Top 37 Food Influencers in the UK

When it comes to UK influencers, the numbers don’t lie. In 2022, 93% of marketing professionals integrated influencer marketing into their overall marketing strategy. Influence-related services grew by 26% in the last year alone, as over two-thirds of marketers consider influencer marketing a strategic priority. It has never been more important to understand current food influencers in the UK and insights to keep ahead of the curve, with digital ordering and delivery rising 300% faster than dine-in traffic in recent years.

At The Social Shepherd, we are a top Influencer Marketing agency focused on getting results – meaning we source the best UK food influencers and social media creators to grow and enhance your marketing efforts. No matter your sector, we know how to maximise the value of top influencers in the UK and serve up campaigns that will boost your bottom line – just check out the results we got for brands such as Godiva and Very Lazy.

To make choosing the right food influencer in the UK who works best for your brand, we’ve put together a complete list based on the social media channels they work best for and the value they offer to businesses and brands across the UK through their social media following and Engagement Rate (ER).

So, it’s time to get following these top 37 UK food influencers for a hearty slice of inspiration to benefit your business!

1. Holly Jade

@thelittleblogofvegan

Instagram: 270K followers - ER: 4.86%

Holly Jade is the founder of the multi-award-winning blog, The Little Blog of Vegan, and curator of the equally popular Instagram account of the same name, @thelittleblogofvegan.

Now, with her trademark flair for food photography and tantalising recipe creation, she brought her passion for vegan baking to her first cookbook, The Little Book of Vegan Bakes.

2. Gaz Oakley

@gazoakley

YouTube: 1.47M followers - ER: 6.97%

Chef and Instagram star who is known for his Avant-Garde vegan cooking. He is known for posting a mix of recipes, final products, and process shots of his cooking which he shares with his devoted Instagram followers.

In addition to his Instagram, he also runs an online web store where he sells his original cookbook, shirts, hoodies, aprons, hats, and other merchandise.

3. Hench Herbivore

@HenchHerbivore

YouTube: 59K followers - ER: 12.84%

Paul Kerton is the creator of the Hench Herbivore YouTube channel as well as a former personal trainer and nutritionist. He once ate more meat than you've probably ever seen. After learning that a whole-food, plant-based diet could help him gain muscular mass just as easily and make him significantly healthier, he developed an obsession with spreading the word about it.

His goal is to apply recipes, offers, coaching, nutrition courses, and nutrition e-guides to help vegans better their body shape, health, and performance. He has appeared on the BBC and been featured in the magazines Vegan Life and Muscle and Fitness. He, along with his partner Gemma Nichols, has authored two health-focused vegan cookbooks "Where Do You Get Your Protein" and "Virtuous Vegan desserts".

4. Bettina

@bettinas_kitchen

Instagram: 136K followers - ER: 0.29%

Bettina Campolucci Bordi is a bestselling book author and plant-based chef residing in London, UK. Bettina is best known for her focus on seasonal, local, and plant-based recipes she shares on her blog Bettina’s Kitchen.

Her books have received rave reviews from the likes of The Times, The Guardian, and Metro – and her heart-warming personality paired with intriguing recipes landed her commercial slots on everything from The Food Network with Laphroaig Whisky, to recurring appearances on ITV’s James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

5. Bo’s Kitchen

@bos.kitchen

Instagram: 208K followers - ER: 0.36%

Bo is a food photographer, plant-based recipe developer and stylist from Leicester. She creates colourful vegan food on her Instagram and blog. With a passion for all things sweet, she enjoys making healthier vegan alternatives to traditional treats and eats.

Featured by the likes of Buzzfeed and Waitrose, her mission is to inspire her audience to try more plant-based recipes by creating easy-to-prepare, beautiful, vibrant vegan food that tastes delicious. She’s passionate about my food appealing to everybody, not just vegans. All eaters are welcome here.

6. Nigella Lawson

@nigellalawson

Instagram: 2.8M followers - ER: 0.28%

Famous food writer, critic and British household name who wrote such bestselling cookbooks as How to Eat. She hosted the cooking shows The Taste and Nigella Kitchen.

Nigella's official site is packed with recipes, updates, tips, advice, books, and products, as well as a host of ways for her audience and huge follower-base to join in.

7. Christy Lam

@the_lazyfoodie

Instagram: 137K followers - ER: 8.15%

London-based digital content producer Christy. She has over 5 years of experience working with a variety of consumer F&B companies, hospitality clients, and creative agencies. Her distinctive style and beautiful aesthetic give her a knack for telling captivating digital tales.

