.png){kind=small}
Hidden Food Tours
Handpicked, memorable Food Tours with Charla & Matt
We are passionate about food
Meet Matt & Charla, founders of Hidden Food Tours
Passionate foodies & knowledgeable hosts
Hello, we are Charla and Matt, neighbours, passionate foodies, and proud champions of local flavours.
We're fortunate to have Melton Mowbray, the Capital of Rural Food and home to many wonderful independent food and drink producers, right on our doorstep.
Driven by our love for glorious local food, its rich origins, and the stories behind it, we created Hidden Food Tours to share that passion through immersive & thoroughly enjoyable culinary experiences.
When we’re not leading tours, we’re out hunting for hidden gems, tasting new delights, and discovering fresh stories to keep every experience vibrant and exciting. That way, even returning guests are guaranteed a delicious surprise each time they join us.
We can’t wait to whisk you through the backstreets and markets, sharing the mouthwatering flavours and captivating stories that make each destination unforgettable!
Meet The Team
Matt is the co-founder of Hidden Food Tours. A lifelong history and food buff, HFT is the perfect way for him to combine two of his favourite obsessions. Whether it’s the story of Melton Mowbray pork pies, how fish & chips powered Britain’s industrial revolution, or why mushy peas became a Nottingham delicacy, Matt has the tales to keep you entertained as he leads you around some of our favourite foodie establishments.
After a career in broadcasting and audio production working for the BBC, The Guardian and The Times amongst many other news and broadcasting organisations, Matt has turned his skills to telling the stories of some of the UK’s favourite and best known foods.
When he’s not leading our tours, Matt is hunting out random facts and stories, spending his time in libraries and restaurants, and finding new food facts and produce to present to our guests and ensure that everyone who comes on a Hidden Food tour has an experience they’ll remember forever.
Charla is the co-founder of Hidden Food Tours, created from a passion for connecting people with place through food and storytelling. After moving from London to the Vale of Belvoir, she was struck by the sheer number of exceptional local food producers—and surprised that no one was telling their stories. Determined to change that, she joined forces with fellow foodie Matt and Hidden Food Tours was born.
A firm believer that food is one of the best ways to truly understand a destination, Charla always books a food tour when visiting somewhere new. For her, it’s the perfect combination of exploring a place, tasting its flavours, and learning from passionate locals.
With a background in sales within international luxury hospitality, Charla loves creating memorable, high-quality experiences that feel relaxed but special. Through Hidden Food Tours, she brings together great food, local people, and storytelling to help others discover places in a more delicious way.
Caroline Bingham
Having lived and worked in Lincoln for more than thirty years, Caroline has an extensive knowledge of Lincoln, its history and many outstanding attractions. As chief executive of Lincolnshire Life magazine, she has travelled widely across the county, interviewing chefs, producers and growers and is delighted to share her passion for local produce with fellow foodies.
Caroline will spotlight back stories to both the city and the wider culinary culture of Lincolnshire as she guides you with some great tastes and flavours from the Cathedral to Cornhill Quarters.
Janina Monaghan
Janina is a lover of people, places and food; just the right ingredients for a food tour guide!
With a background in the Events industry, Janina's access to global travel has allowed her to experience a variety of cuisines and cultures from spice markets in Malaysia to ice-swimming in Finnish Lapland but dining on stick-insects in Montreal doesn't need to be repeated in a hurry (they taste like corn chips, in case you're wondering).
Hidden Food Tours provides Janina with the perfect opportunity to facilitate connection between people, places and food and she looks forward to welcoming new participants to share the experience, in the city of Nottingham.
Jane Reynolds
Jane lives in Melton Mowbray and is a history buff, with two history degrees, as well as an ardent supporter of locally produced food. After returning to England from many years in North America - Toronto, Boston, NYC, LA, San Francisco - she lived in a 16th century home in Ludlow, home of a very big food festival and, at the time, to more Michelin stars than anywhere outside of London.
Now she enjoys the East Midlands Regional Food Festival with its pork pies, Stilton cheese and so much more. She knows just how important it is to know where your food comes from. She is blessed with being surrounded by so many wonderful local food producers!