Hi, I am Alan Chalmers I started Eat walk tours Ltd in 2011 then known as Eat walk Edinburgh. The Edinburgh food tours started to take off almost immediately. We set up a St Andrews food tour in 2014 and Glasgow in 2015.
I am originally from Stirling but moved to Edinburgh in the late 70’s to study Hotel Management. Apart from a short time in London I have worked mostly in Glasgow and Edinburgh in Hotel catering ever since.
After a holiday in 2009 in Seattle, USA, where I enjoyed my first food tour. I came back enthusing how Edinburgh would be a great place for a similar tour. As I was happy in my job, I gave it no further thought. But in 2011 I was laid off from my work after 20 years service. I decided to make the most of this opportunity and set up an Edinburgh food tours.
Born in Glasgow, I’ve been doing guided driving tours for the past 3 years and walking tours for 1 year. Gives me the chance to wear the clothes my dad threw out 50 years ago. To tell jokes so unfunny that my whole family ran away from home. I am happy to share my encyclopaedic knowledge of things you need to know to win a quiz and on things you don’t need to know.
I trained as an Edinburgh Tour Guide in 2012 and have been guiding for Eat Walk since April 2013. Born and bred in Edinburgh. I lived and worked in Northern Spain for 23 years. It was returning home, and seeing my home city in a new light lead me to explore guiding as a new career. A move I have never regretted. History has always fascinated me, especially Edinburgh and Scotland. I am a foodie and I also write so leading tours to eateries with character and distinction lets me lead a lovely yin-yang life balance.