Wild Things created the popular Wild Guides, Wild Swimming, and Lost Lanes series, among other titles, and it has previously held the British Book Awards' Small Press of the Year award.
The Extra Mile Guide: over 50,000 copies sold
Printslinger's flagship title, The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services, has sold over 50,000 copies to date with a new edition planned for next year, 2026.
The company, known as Extra Mile Books on social media, was founded by travel publisher Alastair Sawday and writer Laura Collacott in 2017. It now has three café and foodie guides which celebrate local, independent food businesses across Britain:
* The Extra Mile: Delicious Alternatives to Motorway Services
* The Coastal Café Guide: Eating on the Edge
* The Farm Shop Guide: Farm to Fork Food
Each title has hit the Amazon #1 category bestseller and #1 most gifted spot, and Printslinger's books have received coverage on BBC Good Morning TV, national radio channels, and traditional and online outlets including The Times, The Scotsman, Waitrose Weekend and The Telegraph.
British food tourism and travel guides: the outlook is sunny
In Britain, domestic travel and food tourism are increasing. Google searches for 'staycation' surpass 10,000 every month, with driving holidays a pillar of UK leisure travel.
Sampling local food and drink ranks highly on the visitor agenda, with the value of the UK's culinary tourism market predicted to hit £2.5 billion by 2030.
Domestic overnight tourism in the UK has increased 160% from 45 million annual trips in 2021 to 117 million in 2024, and 1.2 billion domestic day visits in 2023 generated over £50 billion in tourism spend.
In this flourishing home market, Printslinger's books make ideal purchases for those planning summer escapes across Britain who prefer to eat locally while escaping the monotony of motorway services.
A natural partnership
Since its foundation in 2012, Wild Things has sold over one million books, and its outdoor and travel guides continue to inspire adventurers and lovers of the countryside. Daniel Start, founder and author, told That's Food and Drink:“We've always loved the concept of Printslinger's books. A little bit of extra effort and knowledge can reward the traveller with hidden quality and a sense of adventure, too."
Kerry O'Neill, Printslinger's director of publishing, agrees, saying; “There's a natural connection between Wild Guides and our own books. Both brands' readers are independent minded and love to seek out the unusual and the road less travelled... quite literally in our case, as we encourage people to swap motorway services for nearby independent eateries while exploring Britain.
“We're thrilled The Extra Mile and Printslinger's newer and pending titles will now be represented by Daniel Start and his team. A tireless creator, Daniel imagined and launched the first Wild Swimming guide in 2008, with Wild Guides following in 2013. He's remained a step ahead ever since, with useful and zeitgeisty titles appearing just as you realise you need them. We can't wait to see where this new partnership and energy takes our expanding range of titles.”
Book idea submissions welcome
Printslinger is growing. It welcomes approaches from established writers with subject or region-specific expertise with their book ideas for publication in the UK. Accommodation-based books are not invited but relevant topics of interest include food and drink, growing food and sustainability, the great outdoors, niche region or country-specific guides, van-life, upcoming regions, and fast-growing outdoor sports or healthy pastimes. Those that fit 'The Xxxx Xxxxx Guide' format would work well alongside existing titles.
Wild Things will represent Printslinger for all trade sales.
