London’s most influential food bloggers on the restaurant industry reopening

Every key ingredient that makes up the hospitality industry – from the restaurants to the waiters and chefs – has had its future compromised under the relentless repercussions of Covid-19. But during times like these, it’s important to remember that it’s not just those in the kitchen who make up the sector’s recipe for success: Instagram influencers are the seasoning on top, and they play a key role in promoting London’s famously diverse array of eateries, from fast food and markets to casual and fine-dining restaurants. We spoke to some of London’s leading bloggers to talk about the crisis; how they reacted to their new circumstances; how they have decided to curate their blogs and feeds; and the future of the industry from their perspective.

@KS_ate_here is one of London’s first and most influencing food bloggers. “I was sad – really sad – about the closure of restaurants, but we’ve all had to sacrifice the things and liberties we love to try to get this situation under control”. A New Zealand native, KS tells us about the effect the lockdown had on his personal life and blogging activity: “I’ve spent a lot of time in the kitchen this lockdown […] recreating dishes from some of my favourite restaurants […] lord knows I’m really not [good at cooking], so thankfully I’ve been lucky to have been sent home kits”.

Claire Every, who you may know as Instagram sensation @thelittlelondonvegan, has also been spending more time in her kitchen: “I responded to the lockdown by adjusting my content to include more vegan recipes which people could make at home”. On top of this, she became an ambassador for small businesses: “I knew that this would be a time that some wouldn’t make it through. To support as many businesses as I could, I compiled a few posts and articles […] including ongoing updates about vegan businesses in London”.

Lithuanian ex-supermodel and world food ambassador Aiste Miseviciute, aka @luxeat, also acknowledges the wider global impact of the pandemic: “Of course, it affected the whole world, not just food bloggers. But when you write about restaurants and you’re used to travelling a lot like me, it’s certainly quite a big change in your life”. The blogger, whose cross-cultural platform has given her an international reputation, explains that she has been working closer to home: “I started focusing on my local suppliers […] Richard, from 104, has been baking a lot and I’ve been helping him by coming up with a lot of ideas. I made this tomato tart and it became a bestseller”.

Likewise, for up-and-coming London-born duo Victoria and Merissah, @mvlondonreviews, losing restaurants and bars was “hard to adjust to”. But the pair’s creativity in engaging their followers in new ways has given them ideas they would like to take forward. “We decided to share what we’re eating at home and post home-cooked meals and recipes to inspire others to recreate them, which has helped us stay connected with our followers. This is something we would like to continue with even after lockdown”.

Nicola King, who has been blogging as @eastlondongirlblog since 2016, has used the time to give back to both health and hospitality workers: “I decided to pivot my Instagram and blog to spreading the word about London businesses supporting the NHS and people in need during the crisis”. She spent a few weeks creating NHS care packages and working with businesses to provide staff on the frontline with skincare and food and drink products. “It was amazing to see so many people willing to help. More recently, my feed has focused on deliveries and home-baked goods!”.

@eatnlondon started her blog five years ago after moving to London without a job, and has since grown a big enough following to make exploring the food scene her profession. As a blogger, she is more focused on the photography side of things: “My reaction was an urgent instinct to help restaurants out, posting stories and ordering food from home,” she tells us.

With the re-opening approaching this weekend, we ask the bloggers about their excitement and whether they are going to eat out right away. Though the anticipation is obvious, they all play their cards close to their chests: bookings have been made but we’ll have to wait for their stories to see where. @eatnlondon admits us to her dismay that she can’t see us eating out as we used to, but while @eastlondongirlblog confesses that she too isn’t sure how things will pan out, she still plans to do her part for the neighbourhood: “It won’t stop me supporting local businesses within East London that I can reach on foot and, of course, a few cheeky deliveries!”. Despite being overjoyed about the news, @thelittlelondonvegan acknowledges the role of influencers in stressing that safety comes first: “I’m also very conscious that I have to be responsible and promote responsible behaviour on my page”.

Though TikTok is trying to impose itself as the go-to social media of the new decade (and making @thelittlelondonvegan feel very old), the food bloggers agree that – for now – Instagram is still the king of social food. Maybe the Facebook-owned platform still has an ace up its sleeve: “IGTV [Instagram’s long video platform] could become the main platform,” @mvlondonreviews tell us. After all, as @KS_ate_here notes (and as the pandemic has made all too apparent), “nothing lasts forever”. Whatever the future brings – @luxeat hopes more “slow content”, like food media used to be, with a focus on “the stories and people behind the restaurant photos” – if you want to stay on top of culinary trends, these are surely the influencers worth having on your feed.

Here are their valuable tips:

@KS_ate_here: “My one tip would be that you need to want to do it for yourself because if you’re doing it for likes and followers, it’s a long long road – especially now that the field is so saturated. You need to actually enjoy it and have fun with it; otherwise, it just becomes a chore and that shows on your feed”.

Camera or smartphone? “I’m a phone – 100%”.

Lux Eat: “Be honest, first of all. I think it’s much better when people see that you’re authentic. Don’t compromise too much. If you really have a passion for food, it will be seen by others. And think of the stories of the people who created that food. A quick tip for Instagram photography: light is everything – and videos are important too”.

Camera or smartphone? “I use both. Since I started blogging which was over 10 years ago, I was using the Leica camera, but now I’m shooting more with my iPhone 11 because it’s more convenient”.

East London Girl Blog: “Only one tip?! That is difficult. I guess it would be to be truly passionate about your subject matter”.

Camera or smartphone? “I use both a camera and a smartphone. The quality of my smartphone (I use an iPhone X) is great. I then edit my photos using Lightroom”.

The Little London Vegan: “My best tip to anyone getting started is to make sure your love for food comes through in your captions. The Instagram food world is a very saturated place but there’s always room for people who are truly passionate about their grub!”.

Camera or smartphone? “When it comes to my feed, I’m definitely more of a camera person although I do still use my phone on occasion”.

EatNLondon: “Be consistent, take amazing photos and always be personable”.

Camera or smartphone? “I’m a camera person. I also post iPhone photos, though I don’t necessarily prefer them. The image quality is much better with a decent camera so I like to mix the two”.

@mvlondonreviews: “The one tip we would give is to just start and not worry about buying a high-tech camera or trying to get things to be perfect, because that’s when it just stays as an idea in your head. We started by just taking pictures any time we went out to eat and just posted it. If you scroll to the early stages of our page, you will see how basic the pics are, but we just learnt and grew as we went along”.

Camera or smartphone? “We currently use our smartphones because they are easy to whip out and snap the pics, but we may eventually buy a camera”.

The editorial unit