During my recent stay in Australia, I gave up the internet and Instagram (a big ask as I am thoroughly addicted ) for the 6 weeks that I was away. This led to the delving into the new breed of amazing food journals and magazines, many independently published, that are now available. If you live in the London local, both l8 Hewett Street and Material have an awesome collection of the latest and greatest titles. Third Drawer Down in Melbourne has a great selection amongst much other rare beauty and all titles reviewed below are available to purchase online. I lugged my recent purchases with me on the plane, dreaming of my beach-side flicking through their pages, and let me tell you those extra kilos were well worth their weight in gold. Once recovered from jet-lag and ready to read, I realised the majority of my publications hoard centred around food, fabulous food and the rituals that surround it. It seems that what we eat, how we eat it and where it comes from is fast becoming more fascinating than ever.
These here are my favourite foodie magazine finds.
The Gourmand This contemporary food and culture journal delivers on jaw-droppingly beautiful images, some of the freshest food styling I have ever seen (no pun intended), recipes of course and articles, discussions and explorations of food by savvy contributors that you really want to read. Launched late last year by friends Marina Tweed and Dave Lane who conceived the idea at a dinner party they were hosting….let’s thank the gourmand god for that. Recently adding art exhibitions and supper clubs to their repertoire, it seems there is no stopping this spectacular read. £l0.
Lucky Peach The first in this new breed of food-focused mags that I cottoned on to courtesy of my great friend and foodie go-to, Rachel O’Sullivan – chef at Polpo. This quarterly with cult following was concocted by legends David Chang of Momofuku fame and Anthony Bourdain in 20ll. The frenetic style evokes a busy kitchen and thus entices you in to digest more and more of its captivating content….which is what a really good magazine should do right? Fabulous food writing, raucous recipes, influential insight and more in each themed issue. $l2.
Kinfolk These guys had me at their opening line – “a guide for small gatherings” and their great channel via their vimeo. The sweetest of the bunch, Kinfolk caters to a growing readership of young food enthusiasts by focusing on simple ways to spend more time together…aww. Discover practical tips, personal stories, interviews, recipes and essays. Their community gatherings travel worldwide enabling the Kinfolk crew to share their ethereal entertaining ethos with the world. Meaningful entertaining via casual cool. $24.
Gather Journal Theme driven and full to the brim with fashionable food images from some of the best in the business, this beautiful and beautifully laid out bi-annual from the US dishes out recipes galore and is perhaps the most traditional looking of the lot. Michele Outland and Fiorella Valdesolo are devoted not just to cooking and eating but the wonder of bringing people together too. I’m loving their mix-tapes for meals which make for the perfect party playlist allowing you, the host, to fully concentrate on the food. That’s a win-win situation right there. $l9.99
Wilder Quarterly Published in accordance with the seasons, Wilder is the earthiest offering around targeting the new generation of growers. The brainchild of Celestine Maddy who took to gardening (with grace quite obviously) when she moved into a flat in Brooklyn that came with an overgrown backyard. Targeted at the new generation of growers – think “green thumbs, rooftop gardeners, foodies and chefs, seed savers, architects, hobby farmers, horticulturists, innovators, amateurs, and experts.” The regional seasonal to-dos are ace. Go forth and grow. $l8.95
Cereal A deep exploration into food and travel, this visual feast is really rather bookish and printed on beautiful stock to boot.. Enjoy edible topics as well as profiles on people, places and products that have caught the attention of Rosa Park, Rich Stapleton and Richard Aslan. Each quarterly issue is structured like a book and every topic treated as a chapter, this in-depth exploration plus beautiful imagery and design make Cereal a keepsake. £l0.
APPETITE FOR DECORATION 