In her personal time, she loves exploring bakeries, and coffee shops around the world, and enjoying the small luxuries of life over a good cup of coffee. Christy is the creator of @the_lazyfoodie, providing the inside scoop on her favourite spots in London.

8. Felicity Spector

@felicityspector

Instagram: 108K followers - ER: 1.11%

Food writer and Great Taste Awards judge with expertise in showcasing London's top breakfast eateries. She has 26 years of experience as a national television journalist. She has served as a judge for the Great Taste Awards for the past eight years and has had the honour of meeting many amazing producers, food writers, and chefs.

Felicity writes articles and features for several publications, including the Telegraph and the Guardian, fusing her journalism with a strong interest in cuisine. Her speciality is desserts, although she lists Middle Eastern food as one of her favourites. She believes that it is crucial for restaurants to not only treat their staff well but also for the sector to collaborate to lessen environmental impact.

9. Eat N London

@eatnlondon

Instagram: 67K followers - ER: 1.91%

Not to be confused with EatInLDN, EatnLondon is a self-proclaimed ‘photographer of all things colourful’.

Duyku’s pics are crisp and capture the up-close-and-personal as well as impressive scenic shots. Mainly posting all things scrummy, her feed is also dotted with candid shots of London.

10. Shelina Permalloo

@shelinacooks

Instagram: 67K followers - ER: 2.66%

Shelina Permalloo is a TV Chef, Restaurateur and Cookery Author. She was crowned BBC’s MasterChef Champion in 2012 before launching into TV and media as well as publishing her first cookbook ‘Sunshine on a Plate’ showcasing her Mauritian heritage.

Shelina opened her first restaurant Lakaz Maman in Southampton in 2016, greeted with critical and popular acclaim as featured in The Telegraph.

11. Nadiya Hussain

@nadiyajhussain

Instagram: 867K followers - ER: 0.33%

Baker and author most well-known for winning the sixth season of The Great British Bake Off. Her success led to her appearance as a guest chef on Saturday Kitchen and as a judge on Junior Bake Off.

Nadiya is a columnist for The Times Magazine and has signed publishing deals with Penguin Random House and Hodder Children's Books. She has also served as a reporter on The One Show. Nadiya captured the hearts of the nation with her show-stopping smile and down-to-earth, home-style recipes that lift our moods and makes those around us feel good too.

12. Courtney Black

@courtneydblack

Instagram: 850K followers - ER: 0.78%

Courtney Black, a personal trainer and nutrition coach, is quickly gaining significant attention. She gained a following by posting pictures of her training regimens and the results they achieved. She is aware of what it's like to have an unhealthy connection with food and exercise because she struggled with eating disorders in her adolescence.

Between the Courtney Black app, her eponymous digital offering, live workouts and charmingly open attitude to sharing highs and lows with her followers, she's the dictionary definition of a rising star. And she's shining brighter than ever, currently boasting 850k followers on Instagram.

13. Lucy Parker

@lucy_and_lentils

Instagram: 240K followers - ER: 1.42%

Recipe developer and food photographer Lucy specialises in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. She appreciates developing recipes that are straightforward but delicious, demonstrating that you don't need to be a qualified chef to prepare a nice meal.

Since using local produce is more affordable and helps local farmers, Lucy enjoys celebrating seasonal vegetables.

14. Nina Parker

@antoninaparker

Instagram: 71K followers - ER: 0.87%

Nina Parker is a London-based chef and food writer. She currently has three cookbooks - NINA St Tropez and Capri which both pay homage to the region’s stunning scenery and salivatory cuisine, and SAUCY, a book dedicated to showcasing the easiest, punchiest, jaw-droppingly delicious sauces from across the world, as seen in The Sunday Times Style, Mail On Sunday and The Evening Standard.

After working in restaurants she is now a London private chef and counts Donatella Versace, Russell Brand and Stormzy among her clients. She has written content for publications such as Vogue and Conde Nast Traveller and creates daily recipes and restaurant recommendations on her popular Instagram @antoninaparker.

15. Benjamina Ebuehi

@bakedbybenji

Instagram: 198K followers - ER: 0.89%

After competing on the Great British Bake Off in 2016, this celebrity chef, food stylist, baker, and author gained national attention. She also started the well-known Carrot & Crumb food and baking blog. She creates cutting-edge, creative dishes for a variety of companies, including Waitrose and Heinz, using a simple, uncluttered approach.

