Letter is late because I had to go to the dentist so I thought I’d show teeth for this letter. 🥵😅
In February of 2020, Bon Appetit* published a focaccia recipe that had a chokehold on American kitchens. Every person on my Instagram timeline posted photos of their fingertips in the squishy yeast-risen dough, and I had it served at less than a dozen, but more than five friends’ dinner parties. A little over a year prior, Alison Roman published a recipe for a chickpea and coconut milk stew that took the internet by storm, even resulting in its’ own hashtag on Instagram: #TheStew.
For both of these recipes, Instagram and ease played a key role in virality. Millennials were hitting a key moment where home cooking was becoming an entertaining activity, rather than a necessity also aided by a pandemic that really kicked things into gear). During this same time, General Catalyst backed cookware startup Great Jones* (shortly after, brands like Our Place and Caraway launched). Diaspora Co.’s brightly-packaged turmeric and black pepper were in every magazine’s gift guide. I’m actually finding it a little difficult to write about this period in food media because it was so untethered to brands – the castle was being held up by personalities (Dave, Claire, Samin). Molly Yeh got a show on FOOD NETWORK. A Google exec in 2020 told me in a meeting once that there were Bon Appetit stars charging more than Gigi Hadid for an Instagram Story. Graza hadn’t even built a fundraising deck yet.
A lot of people who are reading this know what happens next. People left their mothership publications and day jobs, and became individual creators.
The proverbial lights went out on the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen stage. This still stings for fans of the YouTube channel, which speaks to the power of their brand at the time. I read a post this morning on Reddit that was only made four months ago, “Every personality had a character that contributed to the group. You'll notice that every one of them that branched off on their own have quirky flaws that don't hit as nice when you watch them in a group where those quirks weren't noticeable. I remember thinking Brad was so hilarious when you pair him with other personalities, but then when you watch his own show, I was like ahh this is a little bit too much Brad for me.”
Great Jones imploded. Instagram CPG brands like Fly by Jing, Truff, and Fishwife took over our kitchens (see: my Shoppy Shop story for New York Magazine). Before, if you liked cooking, you probably liked everything to do with cooking. Starting a brand or career in the food space was considered humble, wholesome, and impressive. Today, it’s a way to get dissected on the internet and have questions asked about your intentions and ego (like all public endeavors). A friend reminded me this morning of all the "Who is behind that brand and what do they stand for and what kind of mini series are they producing on TikTok?" content we read about… everyone.
This all mirrors what is happening elsewhere in the media, and that is a conversation for another newsletter. But something that is clear to me is that these new individual creators must develop business instinct – figure out distribution and brand on their own, have a wicked sense of self-promotion – or they hire a team to help. Looking around, it does appear that Substack is where the Puck is heading towards in terms of food media. Sure, you can make a one-minute pasta video go viral, but can you write well enough that I allow you into my email inbox weekly? It sounds intimate because it is!
If the best food editors were found in the offices of Conde Nast (4 Times Square, not 1 WTC, you know better), the best food TikTokers were found at 2am in someone’s walk-up apartment kitchen, and the best food writers on Substack are coming from everywhere.
I spoke to some of the most exciting writers on the platform about why they chose to expand their empires on Substack, and their thoughts on the current state of food media. While speaking to some of them, I came across this post about a food writer who left the platform, which was interesting. Based on their answers, Substack should seriously be paying me for this commercial. News is at the bottom of the letter, below the paywall, today.
*I worked for both Bon Appetit and Great Jones for periods of time, which anyone who has had more than two drinks with me is well aware of.
