Food influencers have been whetting our appetites since the dawn of social media. There was even a time when taking a picture of your meal was arguably the most popular trend on platforms like Instagram. Let’s be honest—people love great food. And while the trend of sharing our daily meals online may have lost some steam since its peak, our insatiable appetite for visually stunning, mouth-watering dishes will always remain timeless.
That’s exactly why you should follow these 10 food influencers on Instagram—unless, of course, you’re not a fan of visually stunning culinary creations.
1. Jamie Oliver
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A list of top food influencers that didn’t include the likes of Jamie Oliver would be downright blasphemous. Simply put, the man is a dominant force in the culinary industry. Oliver’s first job as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street restaurant in the UK is where he first gained experience in preparing Italian cuisine, developing a strong relationship with his mentor Gennaro Contaldo.
Jamie is the host of the popular television programs ‘The Naked Chef’ and the ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’ series. He is known for his minimalistic and clean approach to cooking, with devoted attention to garden-fresh, organic ingredients that act as the underlying philosophy for his TV series. The immensely popular chef is also an equally powerful force on social media, particularly Instagram, where he boasts an impressive 10.6 million followers.
Oliver is a fierce advocate for nutrition and healthy eating. In addition to his books and TV shows, Oliver works with the top U.K. supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, advising them on how to further improve the quality and variety of supermarket food. He has also designed several lines of tableware and serveware with Royal Worcester.
2. Molly Yeh
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Molly Yeh started her widely successful food blog My Name is Yeh in 2009 and began to build an illustrious social presence based around her culinary career. She is the star of the Food Network series ‘Girl Meets Farm’, and rose to national prominence with the debut of her memoir, “Molly On The Range: Recipes and Stories from an Unlikely Life on a Farm”.
Yeh has been featured by the New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and New York Magazine, and has contributed to Vanity Fair, Saveur, Condé Nast Traveler, Food52, and The Jewish Daily Forward. She was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2017 and Apartment Therapy’s 10 under 40 list. Yeh displays her awe-inspiring social content with clean, pastel driven visuals of her tasty recipes and confections, and her content is more than worthy to occupy any sweet tooth’s Instagram feed.
3. Brad Lau
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Brad Lau is better known by his pseudonym LadyIronChef, which also happens to be his super cool Instagram handle. Lau is a Singaporean online personality, food writer, and the chief editor and founder of the food and travel website ladyironchef.com. The online publication is among the leading food and travel websites in Singapore and is growing a global and social presence as well.
Lau’s Instagram feed is visually stunning, with traditional Singaporean dishes and various culinary styles from around the globe all coming together in a kaleidoscope of color and meticulous presentation. Flaming pineapples, sushi cones, you name it.
4. ElaVegan
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Those who embrace the vegan lifestyle have an ideal role model in ElaVegan. Her moniker alone states the obvious; Ela is a vegan, gluten-free foodie and an advocate for plant-based diets. She regularly shares delicious recipes on her social channels and food blog, ElaVegan.com.
Not only does Michaela (her real name) make some of the most beautiful vegan food and desserts, she is also mindful of things like added sugars and fats. So for those of you watching your fat/sugar intake (vegan or not), Ela is a prime source for some great recipes that won’t stretch your waistline.
Ela has said she wants to prove that “eating plant-based food is healthy, delicious, good for our bodies and for our planet”. Her Instagram is a beautiful assortment of colors and foreground rich perspectives of vegan recipes made so well, you likely couldn’t tell they were vegan. And even if you could, even the most avid carnivore likely wouldn’t mind.
5. David Chang
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When Esquire Magazine calls you one of “the most influential people of the 21st century”, you’re kind of a big deal. And David Chang proudly holds that accomplishment. The American restaurateur, author, and television personality is a hot commodity in both the culinary world and on social media. Known for his bad-boy persona, Chang is a top-notch chef and restaurateur whose popularity exploded as soon as he opened the first iteration of the restaurant chain Momofuku in 2004.
