What I notice when I’m hosting people through Surrey’s kitchens

I’ve been thinking about Surrey’s new Spice Trail, and how it’s inviting people to do something I’ve been lucky enough to do for years: walk into a family-run kitchen, sit down, and let the food do the talking.

A few of the spots on the trail are places I already bring guests on Spice of Life. What stands out to me every time isn’t just the food, though the food is always good. It’s what happens around it. Someone asks the owner how long they’ve been in Surrey. Someone else recognizes a dish from their own childhood and shares the memory. It’s reflective, connecting, celebratory.

People come in expecting a food tour and leave with the stories of the chefs and new stories of their own that they didn’t know they were going to get.

If you’re working through the Spice Trail on your own, that story of people and place is still there, it just takes a little more work to find. Ask a question. Stay a few extra minutes. The people behind these kitchens are usually glad to talk.

And if you’d rather have someone else plan the pacing and make the introductions, that’s where Spice of Life comes in. We are a Discover Surrey partner and proud to have designed one of their Signature Experiences. Either way, it’s the same city, the same kitchens, the same stories. Just two ways to discover them.