Tabitha Lorck, 24, is a solicitor based in Auckland. By day, she deals with clients and contracts; in the evening, she enjoys dinners out with friends. So far, so normal.
But Tabitha has a second life: she’s an Instagram food influencer (@fattab). When she dines out, which she does at least once a day, she photographs the meal carefully and writes a short review. Then she posts it for her 9,000 Instagram followers – who like, comment, repost and, as often as not, visit the restaurant themselves.
Food influencers like Tabitha have popped up en masse in recent years. You’ve probably heard of Albert Cho, the foul-mouthed superstar behind @eatlitfood, whose 65,000 Instagram followers hang on his every word. Herne Bay’s Bacio café told me that when Albert favourably reviewed their jam and cream doughnuts, they were “absolutely flooded” with orders.
But New Zealand’s food scene is being shaped by legions more, from Instagram’s @capitaleats_, a popular Wellington restaurant review account, to Tik Tok’s @natpicking, who offers dad jokes, guitar duets and pie reviews.
To choose their next dinner spot, more and more people are turning to food influencers – that is, ordinary people who post about their meals on social media for a massive audience. But what does this change mean for the restaurant industry?
For Oliver Simon, co-owner
