Food: Move over, Jamie and Nigella. Meet Emily English, Gen Z’s foodie
- InsightTrendsWorld
- 15 hours ago
- 8 min read
Why it is the topic trending:
Emergence of New Food Gurus:Â The article highlights a shift in who younger generations turn to for cooking inspiration, moving away from traditional celebrity chefs towards social media personalities.
Rise of Gen Z Foodies:Â It focuses on Emily English as a leading figure among a group of young British female foodies gaining popularity online.
Social Media Influence on Cooking Habits:Â The article emphasizes the significant role of platforms like Instagram and TikTok in shaping how 18-34-year-olds find and use recipes.
Focus on Healthy and Accessible Cooking:Â Emily English is presented as a key influencer in the realm of healthy, mid-week meals that are practical for busy, often childless, young women.
Contrast with Traditional Chefs:Â The article draws a comparison between the appeal of these social media foodies and more established chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson.
Overview:Â The article discusses the growing influence of a new generation of food gurus, particularly Emily English, on health-conscious young women in their 30s and younger. These influencers, who started their careers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, are replacing traditional celebrity chefs as sources of kitchen inspiration. Emily English, a 29-year-old nutritionist, is highlighted as a leading figure, sharing recipes for healthy, mid-week meals that are popular among her 2.6 million followers. The article explores why these online foodies resonate with this demographic, noting their focus on accessible recipes, nutritional information, and relatable content. It also touches upon the changing landscape of recipe discovery, with online platforms and viral videos now favored over traditional cookbooks.
Detailed findings:
18-34-year-old women are increasingly turning to online recipes and viral videos from social media foodies rather than cookbooks or traditional celebrity chefs.
Emily English, a 29-year-old nutritionist, is a leading figure among these new food gurus, with 2.6 million followers.
Her recipes focus on healthy, mid-week meals that typically serve two people.
English holds a BSc in nutrition and includes calorie and protein information with her recipes.
She also has a background in food, having helped in her grandmother’s restaurant.
Her first cookbook, "So Good," was a bestseller, and her second, "Live to Eat," is due to be published soon.
The article contrasts this trend with the "clean eating" craze of the Noughties, noting a shift towards a more balanced approach to food.
Other popular online foodies mentioned include Benjamina Ebuehi (@bakedbybenji), Sophie Wyburd (@sophiewyburd), Natalia Rudin (@natsnourishments), Claire Dinhut (@condimentclaire), Seema Pankhania (@seemagetsbaked), Hari Beavis (@haribeavis), Emma Louise Connolly (@thegreedymodel), Alexandra Dudley (@alexandradudley), and Xanthe Ross (@xanthemross).
These influencers often share "what I eat in a day" videos and focus on practical and accessible recipes.
Emily English's content is described as never seeming sanctimonious, and she includes carbs, cheese, and chocolate in her diet.
Key takeaway:Â Gen Z and younger millennials are increasingly finding cooking inspiration from relatable social media foodies like Emily English, who offer healthy, accessible recipes and connect with their audience in a way that traditional celebrity chefs often do not.
Main trend:Â The Democratization of Food Expertise and Influence Through Social Media
Description of the trend (please name it): Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru. This trend describes the shift in food inspiration and culinary authority from traditional, often professionally trained chefs and cookbook authors to everyday individuals who have built a significant following on social media platforms by sharing accessible, relatable, and often health-conscious recipes and cooking content. This democratizes food expertise, making it more approachable and peer-driven for younger generations.
What is consumer motivation:Â Consumers, particularly younger demographics, are motivated by relatability, accessibility, and authenticity when seeking cooking inspiration. Social media foodies often share recipes that fit into busy lifestyles, use readily available ingredients, and don't require professional culinary skills. The personal connection and perceived peer-to-peer interaction with these online personalities also resonate strongly.
What is driving trend:
Accessibility of Social Media Platforms:Â Platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow anyone to share their cooking content and build an audience.
Demand for Relatable Content:Â Younger generations often find the content created by their peers more trustworthy and relevant than that of traditional authorities.
Focus on Health and Wellness:Â Many of these social media foodies emphasize healthy eating and provide nutritional information, aligning with the health-conscious interests of their followers.
Visual Appeal of Food Content:Â Platforms that prioritize visual content are ideal for showcasing food and recipes in an engaging way.
What is motivation beyond the trend:Â Some consumers may still value the expertise and credentials of professionally trained chefs for more advanced or specialized cooking.
Description of consumers article is referring to (what is their age?, what is their gender? What is their income? What is their lifestyle): The article specifically mentions health-conscious, child-free women around the age of 31 and younger (18-34-year-olds) as the primary audience for these social media foodies. They are described as busy individuals who do cook and seek inspiration from their screens. While the article focuses on women, it's likely that male consumers also follow and engage with similar online food personalities. Information about income and lifestyle is less explicit, but the emphasis on mid-week healthy meals and recipes that serve two suggests a practical approach to cooking for individuals or couples, potentially with busy professional lives.
Conclusions:Â Social media is playing a pivotal role in democratizing food expertise, with everyday individuals like Emily English becoming influential food gurus for younger generations seeking accessible and relatable cooking inspiration.
Implications for brands:
Food Brands:Â Should consider partnering with these influential social media foodies to promote their products and reach younger consumers.
