Brands within and outside the food sector seek out food influencers for influencer marketing campaigns. Their engaging and visually appealing content makes them ideal for effectively promoting new products and services.
There's truly a food influencer for every brand, with hundreds of sub-categories featuring different styles and types of food content.
In this article, you'll learn about the 10 most-followed food influencers in the UK. You'll also discover key metrics, such as engagement rates, the value their content can bring, and their audience's credibility. This data will help you understand how they would perform in an influencer marketing campaign,
The Kolsquare database stores insights about influencers from 180 countries with 5,000 or more followers on at least one social media platform, such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, or Snapchat.
The rankings in this article are based on follower count and the insights stored in our database. We provide you with the data you need about an influencer for an influencer marketing campaign, including:
To identify the food influencers capable of launching powerful UK campaigns, we selected only creators with over 25% of their audience in the UK.
This is a list of the top food influencers by follower count. While these food bloggers are all incredibly popular, their niches, audiences, and content styles vary significantly. It's important to assess whether their values and content match your branding.
Here are the top food influencers with huge followings in the UK:
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Nathan Anthony, @boredoflunch on social media, is a popular influencer who shares delicious yet simple recipes. He typically features quick meals that fit into people's busy lifestyles, celebrating common and low-effort cooking methods using air fryers and slow cookers. His novel recipe for air-fried Cream Egg croissant balls reached over 26M views on Instagram. Anthony's audience is highly credible and mostly consists of women, primarily between 25 and 34 years of age.
Of Irish origin, Anthony previously worked in finance before growing his channel during the COVID-19 lockdown. He now regularly appears on daytime TV shows, sharing cooking tips and recipes. Anthony also writes cookbooks, including "Bored of Lunch: Healthy Slow Cooker," "Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book," and "Bored of Lunch: 30 Minute Meals."
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John Clark, known on social media as @themealprepking, is a food influencer who posts meal prep recipes. His goal is to help people plan healthy meals that are also convenient and low-cost. As a result, Clark focuses on keeping his recipes nutritious rather than simply visually striking.
Clark's weight-loss journey drew many viewers to his channel. He became an advocate of meal prepping because it enabled him and his partner to lose a combined 15 stone in weight. One of his most popular videos shows his hyper-organised fridge packed with prepped meals in Tupperware boxes. It has over 23M views on TikTok.
He has authored several bestselling cookbooks, including "The Meal Prep King Plan" and "Prep Yourself Slim," which offer a variety of batch-cooking recipes. Despite his success, John has faced some controversy due to comments in his live videos. Nevertheless, his audience continues to grow. He is most popular with women and those between the ages of 25 and 34.
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Chef, food influencer, and author Thomas Straker creates aesthetically pleasing and advanced recipes. Rather than pushing for accessible and convenient recipes, Straker slices and dices with skill to create aspirational, delicious meals.
Originally from Herefordshire, Straker moved to London to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. There, he worked at prestigious restaurants, such as Michelin-starred European restaurant Elystan Street in Chelsea.
During the TikTok lockdown, with restaurants closed, Straker shared recipes on social media, which grew in popularity. He is known for his series, All Things Butter, which celebrates butter as a versatile kitchen essential.
Straker now has his own restaurant, Straker's, in Notting Hill, and millions of followers spread across various social media sites. His high-quality cooking, typically featuring Straker wearing a chef's apron, gains millions of views. His recent video sharing a recipe for a "Chilli cheese smash burger" drew in over 13M views on Instagram. His audience is mostly between the ages of 18 and 34.
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Oli Paterson, known on social media as @elburritomonster, is a top food influencer who creates visually impactful recipes. Mainly focusing on burgers, sandwiches, and, of course, burritos, Paterson pushes the limits of these common foods, often adding unique and novel fillings. One example is his cheese-wrapped steak burrito recipe, which has over 7 million views on Instagram. His audience is primarily men and mostly between the ages of 25 and 34.
Gained popularity through lockdown after working odd jobs and becoming a food blogger. Initially studying mathematics at university, Paterson then redirected his career towards food. He takes his career seriously, sharing with his childhood school, Cheadle Hulmes School, "Making engaging videos is no random process, and getting consistent views is down to the pacing, shareability, and quality of the content."
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CandyWorksUK creates jaw-bending content featuring whacky, sweet-based recipes. Most of the videos feature freeze-dried sweet recipes that combine many products, such as syrups, branded sweets, frosting, and chocolates, to create novelty results.
