The Fell Foodie
The Fell Foodie
Harrison Ward is an outdoor cook, author, mental health speaker and TV personality.
After discovering a passion for hiking in 2016 following a drastic life change, it wasn’t long before a lifetime love of cooking was merged with his new vice. He can often be found creating delicious, restaurant style meals on minimal camping equipment in the hills and publicly speaking about his battle with alcoholism, depression and obesity.
We caught up with Harrison to find out how access to online services is so important to what he does.
Harrison told us “I began sharing my culinary adventures on social media back in 2017 and soon captured people’s imaginations, using a stove and simple ingredientsto create hearty but delicious meals”.
“My openness on social media progressed and after being sober for two years in 2018, I decided to share my full story with my followers, including how I lived with mental health issues and struggled with alcohol”.
"The outpouring of support I received was huge and I uncovered lots of other stories of people who have found the outdoors to try and recover.”
Harrison’s profile on social media continued to grow as he also gained coverage in the news and on TV. He now has thousands of followers and continues to share his experience of mental health and open-air cooking online and via the media, as well as to corporate clients and schools.
Harrison said “Access to online services has become increasingly important in today’s world. I think we all take for granted just how much it offers. Social mediahas been such an important tool for me personally. It has allowed me to share my story, reach out to those who may have found themselves in similar situations to the ones I have, and has given me the opportunity to build a career around somethingwhich I love. The benefits, I believe however do stretch further in terms of combating isolation, providing a support mechanism to those who need it and bringing like- minded people together. My home connection allows me to run my social media pages on a variety of devices. I have a strong online presence and I keep my social media pages fresh, regularly posting new content and responding to any commentsor enquiries received”.
“My website is something which I am extremely proud of and gives a real insight in to who I am and the work I do. Visitors to my website can also purchase my debut cookbook ‘Cook Out’ which was released in October 2023. The link on my website takes visitors to Amazon where they can make an online purchase. My book is also available in local bookshops across the county”.
“Behind the scenes my fixed line broadband service supports a whole host of tasks at home including internet banking, online form requirements, downloading music and watching catch up TV”.
“Gigabit services have recently arrived in my area and upgrading to this is something which I am currently looking in to. In terms of future proofing my service and ensuring
it will continue to manage all future demands, the fact that these services are now available across Cumbria is amazing”.
“The nature of my work takes me to across Cumbria, and further afield, because of this, mobile connectivity is perhaps as important to me as the fixed line service in my home. My cooking sessions take me to many different places, and I also still enjoy and ‘need’ from time to time to go back to where I started, with just me, my stoveand the hills. Being able to use your mobile device when out in the countryside on your own from a safety perspective is really important. Living in Cumbria we have so much beautiful countryside on our doorstep, but to be able to feel safe when exploring it is a must and for me really highlights the need for improved and consistent 4G services countywide. We have all been there, arm in the air, searching for reception, it is not a nice feeling when you really need to make contact.”
Harrison would encourage others to look into the connectivity options in their area “we can’t hide from it, being online is a must in this day and age. We all have a reason for it whether that be for work, rest, play or emergencies. I love the outdoors and everything it offers but we still need to be and feel connected. Services are available across our county and can support you in so many ways.”
If you want to find out more about Harrison and his persona of Fell Foodie, visit his website or:
Fell Foodie on Instagram
Fell Foodie on Facebook
Fell Foodie on YouTube
Fell Foodie on Twitter
Fell Foodie on TikTok