Top 8 Food Influencers to Watch Out For in 2024

With 2023 coming to an end, it is time to look towards the bright future that 2024 has to offer. This includes the delicious food trends that are sure to crop up from Australia and New Zealand's top food influencers. Knowing who to keep an eye on in the upcoming year means easy access to tasty recipes, healthy eating, and exciting new content to enjoy watching from the comfort of your own home.

That is why we have created a comprehensive list of the 8 top food influencers to watch out for in 2024. 

Whether you are into vegan food recipes for the family to enjoy, or looking to become a food stylist, there are plenty of influencers to watch on a range of social media platforms.

What is a Food Influencer?

Food influencers are individuals who have taken to making food-based content on social media platforms. This can be by sharing the preparation that goes into delicious meals, food photography from famous venues, or encouraging others to take up cooking for themselves.

Regardless of the reason, food influencers gather a large following for their content and often enter the public sphere of knowledge when more successful. This makes them appealing to many restaurants as promotional videos to Instagram followers and restaurant reviews can draw more customers to a venue. 

This form of marketing is still relatively new to the restaurant industry, but food bloggers also benefit from this partnership with comped meals or PR packages of items for them to taste and review.

What Makes Someone a Top Food Influencer?

The top food influencers are those with significant followers and a prominent presence on social media platforms and television. Many cooking or baking enthusiasts become food influencers through their widely successful food blog, their impact on the culinary world, or their open access to easy-to-follow recipes for the public.

The best food influencers are those with traits like charisma, good publicity, passion, and a range of delicious recipes or food photography. By appealing to their audience and creating exciting content with sufficient credibility, many food enthusiasts can become top food influencers if given time.

The 8 Top Food Influencers Upcoming in 2024

There are plenty of big names in the culinary world that inspire and influence others. Well-known figures like British chef Gordon Ramsay, or cookbook author Jamie Oliver, have inspired cooking enthusiasts and provided simple food recipes all across the globe.

However, there are plenty of up-and-coming names closer to home that are encouraging new trends in the food industry and inspiring us all. In 2024, you can look forward to the continued rise of these 8 top food influencers on Instagram, your favourite food and travel website, or even your television screen, all coming from Australia or New Zealand.

1. Baker Gatherer (Dane McGregor)

Starting off strong, our list of top food influencers begins with the baking powerhouse, Dane McGregor. Better known under his Instagram handle of 'bakergatherer', this New Zealand father has broken into the top numbers of popular food influencers through his sweet treats and honest personality.

Baking enthusiasts everywhere regularly delight in the classy yet delicious food pictures that McGregor provides on his social media. While his food is inspired by the nostalgia of his childhood spent baking with his mother, the kindergarten teacher moonlighting as a successful food influencer has put his own spin on many baked classics.

This has led to the creation of a successful food blog and website, where McGregor provides all of his tasty recipes and cooking techniques. Such a level of success and notoriety has led McGregor and his Baker Gatherer channel to partner with food brands and multiple organisations.

2024 is sure to offer more gorgeous treats on McGregor's Instagram feed, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more baking inspiration and New Zealand ingenuity.

2. Lick Your Phone (Rita, Tiffany & Katherine)

Successful food influencers do not have to gain fame through their ability to post recipes or take aesthetic pictures of what they are eating. The collaborative team behind LickYourPhone Media proves this, having influenced the Australian food scene for many years through their food news, restaurant suggestions, and food reviews.

Having grown into a prominent hospitality marketing agency whose influence can be felt beyond Australia, LickYourPhone makes social media their canvas. Offering advice to big-name food brands to convert followers into customers, the team of Rita, Tiffany and Katherine has grown into a marketing conglomerate that has been recognised by most popular food influencers on the scene.

Winners of numerous social media awards and an audience of over 2 million raised from their presence on national networks like BBC and Daily telegraph, LickYourPhone's influence is undeniable. For those looking for a top food influencer with useable industry advice and a strong social media presence, this is the icon you need in 2024.

3. The Forest Cantina (Unna Burch)

Providing devoted followers with aesthetics and homemade healthy foods is the aim of Unna Burch, also known as 'the_forest_cantina', and all her recipes. Having been featured in numerous New Zealand magazines and food-based clientele events, Burch has made a name for herself in the country's extensive range of top food influencers.

Having previously worked as a hair and makeup artist, Burch knows the importance of beauty when it comes to creating delicious meals. Her followers on Instagram and Facebook can enjoy Burch's efforts to display food pictures that are as pristine as they are wholesome, but the cook's influence mainly comes from her success as a food writer.

With a cookbook already published under her name and a useful website full of more recipes, Burch has been pioneering the food industry in New Zealand for many years. Her work is expected to continue into 2024, with another cookbook coming out in the near future.

4. George Eats (Georgia McDermott)

For the gluten-free foodie, few have leapt into the food influencer scene quite like Australian Georgia McDermott of 'geaorgeats'. Originally inspired to become a food photographer to document her journey with gastroparesis and SIBO, McDermott has moved on to become a top food influencer through her food stylist and recipe developer capabilities.

