Different ideas. Thoughtfully delivered.
About
Why Spiegelei?
Spiegelei (pronounced shpee-gel-eye) is the German word for “fried egg” — admittedly a slightly unusual name for a travel and lifestyle brand.
For Porsche enthusiasts though, Spiegelei was the nickname given to the headlights on the Porsche 996 generation 911. Their shape looked a little like a fried egg, and at the time they divided opinion.
The 996 represented something different. It moved away from tradition and challenged expectations. It kept the engineering and quality that Porsche was known for, but introduced a different approach, new thinking and a willingness to do things differently.
Over time, perceptions changed. What was once criticised became appreciated. Today the 996 has become something of a modern classic — often sought out by people who value individuality rather than simply following the crowd.
For me, the 996 was the poster car growing up. Finishing university in the late 90s and starting work, it was the car to aspire to. Thirty years later I finally bought one of my own — naturally named Günther.
Spiegelei Travel isn't really about cars though.
It's about the idea behind it!
Choosing thoughtful over obvious.
Character over conformity.
Experiences over off-the-shelf choices.
That thinking sits behind everything Spiegelei Travel does.
Our Story
Travel, skiing, cycling, golf, road trips and memorable places have all shaped the thinking behind Spiegelei. The experiences below aren't simply categories of holidays — they're many of the interests, journeys and stories that inspired them.
The best trips rarely come from the obvious choices. They come from choosing the right destinations and the right experiences.
Spiegelei focuses on Alpine, Sporting and Cultural Adventures, arranged personally around the things you enjoy most — from skiing and cycling to golf, driving and exploring interesting places.
Spiegelei was created around a simple idea: travel should feel personal.
Everyone has their own preference for how eggs (or tofu) are cooked — sunny-side up, over easy, scrambled, or somewhere in between.
Travel should work the same way.
Rather than offering off-the-shelf holidays, Spiegelei focuses on arranging trips around what people actually enjoy doing.
The idea of doing things the right way
It's about the people you're with and the memories you make.
Skiing
I caught the skiing bug around the age of twelve.
My dad was a secondary school teacher and organised annual ski trips to give inner-city students the opportunity to experience the mountains. Somehow I managed to tag along.
Those early trips involved coach journeys from the Midlands, ferries across the Channel and overnight drives across Europe. You don't often hear "fortunate" and "16-hour coach journey" used together, but looking back they were brilliant experiences.
Travelling that way taught me something: sometimes the journey itself becomes part of the adventure.
Since that first trip to a small traditional Austrian resort I've skied almost every year since.
I later qualified as a ski instructor while at university and have been fortunate enough to ski and snowboard across France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and the United States — from the large ‘mega’ resorts to small places that only the locals have heard of - those with the secret powder stashes!
My wife and I eventually took things one step further and moved to Austria, buying and renovating a small 30-bed hotel in a picture-postcard ski village where we lived and worked for several years.
Powder days, bluebird skies and snow depths over five metres have a habit of creating lasting memories.
One thing I always say to first-time skiers:
Your first skiing memory should be a proper one.
Traditional villages. Wood-clad buildings. Snow-covered trees. Mountain atmosphere.
The romance matters.
Cycling
I've always enjoyed cycling, not fanatically, but for fun.
Like many children of the 80s and 90s, I started with BMX bikes before jumping literally into mountain biking, long before suspension and e-bikes appeared.
Road cycling arrived much later. Gravel riding later still (though I still to be convinced this isn’t a rebirth of early mountain biking just with drop-bars!)
In 2017, I decided to join the Lycra brigade for one reason: raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which had cared for my mum during her illness.
To mark twenty years since her passing, I cycled from Sunderland, where she grew up, through Pontefract, where I was born, and down to Rugeley, Staffordshire, where I spent much of my childhood.
Around 220 miles over two days.
5 years later, in 2022, I organised a second charity ride — from Ascot to Roubaix in France via London, Canterbury, Bruges and Ghent — again joined by friends and family.
Both times, I planned the routes, organised the hotels, logistics, and corralled the riders and sponsors.
Together, those events raised over £14,000 for Macmillan, something I’m immensely proud of.
The rides themselves were memorable, but as always, it was really the people, scenery and experiences around them that made them special.
Golf
I started playing golf around the age of fourteen after spending plenty of time hitting and losing golf balls in a local park with a school friend.
After joining a local club and having lessons, I became heavily involved in junior golf winning a few club comps and playing for the club team. I later rediscovered the love of playing again through work and friends.
Golf has taken me around the UK and further afield — Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, the US and even Cuba.
I've learned that the highs and inevitable lows of golf itself only tells part of the story.
The scenery, the conversations, the food, drinks and the inevitable banter afterwards are what creates the memories that are retold time and again.
Travel
Travel has always been part of my life.
From childhood camping trips and Scottish adventures, through ski trips, golf weekends and city breaks, to touring Europe with my wife and children in our old 1985 campervan, Tallulah, travel has always been about experiences rather than simply destinations.
Over the last decade we've travelled through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark and across the UK — stopping at cities, villages, beaches, lakes and mountains along the way.
Some of my favourite trips are still city breaks.
There's something about immersing yourself in another place for a few days — the architecture, food, history, local culture and atmosphere — that stays with you long afterwards.
I honestly couldn't tell you my favourite type of holiday.
A boutique hotel for a city break can be brilliant.
A traditional Austrian guesthouse after a day skiing can be hard to beat.
A golf trip with friends somewhere new can create memories that last years.
For me it's rarely about luxury versus simplicity.
It's about the people you're with, finding the right experiences and making memories.
It starts with an idea.
Whether it's a ski trip, road trip, golf weekend, city break or simply somewhere you've always wanted to explore, get in touch, I'd be happy to help create something just for you.