ROBERT Hamilton is on a mission to eat his way round the world - without straying too far from the M62.

He has set himself the task of sampling the culinary delights of 80 different nationalities for his online blog, Around The World In 80 Dinners.

The gastronomic tour of restaurants, cafes and takeaways is a nod to Jules Verne’s book, Around The World In 80 Days, in which the character of Phileas Fogg travels the globe.

Robert, 53, who lives on Newport Road, Chorlton, is nearly half way through his quest, having just visited his 39th nation - Russia - at St Petersburg restaurant in Manchester. He said: "I love combining the idea of trying out new dishes and cuisines with learning a bit more about the country.

"Food is so caught up with culture and history and personal memories, and sometimes I do some research and sometimes I chat to the waiters to find out more.

"What I’m doing isn’t about reviewing restaurants, but about enjoying a new cultural experience, usually with friends."

Robert, a film history lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, came up with idea last summer.

He said: "I bumped into someone who asked me where I’d been on holiday, and I said I hadn’t, I’d just been for lunch - that was my idea of a holiday, and from that I had this random thought that it would be good to eat my way round the world. I tend to go for lunch, mainly, as I find it a real indulgence. It’s really nice to have a leisurely break in good company, sometimes with a glass of something and sometimes a soft drink - it all feels very civilised."

Robert makes his visits every couple of weeks and once he has eaten the food of a country - or region in the case of China - he marks off the location with a pin on a map of the world in his kitchen.

His first meal was at the Tai Wu cantonese restaurant in Manchester, where he and his dining companion, Sophia, ate scallops, spring rolls, beef dumplings, prawn wantons, and custard buns - all washed down with Chinese green tea.

His favourite was the Red Chilli in Manchester which serves schezuan cuisine, but he also sings the praises of many restaurants such as Palmiro in Whalley Range (Italian) and Persia in Chorlton (Iranian). For Canada he went to the Canadian Charcoal Pit and for Sweeden...Ikea.

And a visit to the Christmas Markets in Manchester allowed him to tick Switzerland, Luxembourg and Holland off his list.

Robert, whose blog can be seen at www.aroundtheworldin80dinners.blogspot.com, said: "I don’t know if I’ll get to all 80 - and in a way I don’t want it to end. "I think next on my list is probably going to be a good Argentinian steak at Gaucho Grill. It’s good fun despite my expanding waist."