60 SECOND INTREVIEW: John & Vicky Grindle

JOHN & Vicky Grindle run West Dorset Foodie, a blog dedicated to promoting the areas food and producers. They, with the help of other contributors, have been running the blog since 2011.

TELL us who you are and what you do?
We are John and Vicky Grindle, two passionate foodies who enjoy great food. We are also lucky enough to have chef Ali Smith on our team who writes about the wonderful foodie producers in West Dorset. Our aim is to promote the areas wonderful local food producers, restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafes, etc. especially the seafood! It has been so successful that we now have East Dorset & North Dorset Foodies and in the next few weeks we’ll hopefully be appointing a Purbeck Foodie! We don't get paid for our work, we do it just to promote the wonderful Dorset food.

WHEN did you decide to start the West Dorset Foodie?
Our daughter-in-law, who is half of Bristol Foodie, gave us the inspiration to start our blog and in October 2011 West Dorset Foodie was born. Luckily our son has his own web hosting business and after 41 years working in IT, developing the website wasn't a problem for John!

IS Bridport and West Dorset becoming a foodie destination?
I think it is already a foodie destination. I have a regular stream of emails from visiting foodies wanting to know the best restaurants to eat in during their visit to West Dorset. Luckily, we are blessed with a great diversity of foodie outlets, from an award-winning transport café, to Dorset's only Michelin starred restaurant. Plus we have some of the best food festivals in the country and huge amounts of people plan their visits around these events.

HOW do you decide who gets the West Dorset Foodie treatment?
We like to help promote new businesses, so we keep our ears to the ground, usually through Twitter or by word of mouth for new restaurants or foodie suppliers opening in the area. We also help established businesses with new promotions/refurbishments/menus, etc.

HOW often are you surprised by the food in Bridport and the surrounding area?
I think the only thing that surprises us in Bridport area is the huge diversity of the highly skilled artesian producers and chefs. Many are locals, but many have moved from the cities for a better life in rural Dorset.

HOW often will someone from West Dorset foodie be reviewing a restaurant or event?
Our aim is to write at least two or three blogs a month, but during the summer festival season this will increase to possibly five or six!

AT your ultimate dinner party what would you serve to guests?
It would have to be a tapas style meal, with lots of Dorset's wonderful seafood and fresh organic vegetables. All would be washed down with a bottle or two of Dorset's multi award winning sparkling wines. Which is exactly what John has planned for his big birthday in October!

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