If there’s one thing that has the ability to unite us all in these divided times, it’s a love of food.
For some that might mean dining out in different restaurants every night, but increasingly it means religiously bookmarking aesthetic recipes by Instagram food influencers to spice up your dinner repertoire. (And even if most of those recipes lay untouched in the Instagram ‘saved’ section, it’s the thought that counts, right?)
With companies quickly realising that collaborations with influencers can be a highly effective way to grow brand presence, online food content creation is a burgeoning business.
Here is our selection of the top 10 foodies you should definitely check out this month.
1. Ben Ebbrell
Founder and chef at SORTEDFood, an online community helping amateurs improve their cooking skills, Ben Ebbrell aims to inspire his 116k Instagram followers with his tasty recipes. SORTEDFood is a membership platform for customers to buy regular meals in an affordable way.
Ben and his team create meal packs sent right to your door, but there is also the option to buy your own ingredients for those wanting to add their own twist.
2. Cooking with Bello
Italian chef Angelo Coassin, known as Bello, runs the @cookingwithbello Instagram account. His page features the most mouth-wateringly tasty Italian recipes as well as his own pasta e-book, which, in his own words, contains 40 “sexy pasta recipes”.
We especially love his classic tiramisu and leek and cheese pasta. With almost 300k followers on Instagram, Bello is definitely one to watch.
3. Meals by Mitch
CEO of recipe platform Bon Appetit, Mitch’s Instagram bio jokes “I make food that will make you fat”. If this is what you’re after, then look no further. Specialising in one-pot meals, Mitch believes that people don’t want to mess around with fancy dishes when it comes to cooking from home. And it’s amazing the quality of food than can be achieved with just one pan.
Amassing almost 500k followers on TikTok, Mitch has showcased an array of one-pot wonders, from flavoursome curries and oxtail stews to pasta dishes and chillis. Mitch is also the king of take-away recreations (dubbed fake-aways), recreating KFC chicken, Burger King Whoppers and Nando’s chicken to name a few.
4. That Foodie Jess
“Lazy but hungry” is how @thatfoodiejess brands herself, and a quick scroll through her Instagram will certainly have your stomach rumbling. With 101k followers, Jess creates some amazing food content inspired by different Asian cuisines (we wish we could get our noodles to look like hers). Jess’s favourite recipe is her sweet and spicy salmon, a dish that she made regularly at university and has tweaked over the years.
Her super simple and fun reels are a quick way to absorb a recipe, and her account also doubles as an educational tool through which people can learn about different Asian dishes.
5. Lylaa Shaikh
If you’re looking to treat yourself to a dinner out (or two), Lylaa Shaikh has got you covered. Based in East London, Lylaa is a food blogger who reviews London eateries and bars for her almost 70k Instagram followers, as well as cooking some of her own dishes. She makes sure to visit dining spots that are Halal, vegan and vegetarian-friendly to ensure there is something for all of her followers.
Lylaa often gets inspiration from her followers on what content to create, and does frequent Q&As to gauge what her audience want next. Her favourite of her own recipes is her delicious and super speedy Cajun prawn pasta, a recent addition to her Instagram page.
6. What Willy Cook
Willy was Children’s MasterChef runner up way back in 1997 and shares some amazing content for his 200k plus Instagram followers. Willy’s culinary philosophy is “recipes not stressipes” – the idea that cooking should be fun, not complicated. His Youtube channel, Someone’s in the Kitchen, is also worth a subscribe.
7. Let’s Munch
Polish influencer Bartek is the engaging content creator behind the Instagram account @letsmunchh. His mantra is simple: “I cook, you laugh”. He has been a huge success story, going from working a minimum wage job not long ago to having brands pay him to create content for them. He now even has his own recipe book. Bartek’s favourite of his own recipes is his delicious chilli and garlic oil dumplings.
8. Nick Digiovanni
Chef Nick Digiovanni has an impressive 1.1 million Instagram followers, and when you take a look at his videos it’s easy to see why. His unique account reads almost like a recipe book, with easy to navigate thumbnails to take you to whatever recipe you’re craving (we particularly love his BBQ buffalo wings).
He also has a sizeable YouTube channel and Tiktok following.
9. Max Greb
If you haven’t quite got on board the plant-based bandwagon yet, this might be the Instagram account for you. Max Greb, otherwise known as Max the Meat Guy, is totally meat-mad, as you would expect.
He specialises in big show dishes where meat is the main character and quirky creations. Over the years he has developed many different versions of his signature “salmon cinnamon roll”, including one that even includes caviar. It might not be quite your cup of tea, but with 627k followers he certainly knows his audience.
10. Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley
Sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley are home cooks and food lovers who share all sorts of delicious and healthy recipes with their 295k Instagram followers. Their cooking is about creating natural, satisfying and easy to digest meals that make you feel vibrant, strong and healthy. With two top selling cook books behind them to date, their simple approach to cooking means there is something for all of us to try.