THE PLAYERS:
: Video producer turned chef turned runway model. You can read more about him in this profile I wrote for HighSnobiety last year.: LA-based chef and restaurateur (I’ve been to baroo, haven’t been to Shiku yet). Every Thursday she shares family recipes, and on Sundays she writes about the state of hospitality.: Private chef and recipe developer based in LA. I’d tell you some of the people she’s cooked for, but then I’d have to kill you. I’ve known Sara since I was 13, and have been lucky enough to experience her recipes since high school. : Co-host of How Long Gone, just joined Substack last month and is already gaining quite a following. To get a feel of his writing, I’d suggest starting here.: Four-times James Beard nominated chef and the owner of Stissing House (their Instagram is pure sugar and butter porn) and co-owner of King and Jupiter.: One of the most passionate bakers I know who creates things with batter and dough that look like they belong in The Met. I experienced this at her home during the holidays and it left me speechless.: Sam is the newest to me of this crew, but a few of my readers told me this week that they love her letter. She’s a produce Liaison for some of the top chefs in Los Angeles, and writes about produce and her love of individual ingredients beautifully.THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE GAME:
You had an existing large following on Instagram, why did you decide to build a community on Substack?
“Substack provides a platform for me to give further context to recipes, share updates and dive into general food topics I’m passionate about. It’s also given me the opportunity to start building a voice and craft a skill that does not come naturally.” - Pierce Abernathy
“I had stories I wanted to share, whether it was about trying to reopen our restaurant or about Korean food culture. Social media, like Instagram, is one way to tell stories but it's become increasingly video-focused and algorithm-based. I am not a video content creator nor have the energy or time to focus on gaming the algorithm. I do like to write and as I was discovering incredible voices on Substack and spending more and more time reading people's newsletters, I realized I had found the ideal platform for the way I want to tell my stories. I could say as much as I wanted to say without being cut off by word counts. I could add photos or not. And I could find people who, like me, love to read and engage more deeply and sincerely with each other. - Mina Park
“I started my newsletter in 2019 (originally on tinyletter, then migrated to substack when I reached the 5,000 subscriber limit there) in a random fit of mild frustration because I kept feeling like all my quippy little sentences that I was including in my recipe write-ups for my food media job at the time were getting cut in the final edits and being watered down for something more generic and boring. So, I launched a substack where I could write freely in my authentic voice for people who are there to read what I want to talk about. It also allowed me to develop the exact recipes that I wanted to be making as opposed to pitching them elsewhere. Now that I think of it, the annoying edits that I was getting at my job were probably why I decided to name the newsletter ’This Shit Rocks.’ Try and cut the expletive, I dare you!!!!!!!!!!” - Sara Tane
“I don’t think I’m building a community. It’s just a collection of my thoughts, and I'm grateful for my small but growing audience. I don’t plan on creating a VIP lounge or private Discord; I want people to be excited when I arrive in their inbox. I’m on Twitter, but rarely post because it feels weird now. I like Substack because I can fire off a bundle of tweets, and they can sit there without being individually judged based on their performance. I love that I don’t feel compelled to check how posts are performing, at least for now.” - Jason Stewart
“I have more to say than I'd say in a photo caption, and when I started The Best Bit I was on maternity leave and needed a project / way to imitate the connection I feel in restaurants.” - Clare de Boer
“Substack allows you to share long form recipes with lots of detail, which is not possible on an app like Instagram where writing up a recipe would be a caption plus 4 to 5 comments which was not easy for people to follow. Substack allows for you to write out step by step directions with photos throughout the recipe which is super helpful when making something you've never made before.” - Paris Starn
“I originally made the Instagram account because I found that the chefs I was working with were a lot more responsive to photos with short, funny descriptions than to long availability lists. They see enough lists. Friends and contacts outside the food world were always asking me questions about produce, what to buy, how to choose, and why. To take the intimidation factor out of all the choices at the market, to encourage people to support farmers and try new things, my Instagram could only go so far.
Given that my interest and “superpower” has always been getting people excited about produce, farmers, and the market, I had to try writing about it. Substack seemed like the one place where I could deep dive into the things that piqued my interest and hopefully affect the bigger picture of my goal.” - Sam Rogers
This is a personal one. What are your thoughts and predictions about the future of food media?
“Hmm it’s an interesting landscape. With the flood of food content on social media I think it’s increasingly difficult for the normal person to decipher what is coming from a place of authority. What has seemed to perform well both in traditional and social media is personality and story driven content. This could range from “a day in the life of a chef” to “’making pop-tarts for my 3 year old” to “the story of the famous liquor brewed by monks”.
