I don't live in London. I want to live in London, and will do soon I'm sure, but for now I live in Norfolk. As quaint and remote, and often strange (don't believe everything you see on Alan Partridge, but a lot of it is quite accurate) Norfolk can be, there really are some hidden gems.
The town I live in is called Diss, it sounds awful, but it looks like this...
Not bad huh?
Diss is pretty quaint, and a little rough around the edges, but if you look past the three supermarkets (yes, three) and the numerous charity shops, there is one place that really stands out.
This tiny little courtyard off one of the main streets is home to not only to a great Thai restaurant, but the delicious Amandines vegetarian restaurant, Fredrick's Fine Foods deli, an old-fashioned sweet shop and my favourite home/gift shop: Skinscence.
Fredrick's Fine Foods is the new kid in town round these parts, and boy is it a revelation. They are a deli, freshly making quiches, pies, patés, desserts and salads every day, but also do fresh fruit and veg, and even a catering service!
Fredrick knows how to please a girl like me: meat, cheese, olives, chutneys, fresh bread and a huge selection of wines!
I went home very happy with a huge chunk of Duck and Orange Paté, two Cheese and Tomato quiches and pot full to the brim from the salad bar!
Amandines over the way is just as delicious, serving up a host of freshly made veggie meals (and seriously good portion sizes too!). What's more, they even go out and about with this super-retro ice-cream bike spreading the yummy love around town!
My final stop when in Norfolk House Yard is always Skinscence, and when I have my own place to fill with all this beautiful stuff, I'm sure it will bankrupt me!
Every time I go in they have new things to discover, and you could spend an age just looking at all the things they cram onto their shelves and hang on their walls...all of it up for grabs!
So there you have it, if you ever find yourself in Norfolk and fancy a good potter and some delicious food...you know where to come!