The Future of Eating?How Social Media affectsour Enjoyment of Food

Social Media has changed how we buy, cook & enjoy food

Mission/Aim: How can we help you to enjoy food more?

Mecca Ibrahim

Head of Social Media

Great British Chefs

Global is the new Local

• The world is becoming smaller – our responsibility for protecting it is more apparent – green awareness, organic, sustainable, reduced carbon footprint food

• We can more easily see what other countries are doing – we often want it too! Discovery of new things, picking up new trends is easy

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

The Wisdom of the Crowds

• Families are becoming more fragmented and spread around the world

• Our friends are now our families

• Trusted strangers are now our friends

• Importance of crowds on our buying & consumption of products (food) & entertainment

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Social Media as an Enabler

• The internet has allowed us to fulfill basic human needs in a way like no other– Need to be loved, recognised, seen as

special/unique, no one is average Joe or Joanna Bloggs

– Have our thirst for knowledge sated / get answers to questions really quickly – 24 hour – always connected culture – time poor society

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

How is the food world adapting? How can help this?

Why we eat?

•Socialising – entertainment – dinner parties , supper clubs, meals out in restaurants, picnics•Have you ever attended a supper club, “underground restaurant”, paid for private dinner party?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

How do we shop?•Socialising – the rise of the multi-retailer – “retailtainment” •Shop & eat at the same time

•Would you go to a shop just because it served food there too?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Where do we buy our food?

• Restaurants & eating places understanding they need to be social

• Which food retailers “get” social media?

Where do we buy our food?• Global is the new local –

US trends entering the UK (does it work the other way?!!)

• Food trucks• Have you ever bought

high quality food from a “food truck”?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Where do we buy our food?• Supermarkets no longer have a

monopoly – small artisan producers can operate at the same level

• Through social media they can offer more inventive, tailored & personalised discounting

• Meeting the need to be individual

• What would you like to see in this area?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Where do we buy our food?

• Rise of celebrity food labels, food with a story!

• Food is no longer the preserve of supermarkets & big brands

• Do you buy celebrity labelled food?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Where do we buy our food?

• Food Festivals can also help smaller producers reach a wider targeted market looking for something personalised to them - local, organic, food with a story!

• Which food festivals if any, do you attend?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Where do we buy our food?

• Directly from source (or as close to source as possible. Through personalised & caring messaging smaller producers reach a wider targeted market looking for something personalised to them - local, organic, caring, food with a story!

• Do you use organic home delivery services?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

How & where do we cook our food?

• What do we want in our kitchens?

• State of the art equipment

• Where do you go to get ideas for your kitchen?

How & where do we cook our food?

• What do we want in our kitchens?

• Dual purpose – no longer just for cooking, but dining too

• Comfort

• Where do you go to get ideas for your kitchen?

How do we discover ways to cook our food?

• New print on demand technologies mean that cookery books can be produced cheaply & to order

• Personal cook books through Blurb – family recipes can be passed down & also shared with new audiences

• Have you ever produced a cookery book in any form yourself?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

How do we discover ways to cook our food?

• Websites • Through TV tie ins & good

marketing / social media it’s possible to reach a targeted audience, a time poor, cash rich, always connected audience

• What are your favourite food websites?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

How do we discover ways to cook our food?

• Mobile Apps • Through good marketing / social

media it’s possible to reach a targeted audience, a time poor, cash rich, always connected audience

• What are you looking for in food apps or an online food community?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Infographics

• How useful are infographics about the food world?

• Would you share them?

• What others would you like to see?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Infographics

• How useful are infographics about the food world?

• Would you share them?

• What others would you like to see?

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs

Want more info? Contact me at:

mecca@greatbritishchefs.com@gbchefs

@anniemole

Mecca Ibrahim – Great British Chefs