With the likes of social media sensations Salt Bae and culinary prodigy Flynn McGarry dominating Instagram, competition is fierce in the world of food. Millennial and Gen Z food writers alike have been adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of social media to share their love for food. Here are three influential Millennial and Generation Z food writers to keep on your radar.
1. Haile Thomas
When she was 12 years old, Haile Thomas — an international speaker, wellness and compassion activist, and content creator — started HAPPY, a nonprofit organization aiming to redefine youth empowerment through holistic education and address the need for affordable plant-based nutrition and wellness education in underserved communities. At the age of 16, Thomas became the youngest Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in the country, according to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Thomas recently published her book, Living Lively, a unique cookbook combining 80 plant-based recipes. She hopes to inspire her generation and future ones to appreciate their health with her “7 Points of Power” manifesto, which are tools that specifically target positive resistance, growth, and joy.
“To me, ‘success’ is following your own path, engaging in things that light you up, and not altering who you are or making decisions based on the opinions/expectations of others,” Thomas said in an interview with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. “There is nothing more gratifying on the daily than living a life that you feel is uniquely yours, not modeled off anyone else’s perceptions of success.”
2. Samah Lakha
There is no denying that the London food scene is a beast. However, food blogger Samah Lakha tackles the scene gracefully. With her blog, the London Bruncher, Lakha explores the restaurants, hotels, shops, and things to do in London. She has successfully transitioned her blog to Instagram, where she posts weekly of her foodie journeys around London.
As a chemistry student at the University of Oxford, Lakha explored London and provided a comprehensive guide to London’s brunches. Following the success of the blog, the London Bruncher is now an Instagram foodie mainstay. Lakha has also launched a range of nut butters.
As for Lakha’s advice for aspiring food writers, she told Spoon University: “From my personal experience, if you are passionate about something, it really shows! Persistence and consistency are key — it doesn’t happen overnight, but if you enjoy what you’re doing, it is so worth it!”
3. Brandon Matze
As the content producer for Kitchen Konfidence, Brandon Matzek is a proud Italian-American who originally hails from New Jersey. He moved to San Diego in 2004 where he was introduced to a brand new food scene, one that would inspire him to create his much-loved food blog in 2010. He purchased his first camera the same year.
“[Kitchen Konfidence] is my way of marrying two of the activities I love the most, cooking and photography,” Matzek said on his blog. “My hope is that through sharing recipes on Kitchen Konfidence, I can help other home cooks in the same way.”
For eleven years, Matzek has been bringing his readers delectable recipes and solid restaurant recommendations. From craft cocktails to multicultural bites, Matzek’s recipes are sure to please any reader. His fan favorite recipes are centered around desserts as well as his Italian heritage. Similar to the London Bruncher, Kitchen Konfidence successfully transitioned to Instagram where Matzek frequently posts with delicious updates alongside his husband, Jorge.
The route to becoming a food writer is not written in stone nor is it gatekept. From wellness to cultural recipes, any passion for food can easily lead to a food writing career.
This story was part of Brainfood: Careers in the Food World. Check out the rest of the collection here, and see you at Brainfood on Friday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. ET!