Short form food porn doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere. Consequently I feel like some traditional food media has had to base success more and more on social metrics ensuring titles feel “viral” or “click bait-y”.” - Pierce
“It's been disheartening to see how food writers on long-standing platforms like magazines and newspapers (and their online counterparts) have been undermined and gutted recently. I fell in love with food writing because of magazines like Gourmet, Saveur and Bon Appetit. The recent firing of a number of LA Times food writers was a very recent example of this sad trend. What seems to proliferate now are countless lists and articles that read more like the New York Post than what I would like to see.
I think that's why I fell in love with Substack - because I could find the depth of research and introspection that I used to find in traditional magazines. So I do feel excited to see food writers I love flourishing on Substack, whether it's
or and the many others I read. So now, I feel quite hopeful about food media these days. It can take many different forms now.”- Mina“Hm. I don’t think I am unique in thinking this, but now, it really is a world of independent creators as opposed to what it was 5 or 10 years ago where it was big brands with teams of people that worked there. When I was in college (circa 2015), I used to check the Bon Appetit homepage like it was the NY Times. Now, I more so have a handful of creators who I love to check in with and see what they’re cooking etc. Honestly, when I see content that is shot in a corporate type test kitchen, my first thought is absolute shock and befuddlement that there are still people that go into a test kitchen every day.
As someone that is putting out recipe content, of course I am trying to think about what could ‘go viral,’ but I try not to have that be the driving force because then I’m not actually creating content that is of service to anyone. It’s been enough time for us to all admit that the feta pasta was gross and no one actually wanted to eat that for dinner. That’s why I like following people who are clearly posting the stuff that they legit just want to eat after they film it, none of the gimmicky stuff. My favorite follow is Hailee Catalano. She is incredible.” - Sara
“The current state of food media, like most other forms of media, has turned into a rehashing, remixing, or repackaging of existing pieces of media. Rarely do new ideas emerge that aren’t clickbait novelty tweaks and hacks for people to take credit for themselves. Hopefully, we’ll crawl out of the dark ages, but I’m just as guilty as everyone else. It’s okay to steal ideas from other people. Credit them if you do.” - Jason
“Yours are probably better than mine and I'd love to hear them.” - Clare
“My general observation, or criticism, really, is that food media is currently preoccupied with the person telling the story, their persona, and what they’re doing. That diverts attention from the real characters and content. There are so many great stories to find and share, but it seems so many are getting lost in the bio of the writer/tv personality/influencer. On the other hand, one trend coming out of the pandemic is that people are largely cooking at home again, or at least interested in it. So, that’s taken away some of the past pretentiousness about fancy food and chefs.
It’s not a prediction but remember when the Food Network and Cooking Channel were getting big when we were growing up? Everyone was watching the second generation (I think) of chefs on TV, and was (rightfully) obsessed with No Reservations? Chefs suddenly became idolized as the new rockstars. What if we could do that with farmers?” - Sam
Have there been any surprising or pivotal moments that happened because of your Substack (getting a job with a brand, a comment that moved you, learning something new about yourself)?
“My most successful post was about the importance of a well stocked pantry. I initially thought recipes were going to be the main focus of my Substack but this has pushed me to start exploring other styles of posts that could be as valuable to my audience.” - Pierce
“I'm honestly surprised whenever I receive an email that someone has subscribed to my newsletter, when someone comments or when I see how many people have opened the email that's sent out when I publish. When we reopened baroo, there were a number of guests who came in and told me they subscribed to my newsletter which was shocking to me. So my most successful moment really is that people read and enjoy my newsletter at all! Pressing the "Publish" button on each newsletter is nerve-wracking and I feel quite vulnerable. But the level of support I've received around my newsletter has been so uplifting.” - Mina
“I think I am most surprised by how many compliments I get about my writing?? I’ve always considered my ~expertise~ to be food and cooking and recipes, so I am always very flattered when people tell me that they enjoy my writing, even if it’s about dumb stuff, like my new pepper mill obsession. Early on, a friend of mine told me that when she reads my newsletter she can hear me saying it to her, and that is one of the greatest compliments.