CandyWorksUK is the business account for the popular sweet shop of the same name, which sells pick-and-mix sweets.
Originally launched by Ryan and Sophie Taylor, the business's TikTok account now has over 1.9 million followers and more than 60 million likes. Their video, in which they freeze-dry sweets that audiences requested, has over 20 million views.
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Martyn Odell, known as @lagomchef on TikTok, is a chef and food waste activist who shares funny, chaotic, and eco-conscious recipes. He follows up on his beliefs, raising money for charities that give surplus food to those who need it.
Providing practical advice about minimising waste, he focuses on recipes that use foods that most people store in their cupboards. He encourages people to use their leftovers and to understand the basics of cooking. The majority of his audience is on TikTok, where he has over 1M followers. 65% of his audience is women.
Odell started his culinary journey at the age of 15 in London. and has since worked in various sectors of the food industry, including restaurants, street food, cookery schools, and recipe development.
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Gino D'Acampo has been a household name in the UK for decades. He's known for his regular appearances on daytime TV shows like "This Morning" and his own shows "Gino's Italian Escape" and "Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip" with fellow chefs Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix. He's also a successful cookbook author and restaurant owner.
Famous even before starting food blogging, D'acampo's TikTok video showcasing his pizza cutter has over 10 million views, and many of his classic Italian recipes have over 1 million views. His playful humour and energetic approach to cooking highlight traditional Italian meals. His content features a mix of recipes and entertaining, often humorous videos. D'acampo's audience is 80% women. Most are aged between 25 and 44.
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With the tagline "NORTHERN BLOKE MAKING SANDWICHES," The Sandwich King is a UK-based food influencer dedicated to the niche of British sandwiches. His steak sandwich, featuring steak, fries, and relish, has amassed over 9 million views on Instagram. His largest demographic of viewers is men aged 18 to 25.
Specialising in creative and unique sandwich combinations, The Sandwich King offers innovative recipes like the "spag bowl sandwich" and the "beans, pie, and mash" sandwich. He also features classic fillings, such as ham and cheese.
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Craig Harker, known as @dadlovesfood.travel on social media, is a popular food and travel vlogger. In his TikTok tagline, he describes himself as a "Foodie & Explorer." While he owns a pub in Stockton-on-Tees, Harker's content shows him travelling the world sampling local cuisines.
The foodie influencer's content often includes challenges and reviews of unique and large food items, such as his attempt to tackle the UK's biggest bacon butty and other massive food challenges like a Burger King burger with 36 patties. Harker also features raffles and discounts on his website.
He has over 1 million likes on TikTok, and many of his videos have over 50,000 views.
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George Egg is a comedian and cook famous for his unique blend of stand-up comedy and live cooking shows. He gained popularity with his "Anarchist Cook" and "DIY Chef" tours, in which he prepared food using unconventional methods and equipment.
During the pandemic, he launched the Instagram series Snack Hacker, featuring short, humorous videos in which he creatively reinvents snacks using familiar ingredients and clever hacks. His content is entertaining and accessible. Egg's highly credible audience is 61% men. 47% of his followers are 25-34 years old.
Influencer marketing can be challenging, no matter the niche. To launch a successful campaign that hits targets, you need to take the right approach.
Here's a quick guide to finding the right food influencer and launching a strong influencer marketing campaign:
Using Kolsquare simplifies influencer marketing by providing comprehensive tools to manage campaigns from start to finish. It offers a vast database of influencers, helping you find the perfect match for your brand. We have data about more than just the top influencers. We store information about micro and nano-influencers, the creators who typically have the highest engagement rates.
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A food influencer is someone who shares recipes, reviews, and advice about food on social media platforms. Food influencers can target many niches. They may share advice about healthy eating, fast food, or even working in a restaurant. It is essentially the modern name for a food blogger.
Many of the most popular food influencers start as chefs working in restaurants and then transition into food blogging. Others are simply foodie influencers who share their passion for food with their audience.
The biggest British influencer and cook is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, best known for his push on healthy eating for children in the 2000s. With numerous cookbooks and a strong presence on social media, Jamie Oliver continues to inspire millions with his accessible and healthy recipes.
On the other hand, Thomas Straker is the biggest cook-turned-influencer on our list. However, many famous chefs share food pictures and videos on social media.
Here are some of the popular chefs who have become some of the best food influencers:
Like Jamie Oliver, these chefs have successfully leveraged social media to expand their influence, sharing their culinary expertise and personal stories with a global audience. Their ability to adapt to new platforms while staying true to their culinary roots has made them enduring figures in the food world.
