Food, Wine, Photography Cycling & Gardening. Discover more about Life in Burgundy on The Hungry Cyclist Blog
When I was idly daydreaming on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, after completing a two and half year bicycle ride researching food across the Americas, I sketched out a picture of what I felt my dream building might look like for the gourmet cycle lodge I was planning in France.
Read MoreA regular favourite here at The Hungry Cyclist Lodge is slow braised beef cheeks. Easy to prepare and unimaginably unctuous, they are full of flavour and the slow braise fills the house with glorious smells, perfect when returning from a days cycling and wine tasting in Burgundy. Paired with a creamy mash, flavoured with local Dijon mustard, this is a dish perfectly suited for autumn nights.
Read MoreI am very fortunate to be able to say that cooking, cycling and drinking the occasional glass of wine are work. But following your passions is not always easy and to be able to read the kind words below after a season of hard work is reward indeed. To all the guests who have visited us in Burgundy, thank you it's been a wonderful summer!
Read MoreWhile we are based in a 17th Century watermill and The Lodge is decorated with antiques sourced from local 'brocante', we also like to think we move with the times here in Burgundy and in 2016 our self guided cycling tours will come equipped with the very latest in cycling GPS navigation technology. The Garmin Edge 1000.
Read MoreOctober in our Burgundian garden always provides a bonus. Like an extravagant dessert in a fine restaurant, it arrives after the main event, just when you think you have had enough only for your senses to be reinvigorated for one last bout of pleasure.
Read MoreOeufs en Meurette is a Burgundian classic. A soft-poached egg swimming in a rich red wine sauce, it's a warming and hearty dish, perfect for autumn days. However as a hot summer has come to an end I have found that the same principle work of serving a poached egg in a creamy white wine sauce flavoured with herbs from the garden
Read MoreHere at The Hungry Cyclist Lodge we keep our grilling simple and this summers' favourites are 'magret' of duck and the smoky rib of Charolais slow-cooked over 90-year-old vine stocks, both washed down with plenty of local pinot noir.
Read MoreA designer’s eye for detail clearly informed that sketch, and it has taken two years to convert the near-derelict 17th-century water mill and former village campsite into something like a cycling enthusiast’s blueprint.
Read MorePeaches from the south of France cover the tables in the local markets at this time of year, and the secret in this heat is to eat them as fast as you can before they turn. While there are few greater pleasures in life than taking on a peach whole, juices pouring down your shirt this recipe is a little more elegant.
Read MoreA creative way to journal those daily snap-shots, if you want an inside view of a stay at the Hungry Cyclist Lodge or a what cycling holiday in Burgundy looks like, have a look and follow The Hungry Cyclist Instagram feed. Full of photos of food, wine, landscapes and the occasional brocante find, it's a beutiful way to keep in touch.
Read MoreThe Hungry Cyclist Lodge has now been open for three months. As each week passes we open our doors to more and more guests who have come to enjoy the best of Burgundy. Coming to this special part of the world to rest and enjoy some of the best food, wine and cycling in France.
Read MoreCorks were being pulled and fireworks exploded above the vines of the Cote D'Or in early July as the 1,247 “climats” of Burgundy were awarded the much coveted world heritage status by UNESCO.
Read MoreAfter the long and dark months of winter, spring in Burgundy is a well needed shot in the arm. Months of rain and cold make way for seemingly endless days of warm sunshine and a feel of summer arrives.
Read MoreLast week my great friend and exceptional photographer Greg Funnell came to stay. Greg also has an eye for an interesting object and getting to work with his camera he grasped the style of The Hungry Cyclist Lodge perfectly.
Read MoreBoeuf Bourguignon, Oeufs en Meurette and snails all make the podium, but the often sidelined Jambon Persille is one of my Burgundian favourites. Hunks of dense ham set in a porky flavoured parsley and garlic jelly. There are few better foods to wheel out at a cycling picnic in Burgundy and the humble Jambon Persille could not be more historic.
Read MoreOne of the first plants to arrive is the glorious radish. The radish is the gardening equivalent of learning chop sticks on the piano. Easy to plant and with an almost instant reward. After only a few days young leaves appear and after two weeks the rose roots break the surface like sunburned bald heads.
Read MoreApril is exciting in Burgundy. The muted greys and browns of winter steadily make way for the electric greens of spring and as if over night the landscape of the Cote D'Or changes colour. The wiry silhouettes of trees transform into an soft mass of verdant foliage and dormant spring flowers burst from the ground.
Read MoreWitnessing the wine harvest is a must for any real wine lover. Here at The Hungry Cyclist Lodge we won't force you into the fields to pick any grapes, but book accommodation for the Burgundy grape harvest with us with us, and whether you're watching the pickers from our terrace, or of walking in the vines, we guarantee you'll experience the true nature of this important annual event first hand.
Read MoreIt is with a huge amount of pleasure and just a healthy portion of pride that I can announce that The Hungry Cyclist Lodge, is open. A comfortable corner of the world from where you can enjoy the very best, food, wine and cycling in Burgundy.
Read MoreThere is something optimistic about eating salad at the end of February. The days are noticeably longer, furry buds gather on fruit trees and a salad feels like an early taste of the balmy days to come. In the garden at this time of year only a few proud towers of sprouts remain. After the heavy frosts the mini cabbages that cling to the stalks are extra sweet and even more so when braised with some smoked pork rib.
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