Several new restaurants later, Chang has established himself as a driving force in the culinary field. He has been a pioneer in putting trends like pork buns and ramen on the culinary map in North America, and today Chang is a food entrepreneur with a level of success many in the industry would envy. His Instagram feed is not only occupied by his delectable dishes but it also pairs as a lifestyle blog that broadcasts his world travels and multiple business ventures. This makes him one of the most interesting food influencers to follow on social media, enticing both the appetite and the human spirit.
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6. Frederikke Kjær Wærens
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Frederikke is a Danish food influencer whose sugary creations are objects of ire in the culinary world. She is the creator of her own food blog, whose content has a unique and stylish expression. Her lavish and always sharp food creations have helped her grow a social following that is obsessed with her niche approach to food blogging and content creation.
Her Instagram feed is bursting with vivid shades and jaw-dropping, crystal clear photos of her fare. Everything from Danish “æbleskiver” to crispy churros with cinnamon sugar and homemade chocolate sauce. For those looking for a sugar fix, Frederikke has the content of your confectionary dreams.
7. No Bread
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As many Americans have done over the past decade, foodie Nicole Bruno has adopted a gluten-free diet. While working at J.P. Morgan in 2010, she discovered she was allergic to gluten and began to feel insecure about bringing clients to restaurants that didn’t provide gluten-free menu options. As a result, she founded her blog nobread.com to focus on a variety of restaurants where she could bring clients to eat. The blog eventually evolved to include recipes and product reviews as well.
She leveraged this passion for gluten-free cuisine into both a popular blog and social brand. In 2014, she left J.P. Morgan to focus on her blog full-time, and as they say, the rest is history. Nicole’s breadless recipes are a huge sensation on Instagram, where she posts recipes, product reviews, and restaurant addresses on the NoBread blog. She has become a prominent figure in Instagram circles within the gluten-minded community.
8. Dennis the Prescott
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Just a few years ago, Dennis Prescott was a working musician who didn’t know how to cook. Shortly after cooking his way through a few Jamie Oliver books, he suddenly realized that food, not music, was his passion. He immediately immersed himself in the culinary arts, creating delicious recipes and enhancing his appeal by styling and photographing them in a way that stimulates the taste buds.
The Canadian chef’s recipes are regularly featured in publications like Food & Wine magazine and he also authored the cookbook ‘Eat Delicious’, which featured over 125 of his personal recipes. But it’s his Instagram content that makes him a powerhouse on social media. His rich color palette and use of textures can create hunger pangs for anyone – even those who may have just finished their second helping of Thanksgiving dinner. A talented chef and stunning photographer, Dennis is a multi-faceted influencer who has seemingly combined his passions into the perfect combination of art and technique.
9. Brian Cant
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Brian Cant didn’t start as a culinary expert, but his love for food quickly emerged after experimenting with different flavors in his home kitchen. As is true with many food influencers, his journey began as a hobby, but his talent for crafting mouthwatering dishes and presenting them in visually stunning ways is what sets him apart. Brian’s signature style blends vibrant colors and bold textures, making his content irresistible to food lovers everywhere.
His influence extends beyond social media, with his work being featured in top-tier publications like Broken Palate acting as a testament to his reach and credibility in the culinary world. With an ever-growing Instagram following (475K followers and counting), Cant’s beautifully styled food posts not only showcase his creativity but inspire home cooks and professionals alike to push the boundaries of their own kitchen adventures.
10. Tieghan Gerard
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Tieghan Gerard, the mastermind behind the wildly popular blog Half-Baked Harvest, has turned her love for cooking into a full-fledged empire. Raised in a large family, Gerard developed a passion for creating hearty, wholesome meals that cater to a wide range of tastes. Launched in 2012, her blog quickly gained traction thanks to its mouthwatering recipes and her knack for styling food in an irresistibly cozy, rustic aesthetic.
Known for her rich, comforting dishes that often fuse global flavors, Tieghan’s success has extended far beyond the digital space. She has authored two best-selling cookbooks, Half-Baked Harvest and Super Simple, both celebrated for their approachable yet flavorful recipes. Her Instagram, where she shares beautifully captured images of her creations, is a source of inspiration for millions of followers who crave both indulgent and health-conscious meals. Gerard’s blend of creativity, authenticity, and culinary expertise has made her a standout figure in the world of food influencers, appealing to home cooks who seek both elegance and ease in their kitchen.
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