by so quickly.
For those of you who’ve just come across my newsletter I’m a veteran (let’s just say experienced) food and wine writer who has at one stage written for most of the UK national press, most recently a 14 year stint as the Guardian’s wine writer. A post I left to concentrate on my Substack and travel more.
More stuff about me here if you’d like to know more. (Bragging rights. I was one of Substack’s featured publications last year!)
Anyway I’m hugely grateful to all those of you who have signed up both as free and paid subscribers*. I know there are a lot of us out there now clamouring for your attention and so I really appreciate that you’re here.
*speaking of which if you’ve contemplated becoming a paid subscriber there’s a 50% off discount an annual sub currently which brings the cost down to just £1.75 a month. I’ve extended it till the end of the week cos the sun is shining and I’m feeling *that* celebratory
This time last year I wrote about what I’d learned from my first two years on Substack and I still stand by that but the past 12 months have brought about big changes in both my professional and personal life. I officially retired nine months ago and yet you’d hardly know it as you can see from this post.
What does retirement look like when you’re a writer?
If I’m travelling - and it does seem to me that you like to hear about the travels which were the main reason for giving up the day job - I like to share what I’ve discovered.
My most popular posts have been my trip to Malaga, my trip to Mexico for Day of the Dead and my recent trip to Morocco.
As I contemplate where to go next I’d love to know what places are on your bucket list and what you’d like me to write about
Although wine recommendations are still at the heart of the Substack, I sense that food is at least, if not more, important to you
I’ve introduced two regular features this year - the well loved cookbook challenge* which is all about going back to your most used and battered books and recipes for one or two (on the basis that most of us aren’t cooking regularly for 4 these days).
* Prompted by this post, the most popular one on the site to date!
They both seem to have gone down well - are they what you’re looking for?
Generally you get one recipe a month. Would you like an extra one?
How about having a live cookery chat each month on a particular cookbook we might have all cooked from. Do you fancy that?