Providing her audience with an inspirational journey of finding stomach-healthy recipes and how to cook for your stomach's needs, it is hard to find food influencers as inclusive as McDermott. For those interested in the vegan lifestyle, needing low FODMAP recipes, or just delighting in food styling, the georgeats Instagram account and website is where it is at.

With her own cookbook already making the rounds internationally, we can expect McDermott's influence on the food industry to continue to grow. Keeping up to date with her newest recipes and photography is sure to promote more healthy eating and delight in the delicious meals to be made.

5. Karena Kasey (Kārena & Kasey Bird)

The top food influencers of our generation are typically seen as rising stars on social media. However, not all influencers arise from such humble beginnings. Kārena & Kasey Bird showcase this through their long and hard-working history of restaurant and fine dining success.

The sisters have taken New Zealand's cooking scene by storm over the past several years, laying claim to fame with their own cooking show 'Kārena & Kasey’s Kitchen Diplomacy'. They were also nationally recognised after winning the fifth series of 'MasterChef New Zealand' and publishing numerous cookbooks since then.

When it comes to influential women in the cooking world, the dynamic duo of Karena Kasey stand at the pinnacle. The sisters also show no sign of slowing down in their success, so we can be sure to expect more major projects and Instagram updates in no time at all.

6. Mons Flavours (Monisha Singh)

We are taking a turn to the colourful with our next entry into top food influencers to look out for in 2024. Monisha (Mon) Singh is a mother of two who still manages to set aside more than enough time to entertain her Instagram followers with gorgeous healthy food that uses vegetarian and vegan recipes.

Under the name 'monsflavors', the Kiwi food blogger takes quick yet effective photos of the delicious meals she provides to her family and friends. Beyond food blogging, Singh also provides New Zealand residents with the chance to undertake personal cooking courses to learn from one of the best in the industry. New participants can learn how to create meals worthy of fine dining establishments, or experienced food enthusiasts can encounter new ideas to design a menu for their own venue.

Numerous food influencers attempt to create vegetarian meals and promote eating healthy, but few make it look as beautiful or effortless as Singh. More information about the influencer and her plant-based recipes can be found online to inspire your own delicious dishes in 2024.

7. How to Cook That (Ann Reardon)

Passion pairs with science in this entry into the top food influencers to look out for in 2024. Unlike your average food blogger, Ann Reardon of 'howtocookthat' fame brings together a love for baking with the expertise of a food scientist and dietician.

How to Cook That was created in response to Reardon's guests constantly asking how she made a baking masterpiece once they got a taste. Reardon recognised not everyone has the background in food science that she has, nor the innate skill to become a recipe developer as she has. Thus, she created her Facebook and Instagram accounts to begin spreading the joys and know-how of baking with the rest of the world.

With over 185k Instagram followers and a new identity as a fully-recognised cookbook author, Reardon continues to influence the food industry from her home in Australia. We can expect more family-friendly recipes to arise from the passionate pastry chef Reardon has developed herself as, so be sure to keep an eye out as the new year comes around.

8. The Next Meal (Jane Lyons & Will Bowman)

Although better known in New Zealand for their successful vineyard, Vita Wines, loving couple of Jane Lyons and Will Bowman have become a rising star in top food influencers for 2024. While their Instagram account, 'thenextmeal', claims to be "just for fun", keen eyes have noticed their passion and curiosity for creating delicious recipes. Their plating technique also draws the eye in every picture, encouraging viewers to learn more about their cooking.

Despite the couple maintaining that their Instagram feed is a hobby of sorts, it is clear they have the potential to become some of the best food influencers in 2024. Their earnestness to create sustainable recipes with varied cooking techniques can be evident in the delightful and real food displayed on the screen.

The next generation of top food influencers is here and they are ready to take any food network or cooking show by storm. If given a chance for sponsorship and more publicity, Lyons and Bowman are sure to appear more in the new year.

The Impact of Top Food Influencers on the Restaurant Industry

The easy access to social media profiles makes their influential capabilities on the public undeniably strong. It is not uncommon for consumers' decision-making process to be swayed by the influential figures in their lives and on their social media feeds. Whether it is the food someone blogs about, the trends they review, or the recipes they make, when a figure is influential enough the public is likely to follow their interests.

This has a powerful impact on the restaurant industry, with certain cuisines or techniques of cooking becoming an international trend. Restaurant owners are likely to have noticed certain points where their venues and certain meals were given additional interest, born from a foodie influencers' commentary or promotion.

That is why many have utilised the potential marketing power of food influencers to promote their restaurant venue. With the right social media guide, restaurants can engage the public through influencers and encourage them to consume their goods and reserve tables at their venue. Greater revenue can be reached through the aid of top food influencers, converting followers into devoted consumers.

Increase your Social Media Bookings

ResDiary provides actionable strategies to turn your social media platforms into streamlined booking systems. Facebook and Instagram alike can be altered to allow for immediate restaurant bookings once consumers' interests are piqued by your food pictures and clever media presence.

Your restaurant reservation and table management can also be simplified through ResDiary, making filling out your tables far easier than before. If you are ready to capitalise on the publicity of your favourite top food influencers in the upcoming year, look to ResDiary for efficient support.

We offer a free demonstration of how we can benefit your restaurant when you book a demo with us. Take control of your venue's success in 2024, today!