Benjamina has worked with many businesses, including Glossier, Baileys, and Amazon. She also has expertise in teaching baking seminars and classes for press launches and private parties. Her first cookbook, "The New Way to Cake," was out in 2019 and her second, "A Good Day to Bake," came out in March of the following year. She also contributes a regular baking column to Feast, the food publication of The Guardian.

16. Jane Dunn

@janespatisserie

Instagram: 873K followers - ER: 0.82%

In 2014, food blogger and writer Jane Dunn created her blog, Jane's Patisserie, to share her fluffy cupcakes, gooey cookies, creamy no-bake cheesecakes, and celebration bakes.

Her blog was chosen by Vuelio as the best baking blog of 2020, and her recipes have appeared in Baking Heaven and Cosmopolitan.

17. Izy Hossack

@izyhossack

Instagram: 199K followers - ER: 0.72%

Chef, photographer, recipe developer and food stylist best known as the creator of the acclaimed food blog Top With Cinnamon. With a BSc in Food Science & Nutrition, Izy has been experimenting with food for years and her ‘flexitarian’ recipes range from the indulgent to the wholesome and hearty.

She is the author of the cookbooks Top With Cinnamon (2014) and The Savvy Cook (2017). Passionate about cakes, roasted vegetables and anything involving Maldon salt or maple syrup. Her clients include Jamie Oliver, Lidl UK, Vogue and M&S to name just a few.

18. Michelle Clare

@rememberingtheoldways

Instagram: 104K followers - ER: 4.37%

Michelle harks back to the good old days, showcasing her simple old-fashioned lifestyle in an English Country Cottage, finding beauty in the little things while baking and sustainably cooking for her family.

Her blog covers everything from antique and vintage things to baking, knitting, sewing, canning and preserving, and growing fruit and vegetables.

19. Jamie Oliver

@jamieoliver

Facebook: 9.9M followers - ER: 0.13%

This restaurateur, chef, cookbook author, and media personality—also known as the Naked Chef—became well-known for his efforts to promote healthier school lunches and his casual approach to cooking. As a result, he has hosted several TV shows and opened a variety of restaurants.

Jamie Oliver is a campaigning and culinary icon around the world. He has encouraged millions of people to embrace cooking from scratch and eating fresh, tasty cuisine throughout a 20-year career in television and publishing. Jamie is leading the charge on a global food revolution, aiming to improve everyone's health and happiness through food. He now has 23 bestselling cookbooks, all of which have corresponding TV shows.

20. Gino D’Acampo

@iamginodacampo

Facebook: 2.1M followers - ER: 0.23%

British-Italian celebrity chef known for his cheeky wit and exceptional talent who hosted This Morning and Gino's Italian Escape on ITV. He appeared on There's No Taste Like Home, and, in 2011, he began hosting Let's Do Lunch. He was a presenter on Saturday Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook on the BBC.

Gino started his television career at the age of 24, giving him over 21 years of experience presenting and participating in many prime-time TV shows. Gino also has two prime-time television shows in his home country for Discovery Italia.

21. Prue Leith

@prueleith

Instagram: 259K subscribers - ER: 0.83%

Famous for her time as a judge on the widely popular baking competition BBC TV series The Great British Bake Off. Prue Leith is an expert on gastronomy and one of the Country's foremost authorities on all things culinary. She is one of the UK's most renowned restaurateurs and caterers, a well-known TV cook, broadcaster, and cookery writer.

As a previous recipient of The Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year, Prue is also well renowned for her impressive business acumen. She previously served as The Daily Mail's, Sunday Express's, and The Guardian's cooking reporter. She established the renowned Michelin-starred restaurant Leith's in 1969 and the Leith's School of Food and Wine in 1975, which educates both professional and home cooks.

22. John Gregory-Smith

@johngs

Instagram: 207K followers – ER: 2.28%

John Gregory-Smith is a chef, presenter and bestselling author who specialises in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. He has written six cookbooks including Saffron in the Souks and Orange Blossom and Honey.

John is a regular presenter on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and has a recipe column in The Daily Telegraph.

