Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle

Blind date: ‘She ordered four shots of tequila before she’d sat down to dinner’

Sam and Jenn for Blind Date
Sam

Sam on Jenn

What were you hoping for?
Good food, decent chat, to avoid being embarrassed in a national newspaper.

First impressions?
Very strong. Jenn had ordered four shots of tequila before she even sat down.

What did you talk about?
Cyrano de Bergerac. Mountaineering. Miami. Karaoke. Berlin nightlife. Ghosting. Finsbury Park. Pub quizzes. Urban vineyards. Classical music.

Any awkward moments?
When Jenn expressed disappointment that I’m not quite 6ft tall.

Good table manners?
Impeccable. She averted her gaze when I removed the fish bones from my teeth.

Best thing about Jenn?
Her stamina – Jenn goes hard or goes home. She only yawned once during our eight-hour date.

Would you introduce her to your friends?
100%. She is great fun and could charm the skin off a snake.

Describe Jenn in three words?
Hilarious, loquacious, effervescent.

What do you think she made of you?
That I wooed her with my encyclopaedic knowledge of London bus routes and my ability to finish all the free drinks.

Did you go on somewhere?
The rooftop bar at Duck & Waffle.

And … did you kiss?
What happens at Duck & Waffle stays at Duck & Waffle.

If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
Three espresso martinis would have been more than enough.

Marks out of 10?
6.

Would you meet again?
Yes, definitely, as friends. Sadly, I don’t think there was a romantic spark, but I loved every minute of our marathon date.

SAM (LEFT) AND JENN (RIGHT)
Sam and Jenn on their date Photograph: Courtesy of Sam and Jenn
Jenn Perry. Blind Date photographed 10 February 2022 in London Bridge

Jenn on Sam

What were you hoping for?
A hilarious anecdote for my friends, a great dinner and a fun night.

First impressions?
Sam was friendly and enthusiastic, with a lovely smile – and he shared my approach to the meal: to overorder.

What did you talk about?
The simple pleasures of a microwave meal. Where the north begins.

Any awkward moments?
He told me he was going to Miami, and I said I’d never been to the west coast of America … I immediately realised my mistake by the look on his face.

Good table manners?
Excellent, although his attempt to impressively debone his sea bream was a bit anticlimactic.

Best thing about Sam?
He’s fun! I felt at ease and time flew by.

Would you introduce him to your friends?
Yes, he’s super-interesting.

Describe Sam in three words?
Massive fish person.

What do you think he made of you?
A hardy northern lass who was mad for not wearing a jacket.

Did you go on somewhere?
We only had one option: a taxi to Duck & Waffle, where we stayed until 3am.

And … did you kiss?
A lady doesn’t kiss and tell … (we did).

If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
I would’ve had more of his truffle chips at 2am.

Marks out of 10?
A strong 8.

Would you meet again?
We exchanged numbers, so who knows.

Sam and Jenn ate at Hawksmoor Borough, London SE1. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.