As you well know by now, Bjournal love meeting with Brighton based bloggers and chatting to them about all things blog and Brighton related. We spoke to Lilla Goatcher, the author of Lilla Loves, a blog about everything from fashion to food. Her blog is a must read for advice on virtually every aspect of life, from what to do for Valentines Day to some great, honest, restaurant reviews. Bjournal spoke to her about growing up in Brighton, her style and her favourite places to eat!
Tell us about yourself I’m Lilla a blogger and social media strategist. Born and raised in Brighton, I grew up with summer nights sitting round bonfires on the beach, while strangers practiced fire poi, attended nappy night at The Event II and remember when it used to cost £3 to go to the ABC cinema.
Now married, with a cat, I spend my time flitting between Hove beer gardens and exploring Brighton and Hove on a never ending quest to find Brighton’s best kept secret.
How did your blog come about? Originally my blog was going to see me take on different challenges each month for a year as an experiment, I was going to go Vegan in January 2010 and see where it took me from there. But as with all my hobbies it quickly got forgotten. A few years later I decided to start again as a beauty blogger and it has evolved to what it is now.
Blogging is the first thing I have done and not forgotten about or quit in my life – sometimes I can be a bit lackadaisical with it, but I really do enjoy it – I guess I use it a bit like a diary/inspirational board, which makes it easier to keep up.
Where is your favourite place to shop in Brighton/Hove? This is a hard one – I love going to the flea market in Kemp Town and browsing the old taxidermy and furniture. I also love going to independent shops like Posh Totty, Jaba Yard and Our Daily Edit – so I guess either sets of the Lanes – I try to avoid Churchill Square at all costs!
How would you describe your style? My style is very relaxed, maybe a bit ‘rocky’, a hangover from my teens. I’d live in trainers and flip flops if I could and my wardrobe staple is jeans. I’m also a bit of a leopard print magpie.
You have some recipes on your blog, what’s your favourite thing to cook?
My dad is Iranian and my mum cooked a lot of Persian food when I was growing up. I love making kebabs or Ghormeh Sabzi, for me that is comfort food. I’m very lucky that my husband loves all Persian food and so do most of my friends, so I tend to make various dishes if I am hosting.
Where is your favourite place to eat in Brighton/Hove? I can’t ever have one favourite, because I think things like this differ depending on the circumstances.
La Choza is definitely on the list. I just love the food, it’s tasty, fresh and reasonably priced – also they do an amazing Lime Margarita!
I also am a massive Coggings & Co fan – their Rarebit burger is a dream come true – we have good burger game in Brighton, but for me a Coggings burger is perfect – I’m satisfied after I eat it but not questioning why I decided not to leave the house in sweatpants.
For drinks in Hove I would recommend The Ancient Mariner – their Sunday roasts are great, there is a good atmosphere and they have a great garden that you can sit in all year round.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start a blog? The most important thing about writing a blog is to do it your way. If you write about things to fit in with other bloggers or for aspirational reasons then you won’t enjoy it. If you want to be a mega blogger, it is the things that make you different from everyone else that will make you stand out. Also enjoy it, it shouldn’t feel like a chore.
And finally, what is your favourite thing about Brighton/Hove? Everyone talks about Brighton like it is this magical realm and I guess it can seem that way. I love the way the city is always in transition – there is always something about to happen, like Fringe, Pride or the Pavilion Ice rink. In the summer, the atmosphere can make you feel like there are no limits.
I think growing up here has sheltered me in many ways, but in others have exposed me to a lot as well. Brighton is a very accepting, easy and carefree place; I think that the mentality is what I love most about it.
You can find Lilla Loves here, and you can also follow Lilla on Twitter.
Holly Martin
