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Welcome to the 11th edition of my annual speciality coffee and food awards , where I am highlighting some of my favourites from the coffee shops and eateries that I visited for the first time this year. For obvious reasons, I travelled much less than normal this year, although I did manage a holiday in Malta  in September, as well as city breaks in Porto , Edinburgh and Canterbury , and regular visits to Oxford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. As such, just like last year, I've rejigged the regions covered in each category so that I can showcase as many of the places I've loved closer to home and further afield. As the pandemic continues to disrupt life as we knew it, it's more important than ever to support the hospitality industry — respecting all local guidelines that may be in place, of course. If you're keen to read more of my speciality coffee recommendations, you may find my London coffee guide  to be a useful starting point; there are currently more than 150 coff...

On my way back from the Borealis light installation at Guildhall Yard  on Thursday evening, I happened upon an A-board for a speciality coffee shop and wine bar tucked away off Old Jewry, just around the corner from Bank Station. Intrigued by the name,  Where's Fred's , I stopped by the following day. I didn't find Fred but I did find some very fine coffee and brunch in the handsome, townhouse setting on a certain Frederick's Place. There are a few tables outside Where's Fred's but as it was a cold, grey December day, I decided to take advantage of sitting inside while I still could. Set over two rooms, the interiors are very attractive with exposed-brick walls,  terracotta-tiled counters, leather banquettes and red-accented stools at the high tables. The palette is Mediterranean, which is appropriate because so is the food and drink menu. The brunch menu, served until 3 pm, features dishes like pan con tomate and a truffled-egg croissant, but I was in the mood ...

My second, and almost certainly last, foreign trip of the year was to Porto last month. I spent just over four days in the Portuguese city and was treated to warm weather, blue skies and bright sunshine. It was a welcome break from the near-constant rain and greyness of November in London. I've already written about the great speciality coffee spots I found in Porto , but read on to find out what else I got up to, and where I ate, drank and shopped. THINGS TO DO Walking tour with Porto Walkers If you're a regular reader, you'll know I love taking walking tours to familiarise myself with and learn more about the cities I visit. Porto Walkers runs free three-hour tours (but do tip your guide if you enjoyed it) every day at 10:45 am and 3:30 pm. They have slightly different focuses, and I went for the morning tour, which covers the city centre and Porto's history. My guide, Ana, was brilliant: informative, entertaining and excited to share as much of her city with us as po...