James Brennan

James has been eating food all his life. It wasn’t until relatively recently, however, that he considered writing about it. Originally an advertising copywriter and freelance writer, he jumped at the chance to edit a travel guide to his home town of Birmingham, which led to one or two hundred encounters with the local delicacy, the balti, and an appetite for food writing. In 2006 he became the food editor and restaurant critic for Time Out Dubai, and then he joined The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi. He embarked on an epic gastronomic voyage through the UAE, taking Gary Rhodes shopping in a fish market, force-feeding Gordon Ramsay a selection of killer mince pies and introducing Pierre Gagnaire to the wonders of camel’s milk. He is now a freelance food and travel writer contributing regularly to Esquire Middle East.