I’m always shocked and flattered when a brand that I have mentioned in my newsletter notices it and goes as far to reach out afterwards and thank me for “the coverage.” Like, you’re literally welcome. I just had my first sponsored Substack sending(!). The brand reached out to me because they were specifically interested in being featured on my substack as opposed to my IG.” - Sara
“The more I talk about food and restaurants on the podcast, the more I’m offered free food at restaurants. As a person who spends most of their money on food, that is a success on its own. The more foods I say are “bad,” the more foods people shove down my face.” - Jason
“After only a few Substacks Emily Weinstein from the NYT got in touch with an invitation to contribute to the paper.” - Clare
“This interview is a great example! I have gotten some consulting projects because of the Substack but for me, the recognition from friends, family, and total strangers that people are reading it, that they find the content worthwhile, useful, or sometimes even moving - that’s where I find the greatest satisfaction and consider it a success. Nothing makes me happier than people telling me that they tried something new, or learned something, or I inspired them. The readers finding value is what’s most valuable to me.“ - Sam
Did you already consider yourself a writer, or is this working a new muscle for you?
“Writing has rarely felt natural or easy for me. It’s definitely proven difficult to set aside time to just write. It’s never really been a ritual in my life. Luckily I am writing about recipes and ideas I am passionate about so I’ve found that has made it a little less overwhelming.” - Pierce
“I have always enjoyed writing and drifted from wanting to be an essayist in high school to a poet in college to a novelist in my 20s. Then I became a lawyer which involved writing of a completely different kind - it was all about clarity and not creativity. Writing my newsletter (and my short-lived blog years before) has been a way to stretch my creative writing muscles again.” - Mina
“I have always written for work, and even though there was a good portion of it that was written in my voice, I also did a lot of SEO-driven, ‘internet-y’ writing that feels devoid of any specific personality. But I love having a place to share whatever it is that’s top of mind for me that week.” - Sara
“I never considered myself a writer or even a reader, really. So, it is a very new muscle for me. People say I write how I talk, and most people who do that fail. My advice to others like me: find a good copy editor.” - Jason
“I don't really consider myself a writer yet.” - Clare
“I'm very used to showing how to make things with my hands, Substack is great because I can just film myself making the dessert (which I'm already doing for Instagram anyway), take screen grabs, and then create a step by step recipe with photos which can be super helpful to new bakers.” - Paris
“Am I a writer now?! I’ve been so insecure about my writing because it’s usually very informal; I mostly just write how I speak. I always wanted to be a great writer, but it’s always been difficult for me. I find that the Substack format breaks down some of that barrier, as it’s a platform on which my writing voice, which is specifically what I was insecure about before, actually allows me to connect better with readers– turns out people like jokes!” - Sam
What else can your readers expect from you this year?
“More recipes, more lists, more restaurant deep dives, and more hot takes! Also a few surprises sprinkled throughout.” - Pierce
“Launching the newsletter was one big step. And now I'm focused on being able to write and publish my newsletter weekly. It's easier said than done when our restaurant has been thankfully busy and my husband and I are raising a toddler. But I've started building writing into my schedule and I have many stories to share since we're reopened!” - Mina
“God, so much shit. Inspired recipes to get you excited about cooking! Tips to make you a better and more confident cook! Product recommendations (both related to cooking and not) that are actually making my life better! Hopefully some discount codes for those products! Updates on my ungodly 2024 dating challenge that is getting me to go on one first date every month!” - Sara
“This year, according to Grammarly, expect me never to learn how to stop writing in a passive voice.” - Jason
“I'm excited to bring it all to real life - as a restaurant-native cook I can't shake my desire to bring people together into a room. I'm planning to teach cooking classes for my Substack readers at Stissing House this summer.” - Clare
“Well, more requested recipes. but also about to put out a Q&A to my readers to learn what other kinds of content they would like (to all who fill out the Q+A you get a month free!) - I really want to be making the content my readers and viewers feel will be most useful to them!” - Paris
“I’ll continue writing every week. I’m fiercely committed to it! My favorite part of what I do are the farmer interviews, but I can’t get one in every week and I know they ask a lot of readers anyway - it’s impossible to make them short. Fortunately the seasons and produce are about to get really interesting!
