An Interview with Christy Williamson
by Lois Mackenzie
When moving to a new city it’s always fun to explore all the cool new experiences it has to offer. Immediately you want to find the best bars, the best cafés, and where to get the best (and cheapest) burger. A lot of this knowledge comes from experience: trial and error and one too many overpriced meals. But the best advice comes from those who have been there and done it before and take to the internet to help you find that eagerly sought-after pizza and the best city walks. That’s how I came across Dinner Stories. A big fan of supporting local, and ensuring I make the most of my last few months in Aberdeen, I took to the internet in search of Aberdeen-based bloggers to see what they recommended in the city I’ve grown to call my home. Immediately, Dinner Stories caught my eye.
Jam-packed with not only recommendations for places to eat, explore and drink in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, but filled with amazing travel inspiration all over the world. It has quickly become one of my favourite travel blogs and my go-to when to deciding where to go for Aberdeen’s best meal, so I was delighted when Christy (the brains behind Dinner Stories) agreed to answer some of my questions!
What’s your name, and what is the premise behind Dinner Stories?
My name is Christy and Dinner Stories is a place to share my love of food and travel, and all things Aberdeen/shire!
How did you get into blogging?
It started out as a somewhere to be creative and share my love of fashion but has slowly developed over the years into something more lifestyle based. I love reading blogs to find great places to eat or inside tips to help plan our holidays and adventures, so it seems natural to share my own stories for other people to use in the same way.
What’s your writing process: how does an idea turn into an article?
It takes longer than I think most people realise! For me the process starts with taking and editing the photos first, planning out exactly what it is I want the article to be, and then writing bit by bit in the evenings - I work full time so the blog is done in my spare time! Once the main text is written it has to be fact checked and search engine optimized (which I need to get better at!) - links added, image descriptions and ALT texts, and then a Pin button created too. I'd say I spend anything from 4-8 hours depending on the size of the article.
I’ve seen on your blog that you’ve been involved in a lot of interesting events such as Aberdeen restaurant week. What is the best opportunity that writing your blog has given you?
One of the best in being involved with North Hop festivals - I love the events and have made some brilliant friends through it! Supporting local is a big passion for me so it's been great to work with Aberdeen Inspired on ARW and help promote some incredible local restaurants. I'm also excited to be working with Northlink Ferries at the moment and visiting Shetland for the first time soon!
Your Instagram has beautiful pictures of home and away, but what is your favourite place you have visited?
Thank you! That's a tough question... Ronda in Spain was pretty magical and our honeymoon in Thailand is definitely a highlight. We hope to spend more time in South East Asia next year!
What’s your go-to Aberdeen day out?
Brunch at the Long Dog Café and a mooch around the West End shops, usually followed by a coffee stop at Foodstory or the Cult of Coffee... to be honest our days out are mostly spent pottering about the city between meals/drinks! We love a castle trip (Craigievar is my favourite!) or a nice long walk in the hills, followed by a good feed (Yatai Izakaya is a must try) and a night out in Aberdeen always ends with cocktails in Orchid!
If you could visit any country or city in the world, where would it be?
Vietnam, Japan and India are all at the top of my list right now!
I’m sure you’ve tried loads of amazing foods, but what is your favourite thing to order in a restaurant?
If there's gyoza on the menu I will 100% order them. Although right now I have a thing for buffalo chicken burgers!
And finally, do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start writing a blog?
Just do it! It's always scary putting yourself out there but I've found most people to be really supportive. Writing Dinner Stories has pushed me out of my comfort zone; I'm motivated to try new things and meet new people and have had so many wonderful experiences because of it! What have you got to lose?
Thank you so much to Christy for answering my questions and giving insight into your life as a blogger! And for anyone wondering where to get the best burger in Aberdeen, now you know where the answer is!
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