23. Gizzi Erskine

@gizzieerskine

Instagram: 194K followers - ER: 0.68%

Gizzi, a chef and food writer, is a proponent and pioneer of the underground and pop-up food scenes. She is best known for hosting the Channel 4 programme Cook Yourself Thin, although she has previously fronted the television programmes Cooks To Market, Cookery School, and Drop Down Menu, as well as produced the wildly popular cookbooks Gizzi's Kitchen Magic, Skinny Weeks, and Weekend Feasts.

She writes for Grazia, InStyle, and the Sunday Times Cook, a weekly feature that appears in the Sunday Times Magazine. She established a punk identity early on in her career as a chef and media personality. She later gained fame for her 1960s-era style.

24. Charlotte Stirling-Reed

@sr_nutrition

Instagram: 327K followers – ER: 0.62%

As "The Baby & Child Nutritionist," Charlotte Stirling-Reed is the owner of the consulting firm SR Nutrition and a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition. Her goal as an accomplished dietitian is to inspire parents to feel confident in feeding their kids.

Charlotte provides nutrition counselling services to businesses, prominent figures, and the media. Her work has already been featured in numerous publications, including Mother & Baby, Harper's Bazaar, The Metro, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Women's Health, and Red. She participated for three years on the BBC programme "Food: Truth or Scare" and has appeared on all of the major radio and television stations in the UK.

25. Maddy Shaw

@madeleine_shaw_

Instagram: 265K followers – ER: 0.28%

Health and food blogger known for her recipes and food plans on her self-titled blog. Her mission is to show people how to incorporate healthy-eating principles into their varied and busy lives - so she created The Glow Space; a wellness hub to help people find their flow at home, easily and cost-effectively.

She began her career as a dietitian and home cook before receiving training to become a yoga and meditation instructor. Get the Glow, Maddy's Sunday Times best-selling book continues to serve as the foundation of her concept and brand.

26. Tommi Miers

@thomasinamiers

Instagram: 103K followers - ER: 1.82%

Thomasina is a chef, food writer, television host, businesswoman, and the co-founder and executive chef of Wahaca Restaurants. Wahaca Restaurants serves up fresh food with Mexican market inspiration, employing free-range meat and sustainable fish, as well as recycling all its food waste.

A former MasterChef winner, Tommi has presented various cookery shows on television and radio, including A Cook’s Tour of Spain, Wild Gourmets, Mexican Food Made Simple and The Kitchen Cabinet (BBC R4). She is the author of five books, her latest book is all about chillies - CHILLI NOTES, Recipes To Warm The Heart (Not Burn The Tongue). She also has a weekly column in The Guardian’s Feast magazine.

27. Anja

@hungry_anja

Instagram: 116K followers – ER: 2.12%

A dynamic, passionate, and creative food blogger with a strong background in the hospitality industry. Anja is also a recipe developer for restaurants and different clients within the food industry.

Her areas of expertise include – content creation, recipe development, digital media, social media, marketing, food photography and videography, with a strong knowledge of trends in the food industry and digital media.

28. Caught Snackin’

@caughtsnackin

TikTok: 2.2M followers – ER: 2.35%

Caught Snackin is a popular foodie account that rose to fame on the video-sharing app TikTok. The three housemates document their love and passion for all things food. Using TikTok, Caught Snackin posts cool and innovative videos to showcase their favourite dishes, along with the ingredients and methods to their followers.

From desserts to main meals, Caught Snackin have now ventured to Instagram to share arty photos and IGTVs to share step-by-step guides to inspire others to get in the kitchen, and use their imagination to cook or bake.

29. Lara Cake Anything

@lara_cakeanything

TikTok: 2.9M followers - ER: 11.68%

Pastry artist Lara Mason specialises in baking unusual and realistic cakes. If you’ve got a strange request, she’ll rise to the challenge, even if your idea involves an anatomically-correct bulldog named Dave in a captain’s uniform, or an upside-down Spider-Man hanging from his web.

Featured in This Morning, BBC Breakfast, and BBC news, Lara creates literally anything from cake and likes to shock and surprise her followers with these elaborate creations. Lara has worked with huge brands like Disney, Bud Light, Fortnite, Paddy Power, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nickelodeon, and many more. She’s also made cakes for Jason Derulo, Gillian Anderson, Holly and Phil, KSI, Paul O’Grady, Kyle Walker and so on!

30. Keir Hayden

@theinternetchef_

TikTok: 196K followers – ER: 7.35%

TikTok food influencer, Keir Hayden, known as The Internet Chef, is known for his video montage creations, cooking up a storm with some delicious, yet easy-to-prepare dishes.

