About

Muddy Stilettos first tottered into the world in summer 2011 as a bit of fun for the founder, Hero Brown, in Bucks & Oxon. The idea was a simple one: to write a witty but indispensable guide to the very best restaurants, walks, boutiques, day trips, hotels, interiors and events in the local counties and in doing so, perk up her social life.

Along with Muddy Surrey there are 26 Muddy counties, all with a focus on the quirky, unique, cool and interesting; so no advertorial, no PR guff and a genuine, upbeat honesty. As well as being an indispensable local guide, it’s also a platform for local businesses to get their message across and for us to see what an amazing and creative county we live in.

As editor of the Surrey edition, I spend my days (and some evenings) sassing around Surrey with my ear to the ground to bring you the inside line on what’s happening in our county. I’m a former national journalist (The Telegraph, The Independent, i), born and bred in rural Australia where the countryside is not a million miles from gorgeous Surrey, the county I’ve been lucky enough to call home for 17 years. I live with my husband and our two kids, as well as two cute kitties and two muddy pooches!

This is the Muddy Mantra, so you know what to expect from the site:

• I try everything out myself so that you can fully trust my opinions. On the occasions that I haven’t been somewhere myself, I let you know about it. Occasionally guest editors will review and these will be clearly marked as such.
• I will never accept payment to write about something I don’t believe in.
• I won’t write nasty reviews. I’m not into trashing people, brands or companies, but if the experience wasn’t good enough, I won’t write about it in Muddy Stilettos, regardless of whether I have paid for the experience or not. This gives me the editorial control I need for a successful site and the trust that my readers require.
• I accept tickets to free shows, festivals, restaurants, events etc. with the purpose of reviewing or publicising them on Muddy Stilettos (as I’m sure you appreciate it’s pretty expensive zipping around trying stuff out all of the time). Hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars – if you would like me to try you out, please get in touch at amber@muddystilettos.co.uk.
• Muddy Stilettos is a commercial site and accepts advertising and payment to feature products and brands. However, we believe passionately in only working with brands that share our ethos and are relevant to our readers. We retain editorial control and independence at all times.

I hope you love the site. Please tell your friends about it, and sign up for my splendiferous newsletter delivered to your inbox to be the first to know about all the cool stuff happening in your area!

Amber x