15/05/2026
Also! There’s a bit of a hit piece about food influencers circulating. I’ll spare you / myself 5k words on the topic but know this: in our experience they’re not grifters. They’re not leeches. They’re not a coercive, conniving cabal unleashing a sophisticated psyops campaign on an unwitting populace.
Over the years nearly everyone mentioned in the piece has promoted us—and they never once angled for free stuff or strong-armed us into compliance. They’ve made excellent videos, taken great photos, and said some really flattering stuff, completely free of charge. We still use their the photos, videos, posts, and quotes and they’ve never asked for a dime.
I know, if you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product right? Yeah maybe! But also no, not really! Contrary to what headlines and algorithms portend, not everything is a zero sum game, not everything is transactional; some things in the world are symbiotic, some gestures are even altruistic (GASP).
Maybe that’s the defining line of being part of a community versus exploiting one.
The point is, any of the Bristol food influencers we’ve come across have been genuinely kind, supportive people.
It’s valid to hate the idea the real world is becoming the virtual world’s sidecar. Social media bears a lot of responsibility for why our social and political systems are so damn toxic, why our attention span is a blip, and how we’re entertaining ourselves into a population of Beavis & Buttheads. But I dont think we should conflate the playas with the game.