My dream is to one day be able to create a book that commemorates small family farms and great produce, with farmer interviews and product knowledge from across the country... but that’s not this year!” - Sam
NEWS:
Okay I got a look at that new Casamigos product before the brand could even post about it. It’s looking like a Cindy Crawford-backed spicy tequila called CasamigAs.
It’s rude that Business of Fashion wrote about beauty Substacks and didn’t call out Emily’s Fragrance Corner… But speaking of fabulous beauty newsletters,
renamed her Substack yesterday, which means it’s never too late to rebrand!Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, was sued last night by a former employee. The former employee accused him of discrimination and creating a hostile work environment by calling Adolf Hitler “great,” disparaging Jews and saying that “gay people are not true Christians.”
Adam Faze’s new show had 145 followers yesterday morning, and over 20k by last night. Faze does a lot of things well, but building in public and sharing lessons like this is rare in the entertainment and I think it makes it super easy to root for him.
Nothing is more steeped in privilege and archaic definitions of class and status than private clubs/societies at the Ivies. And yet they’re more popular than ever. Let’s be real, those who say they don’t want to join are lying.
It’s pretty scary that weight-loss drugs worsen the absorption of birth control and Plan B. And Ozempic prescription rates are high in many states with abortion bans.
Superyachts, the most expensive asset a billionaire can own, are pushing the boundaries of luxury. When I was in the Carribean last week, I saw some in the harbor with basketball courts on their yacht which was pretty fucking sick. "Yachting. It's not rational; it's emotional," Ralph Dazert, the head of intelligence at SuperYacht Times, told Business Insider. Need to get a drink with Mr. Dazert before the end of Q2. New clients are often younger and have families, so want areas to work and watch movies. They also want pricey water toys, access to fitness equipment, or even pizza ovens for picky eaters. "This would've never happened in the nineties," said Giovanna Vitelli, the vice president of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts. "You would go with your beautiful woman, Champagne — the idea of yachting was much more showing off with your jacuzzi and things like that." Obsessed with these people!!!
- published her Q2 social report. It’s as well-reported and trustworthy as all of her other reports. I included this:
Okay now you have my attention: Yahoo is acquiring Artifact, the AI-powered news app from Instagram’s co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Yahoo actually often surfaces interesting stories, so I’m curious what doubling down on their news tech will result in.
Endeavor, three years after the sports and entertainment company went public, announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by private-equity firm Silver Lake. The deal gives Endeavor an equity value of $13B. Oh baby. I had to text an insider friend for his POV on this one: “Endeavor never should’ve gone public but now the top stakeholders get to double dip and enrich themselves both ways. The premium also isn’t great for the public stakeholders.”
Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper is partnering with NBC and Peacock to host summer Olympics watch parties. Awesome for everyone involved. Cooper gets to get out of her hot girl dating and fucking bubble, NBC gets younger audiences, everyone gets some spontaneity. I wonder if she’s getting married before or after…
Home Movies is back!!! Hallelujah.
Thank you everyone for reading today, I love you immensely.
Do you think having a substantial presence on Instagram and/or TikTok is the necessary pipeline for food writers to gain subscribers on Substack? Or can it be done w/o that true “media” presence coming first?
Thanks for the in depth food media reporting!
In reading your takes I think the woman who’s done an amazing job at this is Molly Baz. Even when she was at Bon App she had a very clear aesthetic (she did a bunch of apron collabs in bright primary colors), specific language (cae sal). She took all of those things and really branded it. Even her house is part of that. I believe her husband is a CD so they do make an ultimate power couple for the time. She’s probably the model for how to monetize this successfully. Clare de Boer is another person who’s done this really well (hi Clare, I love king!)