The Best Food Blogs
It seems the whole world and her cat has a food blog these days, but, as with pretty much everything in life, some are of course better than others. Get food blogging right and you could see book deals, supper clubs or even Hollywood come knocking at your door.
It's easy to assume that it's as simple as logging on, writing some words and waiting for Meryl Streep to turn up, but you will need to be a little more savvy than that, and put in some serious hard work, if you want to emulate the success of some of the world's best bloggers.
Here, we take a look at some of the best blogs the internet has to offer, and, if they whet your appetite to get involved, be sure to check out our handy tips at the bottom of the page.
Julie and Julia
Call it the prototype food blog, if you will, for Julie and Julia is one of the most well known and earliest tales of food blogging going supernova. In 2002, Julie Powell decided to document her attempt to cook everything from Julia Child's legendary, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”, in just one year.
Julie was a call centre worker at the time she started her blog, but after becoming popular online, a story in the New York Times was published and before too long a publisher was interested in the story, and eventually, it became a film (also called Julie and Julia) in 2009 starring Meryl Streep – the first film ever to be based on a blog.
Since then, Julie has gone on to publish another book, “Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession”. Should you find the inclination, you can read every post from the original blog over on Julie Powell’s website.
Ms Marmite Lover
Originally a magazine and editorial photographer, Kerstin Rodgers, aka Ms Marmite Lover, launched her blog in 2008 and just a few short months after that was one of the first people in Britain to set up a supper club.
“The Underground Restaurant” was an immediate success, and has recently spawned a book, “Supper Club: recipes and notes from the Underground Restaurant.”
Chocolate and Zucchini
French blogger Clotilde Dosilier lives in Montmarte and shares recipes, food musings, cookbook acquisitions, restaurant experiences, ideas and more.
Chocolate and Zucchini began to see success in September 2003 after her blog led to work for newspapers and magazines. She is one of the lucky few who have been able to quit her day job in order to pursue Chocolate and Zucchini full time, along with her book Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris.
Eat Like A Girl
Niamh Shields is fresh from the success of picking up an Observer Food Monthly award for her blog, Eat Like A Girl, boasting 50,000 monthly hits to her blog.
Another lucky day-job quitter, Niamh had a previous life as a project manager, and initially, blogged anonymously. Today the blog is a mixture of recipes, recommendations and travel pieces, and, she has recently published her first book, Comfort and Spice.
Edd Kimber
Now perhaps better known as the winner of the Great British Bake Off in 2010, Edd Kimber found his pseudonym through his blog, The Boy Who Bakes. A keen photographer, he used to take his own photographs for the blog, and of course, went on to compete in a television baking contest.
Top tips for starting your own blog
Passionate foodie? Fancy giving it a go yourself? Bear these tips in mind:
1.Image is everything
Make sure your blog is well designed, easy to use and features photographs. You don't have to be a professional photographer, but try to take photos in natural light and use macro mode if your camera has one. An alternative is to buy stock photographs from companies such as iStock, or use (and correctly attribute) photos you find on Flickr Creative Commons.
2.Think of a catchy name
Try to call your blog something that will be memorable, easy to search for (so avoid weird spellings) and sums up what the philosophy of your blog is.
3.Offer something different
As we said at the start of the article, it seems everyone has a food blog these days. You need to make yours stand out if you want to attract attention. Offer readers something unique, and don't be afraid to make your blog about a niche subject, such as one particular cuisine or food.
4.Be prepared for hard work and a slow start
You can't expect to hit publish and have hundreds of readers from Day One. Be prepared to post regularly, put hard work into your blogposts and topics, and be prepared to wait for word to spread about your blog. The slow builders are often the best.
5.Engage with readers
Some of the most popular blogs are that way because readers know the author will be engaging. If someone leaves a comment on your blog, make sure to reply as soon as you can, and don't be afraid to get into debates and dialogues. If your blog is getting successful, think about setting up social media accounts, such as a Facebook page or Twitter account to help promote your work.
Do you have a favourite food blog? Perhaps you have your own? Or is this food blogging malarky all a load of nonsense? Let us know in the comments box below.
Want more?
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Edd Kimber's orange and passionfruit cake
Kerstin Rodgers' Marigold bread rolls
