A visit to remember.
I first visited Norwich in 2019, just before Quadram moved into its beautiful new facility at the Norwich Research Park. At the time, I was on an advisory board helping guide the transition of their “microbes in the food chain” programme into its new space and strategic direction.
It was a short visit – but something stuck with me.
I’ve travelled a lot for work, visiting labs and attending scientific meetings across most continents, and I’ve always looked forward to getting home.
But this trip was different.
As I sat on the train back to London, I realised I didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t just the fantastic team or the model of collaboration at Quadram – it was a deeper feeling, like Norwich already felt like home.
I’ve visited many parts of the UK before, and none felt quite like this.
Maybe it was the landscape that reminded me of the prairies.
Maybe it was the warmth of the people.
Or maybe it was just one of those inexplicable but unmistakable moments where something simply feels right.