Food influencers become the new tastemakers in today’s digital age and have changed the way we discover, cook, and enjoy food. These food influencers have tremendous power in changing culinary trends and consumer behavior and increasing brand visibility with millions of followers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. With 2024, this stronghold on the food industry seems to be getting even stronger, as they are leaders of the gastronomy world.
Why Food Influencers Matter in 2024
Driving Culinary Trends
Food influencers are forerunners of culinary innovation, usually the first to present new ingredients, new cooking techniques, and food products to the mass audience. Their ability to set trends is unparalleled, with a straight line to millions of food enthusiasts who actually trust their recommendations.
Building Brand Awareness
What was once an optional marketing strategy for food brands has now become a necessity: collaborating with influencers. These influencers create authentic and relevant content that resonates with their audience, thereby increasing brand awareness and loyalty. Their recommendations elevate brands to a new level, making them crucial partners in marketing strategies.
Authenticity and Trust
Endorsements by influencers often carry more weight with audiences than traditional advertisements. These social media influencers are perceived as regular people who share their genuine passion for food, which adds credibility to their endorsements.
Top 10 Food Influencers In 2024 To Watch
In 2024, several food influencers lead the charge, setting the bar for creativity, engagement, and influence. Here’s a closer look at the top 10 food influencers who are making waves this year.
| Rank | Food Influencer | Instagram Followers | Tiktok Followers |
| 1. | Jonathan Cheban – @foodgod | 3.8M | 8.6M |
| 2. | Ella Mills – @deliviouslyella | 2.3M | 91.4K |
| 3. | David Chang -@davidchang | 1.7M | 271K |
| 4. | Alexis Nikole – @blackforager | 1.6M | 4.4M |
| 5. | Elie Ayrouth – @foodbeast | 1.6 | 1.9M |
| 6. | Josh Elkin – @thejoshelkin | 1M | 1.9M |
| 7. | Andrew Rea – @bingingwithbabish | 1M | 397K |
| 8. | Caitlin Latessa-Greene – @starinfinitefood | 691K | 133.4K |
| 9. | Yolanda Gampp – @howtocakeit | 385K | 319.7K |
| 10. | Amanda Frederickson – @amandafrederickson | 104K | N/A |
1. Jonathan Cheban – @foodgod
Jonathan Cheban, more popularly known by his handle @foodgod, is one of the heavy hitters in the food influencer space. With more than 12 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Cheban has made his mark with rather upscale, at times excessive indulgences in food. From gold-covered desserts to secretive restaurants that require next-level reservations, @foodgod does everything to keep his audience in awe with his glamorous take on the culinary world.
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2. Ella Mills – @deliciouslyella
With 2.3 million Instagram followers, the face of @deliciouslyella, Ella Mills, really brings plant-based eating into the masses. Her great, whole, delicious, and easy-to-make plant-based recipes are shared across her content. Mills has successfully converted this passion for healthy living into a globally recognized brand, complete with cookbooks, a deli, and an app promoting a balanced lifestyle.
3. David Chang – @davidchang
David Chang is an award-winning chef and founder of the Momofuku chain who leverages his platform to discuss the juncture of food, culture, and identity. Chang has 1.7 million followers, and he blends behind-the-scenes from the restaurants with some deep commentary on trends in food and personal stories, truly positioning him as a thought leader within the culinary space.
4. Alexis Nikole – @blackforager
Alexis Nikole, also known as @blackforager, popularized foraging. She does this on both Instagram and TikTok regarding the pros of wild food, sustainability, and going back to nature for her whopping 1.6 million followers in Instagram. All of the content is educational but fun, creating a platform that makes foraging accessible to more people than any one has ever done before.
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5. The Food Beast – @foodbeast
Elie Ayrouth—the man behind @foodbeast—operates one of the biggest food-centric media properties out there. With 1.6 million followers on Instagram and 1.9 million on TikTok, @foodbeast creates viral food videos, creative recipes, and food news for a global following. Ayrouth’s influence goes beyond the realm of social media; @foodbeast is one of the major food media players.
6. Josh Elkin – @thejoshelkin
Josh Elkin, better known as @thejoshelkin, is a food artist and chef who doesn’t back down from zany concoctions in the kitchen. Ranging from drool-worthy recipes to food challenges that engage and set off a spark in his audience, he has gained 1 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok.
