As the country is developing, the mindset of people is also evolving. They have finally digested the fact that medicine, engineering and law are not the only professions one can pursue, and that there are an array of career options which may or may not require a 12-hour study session daily. Youngsters have also realised that they can turn their hobbies into a career. One such option is food blogging.
A food blogger is someone who visits various restaurants/eateries and writes a review based on his/her experience. Obviously, a food blogger needs to have good knowledge of the domain. One can start food blogging as a hobby and eventually turn it into a full-time profession.
Students get into food blogging not merely to earn money, but also to work on something they enjoy. Priyan Garg, a lawyer and Instagram blogger, says, “Food blogging is more of a hobby for me than a career choice. It is something which refreshes me after a tiring day at work.”
How to start
It is a myth that to blog about food, one needs to own a DSLR camera. What one needs is an in-depth knowledge of the field and a good appetite. “Other than a good vocabulary and an artistic hand in photography, one needs to have sensitive taste buds,” says Sidhhant Kapai, a student of Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad.
When food blogging was introduced in India, it was mainly covered by broadcast channels. With time, more people started showcasing their love for food through independent blogs. However, it was the growth of social media platforms that brought a boom in this field.
A lot of people start blogging during their school or college days. Nikhil Kamath, author of the blog ‘The Salt and Pepper Food Guide’, recounts his journey, “I got into it in 2011 when I was in Class X. My cousin prompted me to start blogging about food as I had good knowledge of the field. I started my blog on BlogSpot with my cousin and shifted to WordPress in 2015. In 2011, Instagram wasn’t that popular. So, a blog was one of the best mediums. In 2016, I discovered that Instagram is a good platform to expand the blog.”
It is social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram that brought about a revolution in this line of profession. Majority of food bloggers are now active on Instagram where they post pictures of the dishes they try along with details of the place and price.
Although certified courses are offered by some institutes and organisations, established food bloggers vote against them. “You just need a good appetite and basic knowledge of what you are eating and what goes inside your food. This, of course, comes with time and experience,” says Paresh Gupta, a popular blogger with the username ‘khaata_rahe_mera_dil’.
If one wants to pursue a certified course, there are various universities and institutes that provide courses and workshops on food styling, food safety, food hygiene, and other related areas. Delhi University offers a certificate course in quality control and food safety. There are also photography workshops by Bengaluru-based company Darter Photography that revolve around presentation of food, methods of styling food and food art.
Future prospects
Everyone looks up to presenters Rocky and Mayur on NDTV Good Times or journalist Vir Sanghvi on Brunch when it comes to food blogging. However, one needs to understand that it takes time to establish oneself in this industry.
“Money will not start flowing in from the very first day. Food blogging requires consistency and perseverance to become a profitable business. You have to invest time building it without thinking about the potential returns or getting frustrated,” says Dr. Radhika Agarwal, who runs an Instagram account @teekhi_mircheee.
“I discovered that a majority of food brands are not ready to pay, so I have also learned to say ‘NO’. You have to make people fall in love with your creative ideas. Once you manage to do this, brands will certainly want to collaborate with you,” she says.
It is difficult to take up food blogging as a full-time profession in India as it is still in an infant stage. “Only your creativity will set you apart from others, so building your brand is completely in your hands,” says Dr. Radhika.
Adds Priyan, “Food blogging has several prospects in India. Increasingly, new restaurants and eateries are looking at it as a perspective marketing medium. There’s always need for new content. Food bloggers can become writers for food magazines, content curators for restaurants or even get into public relation activities over time.”