Cookbook Publishers:Â May need to adapt their strategies to compete with the popularity of online recipes and consider publishing books by successful social media food personalities.
Implication for society:Â This trend reflects a shift in how knowledge and authority are distributed and consumed in the digital age, with peer influence playing an increasingly significant role.
Implications for consumers:Â Consumers have access to a vast and diverse range of cooking inspiration online, often presented in a more relatable and accessible format.
Implication for Future:Â "Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru" suggests that social media will continue to be a dominant platform for food discovery and inspiration, and the influence of these online food personalities will likely grow.
Consumer Trend (name, detailed description): The Socially Inspired Home Cook. This trend describes individuals who primarily find their cooking inspiration, recipes, and culinary guidance through social media platforms and online content creators rather than traditional cookbooks or television chefs.
Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description): The Health-Focused Follower (Social Foodies). A segment of the Socially Inspired Home Cook who specifically seeks out and follows online food personalities who focus on healthy eating, provide nutritional information, and offer recipes that align with wellness goals.
Big Social Trend (name, detailed description):Â The Increasing Influence of Social Media on Lifestyle Choices:Â Social media platforms are playing a growing role in shaping various aspects of people's lives, including how they approach cooking and food.
Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description):Â The phenomenon of social media food influencers gaining popularity is observed globally, transcending geographical boundaries.
Social Drive (name, detailed description):Â The Desire for Relatability, Accessibility, and Peer-Based Recommendations:Â Consumers are often more inclined to trust and follow the advice of individuals who seem like their peers and share similar lifestyles.
Learnings for brands to use in 2025 (bullets, detailed description):
Gen Z and younger millennials prefer online recipes and viral videos to cookbooks.
Social media foodies like Emily English have millions of followers and significant influence.
Health and accessibility are key themes in their content.
Nutritional information and relatable personal stories are valued by their audience.
Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025 (bullets, detail description):
Food brands should actively collaborate with popular social media foodies to reach younger demographics.
Develop online recipe content and short, engaging video formats for social media platforms.
Focus on creating recipes that are healthy, accessible, and aligned with current dietary trends.
Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article:Â "Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru" illustrates how Gen Z's embrace of social media is transforming the culinary landscape, with figures like Emily English leading a pack of online food personalities who are shaping the cooking habits of a new generation.
What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it:Â In 2025, food brands and companies should capitalize on "Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru" by:
Identifying and partnering with influential Gen Z and Millennial foodies on platforms like Instagram and TikTok for sponsored content, recipe development, and brand ambassadorships to reach their target demographic directly and authentically.
Creating engaging and visually appealing short-form video content showcasing their products in easy-to-follow recipes and lifestyle contexts, optimized for social media platforms.
Focusing on the key themes that resonate with this audience, such as health-conscious recipes, time-saving cooking hacks, and relatable personal stories, in their marketing and content creation efforts.
Final note:
Core Trend:Â Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru:Â Democratization of food expertise and influence through social media.
Core Strategy:Â Partner with Social Media Food Influencers and Create Engaging Online Video Content:Â Reaching younger generations through their preferred channels and personalities.
Core Industry Trend:Â The Increasing Importance of Digital Platforms in Food Discovery and Consumption:Â Social media as a primary source for recipes and culinary inspiration.
Core Consumer Motivation:Â Desire for Relatability, Accessibility, and Peer-Based Recommendations for Cooking:Â Trusting and engaging with online personalities who share similar lifestyles.
Final Conclusion:Â The rise of social media food gurus like Emily English signifies a fundamental shift in how younger generations approach cooking and seek culinary guidance, underscoring the critical need for food brands to adapt their marketing strategies to engage with these influential online personalities and platforms.
Core Trend Detailed: Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru
Description:Â Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru trend describes the shift in food inspiration and culinary authority from traditional, often professionally trained chefs and cookbook authors to everyday individuals who have built a significant following on social media platforms by sharing accessible, relatable, and often health-conscious recipes and cooking content. This democratizes food expertise, making it more approachable and peer-driven for younger generations.
Key Characteristics of the Trend (summary):Â Social media is democratizing food expertise, with relatable everyday individuals becoming influential food gurus for younger generations.
Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend (summary):Â The article highlights Emily English, a 29-year-old nutritionist with millions of followers, as a leading example. The Waitrose report finding that 18-34-year-olds prefer online recipes to cookbooks further supports this trend.
How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior (summary):Â Younger consumers are increasingly turning to social media personalities for cooking inspiration, favoring relatable content, healthy recipes, and a peer-driven approach over traditional culinary authorities.
Implications Across the Ecosystem (For Brands and CPGs, For Retailers, For Consumers, summary):
For Brands and CPGs:Â Food brands should partner with social media foodies. Cookbook publishers may need to adapt to compete with online content.
For Retailers:Â Grocery stores should consider collaborations with online food personalities and highlight trending ingredients.
For Consumers:Â Younger generations have access to a vast and diverse range of accessible cooking inspiration online.
Strategic Forecast:Â "Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru" suggests that social media will continue to be a dominant platform for food discovery and inspiration, and the influence of these online food personalities will likely grow.
Final Thought:Â "Digital Dish: The Rise of the Everyday Food Guru" illustrates how Gen Z's embrace of social media is transforming the culinary landscape, with figures like Emily English leading a pack of online food personalities who are shaping the cooking habits of a new generation.
