1) Epiphany carries far too many connotations of urgency and divine inspiration. Intermittent revelations better describe the magazine’s journey, with gathering flickers rather than one blinding light. But we’re still en route!
I initially felt that there were more than enough column inches written on the subject of food and wine and to attempt further comment was perhaps foolhardy. But when one looked closer, simple and direct dialogue was scarce. There appeared to be something of a drift towards entertainment and a move away from straightforward and helpful information.The available barrage of revised recipes and trite wine commentary showed little empathy with the reader, I began to find much of it quite insulting. Sounds rather arrogant I know, but I felt that people were being short-changed by many publications out there. There’s only so many Caesar salads, crème brûlées or summertime rosés you need to revisit. At the same time I began to meet some wonderful writers, many of whom were simply not getting the coverage they deserved. Social media platforms may provide a global reach, but writers, photographers and illustrators still need to pay the rent. They also deserve to have their work more anchored, less fleeting. In publishing terms, I also wanted to mix food and wine writing together, making the two more of a consummate whole rather than one being an editorial appendage of the other. But most of all I wanted to drill down beneath the label and place context at centre stage. Be it the agricultural links, economic vicissitudes or social structures that influence our ever lengthening food chain, or just the time, place and company included in the making, sourcing and sharing of food and wine.
I thought the time had arrived for a new platform, one that asked independent writers to speak from personal experience and to share their quest for authenticity in food and wine.
2) So many people make this magazine work. There is no particular hierarchy, just an incremental build across many disciplines. Writers from around the world have provided their time, their work and their support as I think they feel at home with the aims of the magazine. Alongside we have photographers, illustrators and artists who enjoy a relatively relaxed brief for inclusion – as will be seen in our first edition. Our commissioning editor has become a crucially important link in bringing together so many different specialisms. All in all I think we exercise the lightest of touches in both our editing and management style preferring to work alongside, rather than above, our contributors. We do not predetermine titles or specify content either.
We are very fortunate too that our shareholders all feel close to the subject and act as informal ambassadors as well as founding investors.
3) From the first draft of our business plan, the word demographic frequently cast a haunting shadow across my keyboard. Investors always want to know who are my prospective customers and PR advisers want to know who you’re writing for, in both cases this is quite understandable. But I have spent time at expensive Bordeaux wine tastings with elegantly dressed over fifties, pop-up hipster seminars on gastro pubs for thirty-five year olds, restaurant developments for forty-year old bohemians and cocktail events for extravagant twenty five-year olds. All of these groups would, I’m certain, find a lot of pertinent material in our magazine. And for those keen on the visual arts, they could ‘read’ our magazine through imagery alone if they wished. So although I’ve ducked the question once again, I have often thought how Steve Jobs would have answered when asked which age group and which social strata would have wanted his I-Phone. I’d like to think my answer might be the same – “everybody”- why not?
Eating and drinking are the most important things anyone must do, and selecting what to eat and drink is the most important decision we all undertake.
I see no reason why we should not strike a chord with the widest possible audience. If we don’t, then I’m not doing my job properly.
4) I have long admired a modest magazine in the USA, ‘The Art of Eating’. I think the editor Edward Behr has done a wonderful job, over a quarter of a century of writing, creating and selling the publication. Entirely funded by subscription and sold on all but one continent.
Not being from a publishing background I think I was baggage-free when I started the project, which left me to discover that there were successful magazines, such as his, that had no automatic adherence to advertising income and were far better supported by their subscribers as a direct result. I later came to realise that such a business model was eminently sound. The independent market has expanded enormously during the development of our project, with many titles continuing to eschew advertising and some beginning to outperform mainstream publishing. It also got me off the hook as to what the patronage of advertisers needed by way of a return, be it numbers, editorial or just plain product placement.
I remain convinced that our potential readership, want a publication without ‘commercial breaks’.
5) The tales we tell are universal ones, Sherry fermentation or salt production, pasta making or tuna fishing, meat butchery or tea growing, why one culture moves off in one culinary direction while another absorbs nearby influences – there are common threads that affect us all.
What we wish to share is the discovery and history of exciting wine and delicious food, wherever in the world they are found. I like to think that the magazine will provide advocacy on behalf of its readership, rather than act as a personal shopper.
6) There may well be recipes in the magazine, especially if they are integral to a written piece, but we are not a recipe orientated magazine. Other publications, as well as television and social media, do a fine job on that front. I think we would prefer to foster the idea of cooking techniques rather than recipe adherence.
7) Sounds corny, but we see the magazine as only one part of our provision. The facility for blogs, newsletters and reviews allow for an impulsive response to any given situation, whereas the quarterly magazine offers a more contemplative approach to its subject. If we can provide inspiring content through both channels, then I think we will be serving our readership community well.
8) I think regular columns would be too restrictive for In Search of Taste. Funny but another interviewer recently asked if we were going to include a food based crossword puzzle, they were clearly overestimating my skills!
What I have discovered is that fine writing and stunning imagery is constantly generated around the world. When it pops onto my desk and I am enthused, I want to share without restraint. It may be a short piece, a review, a lengthy essay or an impressive graphic, if the magazine has space, then it will be included.
The only similarly themed concept we have considered is that each issue could carry a slant towards a particular part of the world or some particularly exciting gastronomy. We are considering bundling together related subject matter for future editions, such as the present explosion of Nordic cuisine or the renaissance in North American cooking and wine making. In general though, no impressive work will ever have to slot into a pigeonhole.
9) Simple to join us, be it with a single issue or an annual subscription.
One year subscription is £56 + p & p which buys four issues; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. An online edition is due later in the year. Just go to wwww.insearchoftaste.com/subscribe