Dear Diary is where the stories spill over – the unpolished plates, the travel memories that sneak into my cooking, the seasonal produce that colours my week, and the quiet, everyday rituals that make food feel alive. It’s less about perfect recipes and more about moments: what’s in my basket, what’s simmering on the stove, and the flavours that tell the story of where I am right now. Think of it as the heart of Hey Lolly – part food journal, part travelogue, part love letter to eating well in every sense.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed creating and writing it.
- Dear Diary: Late-Summer Plates, Early-Autumn Comfort
A soft reset for the kitchen: tomatoes, quick bowls, plant-powered plates and one last summer sorbet. Here’s what I’m cooking in September. - Sicilian Cooking Class in Siracusa. A Garden-to-Table Day at Slow Life Family Farm.
Join a cooking class in Siracusa Sicily at Slow Life Family Farm — harvest fresh produce, cook 20+ dishes, and share the good life garden-to-table. - La Bellezza Birmingham An Honest Review
La Bellezza in Birmingham has built a reputation as an Italian spot worth visiting. But does it live up to the hype? Here’s my honest review of the experience. - Where to Eat in Ortigia: A Foodie’s Guide to the Best Restaurants
Ortigia stole my heart one plate at a time. From tuna tartare and lobster pasta to candlelit trattorias and wild market nights, here’s my foodie guide to Ortigia’s best restaurants. - Eight Ways Travel Influences Cooking at Home
From markets in Sicily to tapas tables in Spain, here are eight ways I’ve learned how travel influences cooking – shaping the way I shop, season, and serve food at home. - Dear Diary. August In My Kitchen.
August is abundance — tomatoes that taste like sunshine, berries that stain your fingers, corn caramelised with miso, and peaches too pretty not to eat on the spot. Here’s my seasonal diary of what August looks like in my kitchen. - Where to Eat in Palma. A Food-Lover’s Guide to the City’s Underrated Culinary Scene
A flavour-first foodie guide to Palma city—where to eat, sip, and snack your way through tapas, rooftop spritzes, and unforgettable plates in Santa Catalina and beyond. - Kushi-Ya, Nottingham. The Sizzle Behind the Skewers at one of Nottingham’s Best Kept Secrets.
One thing is for sure, you don’t just stumble across Kushi-ya. Tucked down Low Pavement in Nottingham, Kushi-ya is the kind of place that lives … - Raymond’s Nottingham. Small Plates, Big Flavours.
Let’s be honest—finding a genuinely brilliant restaurant feels a bit like striking gold in your back garden. Unexpected, thrilling, and something you want to both shout about and keep secret. Raymond’s in Nottingham is exactly that sort of treasure. - Welcome to Hey Lolly
If you’ve found yourself here, then hey – I’m genuinely glad you have. Welcome to this little corner of the internet that I’ve been dreaming about for quite some time. I’m Lauren, though friends call me Lolly, and this is where I’ll be sharing slices of my life that revolve around two of my greatest passions: cooking and travelling.