Keir posts videos with a casual and light-hearted approach to cooking, with recipes accessible to all.

31. Ainsley Harriott

@ainsleyfoods

TikTok: 256K followers – ER: 9.38%

Celebrity chef, who after almost three decades as one of the country's favourite TV chefs, has become something of a national institution.

Throughout that time, he has become the master of fresh, fun, accessible cuisine. Ainsley’s own-brand food products are a familiar sight not only in the UK’s supermarkets but worldwide. Over fifteen years, the brand has gone from strength to strength. And in 2020, Ainsley was made an MBE in recognition of his services to broadcasting and the culinary arts.

32. Nigel Kabvina

@sxmplyni

TikTok: 4M followers – ER: 14.34%

TikTok star known for creating elaborate food videos. He has amassed 4 million followers on his sxmplyni account and is a brand ambassador for Nespresso.

Before his social media fame, Nigel worked as an award-winning mixologist for bars across the United Kingdom, as well as modelling.

33. Edd Kimber

@theboywhobakes

TikTok: 311K followers - ER: 12.62%

Edd Kimber was the first Great British Bake Off winner and is now a food writer and one of the UK's most popular bakers.

He’s also a chef who wrote the cookbooks Say It With Cake, The Boy Who Bakes, and Patisserie Made Simple. He was the baker on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

34. Shamsa

@officiallyshamsa

YouTube: 152K followers – ER: 4.21%

Shamsa is known for cooking up a storm for her family, as a mum of seven from the UK, she likes to share all things lifestyle, food and tips to help you in your daily life.

Shamsa is a blogger, vlogger, and enjoys sharing recipes, and shopping hauls (especially bargains) with her followers.

35. School of Wok

@SchoolOfWok

YouTube: 430K followers – ER: 4.48%

The only award-winning Asian and oriental cooking school in Europe, School of Wok, was established in 2009 by fourth-generation foodie Jeremy Pang. The school's three main objectives are to eat fantastic Asian food, teach fantastic Asian food, and have fun while doing it. The school has developed into a well-known brand with a flagship cooking school in Covent Garden, London, not far from the famed Chinatown.

They aim to spread their love of Asian cooking to the globe one recipe at a time through their epic recipe playlist, Wok Wednesdays, which can be found on their YouTube page. They may share helpful insights, tips, and methods that will make cooking fun again, whether you're a seasoned pro or a total novice.

36. Beard Meats Food

@Beardmeatsfood

YouTube: 2.3M followers – ER: 3.27%

Adam Moran, better known as BeardMeatsFood, is an English professional competitive eater and YouTuber. He competes in challenges in England and North America. In 2020, he was ranked the 15th best professional competitive eater in the world.

He has earned a huge following and number of subscribers to his YouTube channel for his extreme food challenges and reviews.

37. Ian Haste

@HastesKitchen

YouTube: 127K followers – ER: 9.15%

Professional chef and YouTube content creator who rose to fame by sharing his signature nutritious recipes for healthy living. He uses his Haste's Kitchen channel to teach his viewers how to cook with simplicity and ease.

He began his culinary journey in gastropub kitchens and studied nutrition, going on to publish a cookbook called The 7-Day Basket. Haste's Kitchen has everything you need to start cooking nutritious recipes for healthy living.

Food influencer marketing is anticipated to expand at a rate of 42% between 2019 and 2024, according to eMarketer. Social media's rising popularity, the rise of food influencers in the UK, and brands' increased desire to connect with consumers through these platforms are some of the factors that are fuelling this expansion. We can anticipate seeing more food-related content on our feeds in the upcoming years as a result.

In the UK, using top UK influencers is becoming more and more vital. According to studies, influencer marketing increased 400% in the UK between 2016 and 2021. With the highest engagement of all social networks, its integration into marketing strategies has become essential. If you're looking to take advantage of this growth, expected to continue as more businesses recognise the value of using UK food influencers to promote their brand, then it's time to work with a leading Influencer Marketing agency in the UK.

The Social Shepherd is a dedicated Influencer Marketing agency that offers talent research, management, and strategy for a wide variety of brands. We are the results-driven Social first agency that you've been looking for when it comes to finding you the best UK food influencer for your brand.

Want to see other top influencers in the UK? See from our list below:

• Top Influencers in the UK
• Top Fitness Influencers in the UK