Welcome! Why I’d love you to join me…

This is me - thinking about what to cook for dinner

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m Karen Barnes and, until March this year, I was editor of the UK’s award-winning delicious. magazine. I did that job for 14 years (an honour), and it enabled me to meet and work with myriad inspirational producers, chefs and food writers; people who are changing the world and understand the power food has to unite. Laughter around the table is a joyous thing and something we all need more of.

I’ll be frank: life when I was growing up had its challenges – click here to read my story. There’s joy and profound sadness in there, inspiration and life-changing moments, things I wish hadn’t happened but which (I realise with hindsight) have shaped life in a way I wouldn’t change. If that sounds like a contradiction, you’re right, but isn’t life a series of contradictions? Navigating a path through them is the interesting part, and there’s joy to be found in that.

My job as an editor involved putting together a monthly print magazine, working with a team of equally mad-passionate people. That rigorous, exciting, creative process, with an obsessive commitment to high standards, made me realise, in our world of increasing noise, the importance of ‘edited choice’ – that is, recommendations with integrity; stories that bring insight, as well as being fascinating to read. And the importance of TRUST. I’m a great believer in gut instinct, too.

Here’s what you can look forward to if you subscribe to my newsletter…

  • Recommendations you can have faith in, alongside stories about (and wisdom from) people with integrity, vision and a spirit of joyful generosity.

  • My editor’s pick of favourite and new restaurants, inside-scoop places to visit, books to be tempted by, cook from or curl up with.

  • Interviews with (and tips from) chefs and other experts, with a few exclusive recipes peppered in – sometimes from me; sometimes from my guest interviewees.

Free subscribers will receive two newsletters a month.

Paid subscribers get four newsletters a month, plus occasional exclusive recipes from me and from guest chefs, plus full access to back issues of my publication archive and an open invitation to join the subscriber chat.

Above all, your support helps to make this happen and I’d love you to come along with me on this journey. Thank you!

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Join the chat!

This is the chance to be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, support my writing with a subscription – or both. Thanks again for taking the time to read this: I hope you’ll join me.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.

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If you like the idea of a carefully chosen, tested mix of food, restaurant and travel-related gems, with interviews, thoughts and recipes woven in, I'm hoping you'll love my newsletter. Please do join me on the journey...

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For 14 years I was editor of delicious. magazine UK and now… Substack! Never happier than when writing, cooking (conjuring something out of nothing), playing music, talking around a table, looking at the sea...