Out on the road, there’s a lot of talk about food. It’s necessary as it fuels our ride, we need to eat to maintain energy and help with recovery, there’s always a sense of anticipation and excitement around eating when cycle touring.

Those cheese scrolls or fruit cake we are carrying become lunch in another 10 kilometers when we find a shady rest stop to brew up with a strong cup of coffee.

In the food pannier, I carry there’s muesli and powdered milk for breakfast, which I usually eat with a piece of fruit. Either a supermarket-bought banana or sometimes roadside apples or plums

Without a fridge or an oven, we rely on our trusty pocket rocket gas stove. Mostly shopping daily,  haunting the ‘specials’ stand but keeping a little tinned emergency food and dry biscuits just in case. Lunch is often wholemeal wraps with salad, tomato, with a dip, usually tzatziki or hummus.

Dinner is pasta with a tomato sauce or cous cous and frozen Mediterranean vegetables which are washed down with a cup of salty miso soup. Extras are fruit cake, snack bars, bread rolls with cheese and on top, and my sweet indulgence Nature Own soft jubes- yum. Occasionally, we share a bowl of hot chips or a cafe meal.

Pretzels, soda water, and chocolate round out our diet. No haute cuisine or deconstructed masterpieces, just simple food.

I imagined into existence a mythical cyclist’s friend. Her name’s Beryl, and she’s a plump farmer wife in a green gingham apron who calls out as we pass: “I’ve just put the kettle on and there’s a batch of date scones (or sausage rolls) about to come out of the oven and yesterday’s Lemon meringue pie needs to be eaten. Will you stop and have a slice?”

Of course, Beryl hasn’t appeared yet, but I keep a keen eye out for her though, I’m sure she lives just around the next corner.