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7. Binging With Babish- @bingingwithbabish
Andrew Rea is the culinary mastermind behind @bingingwithbabish, carving out a niche in the business of turning famous movie and TV screen foods into real-life dishes. With 1 million followers on Instagram and 397,000 on TikTok, Rea combines his passion for popular culture with a love for cooking to make engaging, nostalgic pieces of content across a very eclectic audience spectrum.
He is one of the most popular food creators and go-to cooking channels on Youtube. His content is nostalgic and evergreen to fans.
8. Caitlin Latessa-Greene – @starinfinitefood
Embed Link: https://www.instagram.com/starinfinitefood/
Caitlin Latessa-Greene, also known as @starinfinitefood, is a photographer and foodie who takes beautiful shots of food. With 691k Instagram followers, it’s no wonder that the feed is one of visual delight, from drool-worthy desserts to gourmet meals. Her attention to great details in noticing the perfect food shots makes her a class influencer in her own merit.
9. Yolanda Gampp – @howtocakeit
Yolanda Gampp, more popularly known as @howtocakeit, is a cake artist who has stormed the baking world. With 385k followers on Instagram and 319.7k on TikTok, Gampp creates hyper-realistic cakes, which are so incredibly detailed they seem to be everything but a cake. Her tutorials and baking tips have inspired a new generation of home bakers and cake artists.
Yolanda was also famous for her role as a baker in the desert and for her role in the event management show Sugar Stars, which used to air on Fox Life.
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10. Amanda Frederickson – @amandafrederickson
Amanda Frederickson is a chef, cookbook author, and Instagram influencer with 104K followers. She focuses on simple and delicious recipes that anyone can easily make at home. Her content is both approachable and inspiring—making cooking feel accessible to all of its users, no matter their skill level.
How to Leverage Food Influencers for Your Brand
If collaborated with appropriately, food influencers can be used to better your brand’s awareness and credibility. Here are a few ways to maximize the output of such partnerships:
Identify Your Target Audience: Before you start approaching any influencer, first see whether or not their audience is within your target market for the simple reason that this all makes sense for your brand and is worth the while.
Build Real Partnerships: Only collaborate with people who genuinely love your product. That kind of authenticity is going to be palatable and relatable to an audience, hence leading to better engagement.
Set Clear Goals and Expectations: Define clearly what it is you want to achieve with the collaboration: brand awareness, new product launches, or driving sales. Be sure to communicate it clearly to the influencer.
Give them creative license: Their audience is already tuned into their voice, and creative license will give your brand more compelling and organic content.
Potential Collaboration Ideas
The following are some innovative ways of collaborating with food influencers:
- Recipe Development: Let influencers create special recipes using your products and then share the same with their followers.
- Social Media Takeovers: Allow your influencers to take over your brand’s social media for a day to bring their audiences a step closer to your product.
- Giveaways/Contests: Partner with them to do a giveaway or some other sort of contest in which the followers engage themselves with the brand for a chance of winning.
- Sponsored Content: Partner with the influencers to create sponsored posts or videos where your products are naturally integrated into relevant ad placements.
The Future of Food Influencers: Emerging Trends
As we go further into 2024, it can be said that food influencers are still evolving. Here are some other emerging trends one is supposed to look at:
Sustainability: Generally, these influencers seem more focused on sustainable and ethical food practices. This is actually a big part of the move toward ‘guilt-free’ consumption.
Niche Markets: Bloggers who provide product reviews or just food blogging about specific dietary needs or cultural cuisines are gaining in popularity and, hence, command a much larger piece of the action due to their focused content distributed to a dedicated community.
Interactive Content: With platforms like TikTok, the use of very short, interactive content has really taken off. Be prepared for more influencers who cook live, go on Q&A segments with their followers, and conduct polls for any interactive activity.
Conclusion: The Impact of Food Influencers
They have become a part of the culinary world, driving trends and consumers’ purchase behavior and opening up possibilities for brands. Businesses can stay a step ahead by truly understanding and leveraging the power of these influencers to connect with their audiences.
There was a time when marketing was mainly reliant of fliers, television advertisements, and more. Today, the world of food and business is led by food influencers and their reviews.