Many other popular creators, such as food writer for the Daily Telegraph and MasterChef judge William Sitwell, have now also started creating content for social media.
Learn about the most popular YouTubers or fashion influencers,
The most followed food influencer worldwide is Burak Özdemir, known as @Cznburak on social media. The Turkish creator has a massive following of over 68 million on TikTok, making him one of the top influencers on the platform.
On Instagram, he has over 54 million followers, and many of his Reels have 10s of millions of views.
Burak is renowned for his engaging and unique cooking videos, in which he prepares traditional Turkish and Arabic dishes. His warm and charismatic lifestyle content, plus highly skilled recipes, connects viewers and interests them.
Food influencers have several revenue streams through which they can make money. They often collaborate with brands for sponsored content and brand partnerships, where they create posts featuring products or act as brand ambassadors. Affiliate marketing also plays a significant role, allowing influencers to earn a commission on sales generated through their unique links. Additionally, advertising revenue from YouTube ads and website ads contributes significantly to their income. Many influencers also launch their own product lines, including cookbooks, branded merchandise, and food products. Events, appearances, and public speaking engagements further supplement their income, as do subscription services like Patreon or membership sites offering exclusive content.
Another lucrative avenue for food influencers is content creation for brands, which can involve recipe development, photography, and videography for advertising campaigns. Consulting services offer expertise to brands and restaurants on social media strategy and content creation. Collaborations with other influencers or brands help expand their reach and influence. These diverse revenue streams enable food influencers to leverage their creativity and audience engagement to build successful careers.
Working with brands involves various agencies and platforms that facilitate connections between influencers and companies. Influencer marketing agencies specialize in matching influencers with brands that align with their audience and values, managing campaigns, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Platforms like Kolsquare, AspireIQ, and Influencity provide tools for influencers to manage collaborations, track campaign performance, and streamline communications. These agencies and platforms play a crucial role in helping influencers navigate the complexities of brand partnerships, allowing them to focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with their audience.
Becoming a local food influencer involves a combination of passion for food, consistent content creation, engagement with your community, and strategic use of social media platforms.
Start by defining your niche and brand. Identify your unique angle, whether it’s local street food, fine dining, home cooking, or a specific type of cuisine. Develop a cohesive brand identity for your social media profiles, including a logo, colour scheme, and bio that reflect your niche. This will set the foundation for your content and help attract a dedicated audience.
Content creation is key. Invest in a good camera or smartphone and learn basic photography and videography skills to make your food look appealing. Try to maintain a consistent posting schedule with a content calendar to keep your audience engaged and attract new followers. The TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram algorithms all prioritise frequent posters.
Write informative and engaging captions, sharing personal stories, recipes, and tips. Respond to comments and messages to engage with your audience, and use relevant hashtags and geotags to increase visibility. Collaborate with local businesses for giveaways, reviews, and sponsored posts.
Whether you want to work as an influencer full-time or simply start food blogging for fun, becoming a food influencer on Instagram starts with setting up a professional and engaging account.
First, create a new Instagram account or convert your personal account to a professional one. Choose a unique username that reflects your niche and is easy to remember. Make sure your username is searchable and catchy. For your profile picture, select a clear and eye-catching image, which could be your logo or a professional photo of yourself that matches your branding and appeals to target audiences.
Next, optimise your bio. Write a concise and engaging bio that tells potential followers who you are and what they can expect from your account. Include keywords related to your niche, such as "food blogger," "recipe creator," "healthy eating," or "vegan chef." Add a call-to-action, like "Follow for daily recipes," to encourage people to engage with your content. Don’t forget to include a link to your blog or website if you have one, or use a link service like Linktree to share multiple links.
Your feed is the first thing new visitors will see, so make it appealing. Start posting high-quality photos and videos of your food that use lighting, natural or artificial, and different angles to make your dishes look their best.
Engagement is the lifeblood of growth. Respond to comments and messages to build a sense of community. Use relevant hashtags and geotags to increase the visibility of your posts. Create a sense of community and a food network by engaging with other food influencers and your followers by liking and commenting on their posts. Your decision-making process should focus on what fits your brand, engages followers, and increases your reach.
It's important to use Instagram’s features to diversify your content. Use Stories for more casual, behind-the-scenes content, Reels for videos, and Highlights to keep important content at the top of your profile.
Remember, launching a successful food blog takes time.
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