The future of The Sauce looks like this...
Plus some news
I recently asked y’all to take part in a survey to help me shape the future of this publication, and you delivered! A massive thank you to everyone who took part.
I want to share some findings from the survey to give you an idea about what to expect from The Sauce in the coming months.
It’s all good stuff.
Before we get onto the results, I have a bit of news. Some of you may be aware that The Sauce used to sit under an old Substack publication of mine called Simple and Straightforward. Some of you may even still be subscribed to S+S even though I’ve not published there in over a year.
I shelved S+S to focus on The Sauce, but this week, I’ve relaunched it with a new name and expanded remit.
Simple and Straightforward is now called This much I know.
Some of you may also know — especially if you follow me on Medium — that I don’t only write about food and wine. I also write about women-focused issues, culture, what it’s like to live abroad, and memoir.
I wanted a home for this writing, which is exactly what This much I know will be.
I started this week with a personal essay about “acting our age” (or not):
If this sounds up your street, you can subscribe here.
Back to survey results…
You want to hear about life in Europe
This is GREAT news because I love writing about life here.
Sometimes I think I am so used to living in Europe (I’ve been here for nearly five years) that I forget how different life is from places like the US or my British home. That is doubly so when it comes to food and wine culture.
I’m VERY happy to talk more about this and offer a window into what it’s like to actually live here and how that looks in food and drink form.
You want profiles on specific winemakers
I’m stoked about this because I have some great winemaker friends who deserve to have their stories told. I’m contacting a few this week to get this up and running as a feature.
In the meantime…
City guides and recommendations are super useful
A lot of you mentioned these guides are a reason why you signed up for a paid membership, which is great. I fully intend to continue writing guides and recommendations, and I’ve got some in the works for this summer.
Not everyone wants to hear about wine, but it’s one of the major reasons people upgrade to paid
This is not a wine-only Substack, but seeing as it’s my profession and expertise, there will always be a wine element. It’s a personal mission of mine to get more people to understand why wine is what it is. There is so much fluff and BS in my industry, and I really want to cut through that.
I love giving practical advice like here, here and here and I intend to continue with that.
You don’t want extra perks or more posts per week
Most of you said that two newsletters a week is just the right amount and that you’re not bothered about extra perks like a Discord or live chats. I’m not unhappy about this!
You want budget considerations
Traveling to Europe and drinking wine is lovely and all that, but many comments also mentioned how life is expensive right now. We feel that in Europe too. I want to be mindful of budgets and help where I can. Many of my recipes for instance, are designed to be flexible so you don’t have to buy specific or extra ingredients. I’m thinking hard about how else to consider budget restraints.
Some of my favourite comments
Testimonials, y’all!
I really look forward to reading your articles over my morning coffee. I love your style as it feels like I me you are talking to me.
I really love how real you are.
I love your thoughtful ideas and research. It’s not fluff and I believe in your message of better food and travel.
And finally, a comment that everyone could do with listening to:
Please don’t spend more time than you need to on the internet!
Have I missed anything?
Leave a comment (public) if you think I have:
So, how is this going to look?
I’m relieved that the biggest result of the survey was that I am — generally — on the right track.
Phew!
But I can always do better and the results have given me insight into where I can put my efforts.
Here’s a taste of what’s to come this Summer:
An updated Porto guide will be out I hope, at the end of this week. I live in a dynamic, growing city and a lot has opened since I wrote my guide last year.
Winemaker profiles are incoming. I want them to reflect not just who that winemaker is (or what wine they make), but how their philosophies and values reflect our modern wine world.
More on Portuguese and Spanish food and wine culture.
More recommendations for places to visit, wines to buy, and food to eat.
More personal essays and memoirs.
A reminder about The Sauce’s mechanics, I tend to write one free post per week and one that is just for my paid subscribers. Many of my recommendations, for instance, go behind the paywall. Thank you to everyone who supports what I do here.
Paid subscriptions are $5 a month or $50 a year and every penny goes towards making The Sauce what it is.
Thanks all! I’ll see you later this week.
Can’t waaaaaait!!😃