Can you be a food critic without being a chef?

Some food critics have also gone to culinary school. This gives them an advantage, since they not only know how to write but also what to criticize in their writing. That said, you don't need to have a formal education to become a food critic. Familiarize yourself with expert food critics Studying the techniques and styles of those who have already succeeded as critics is vital to ultimately finding your own voice and approach to the occupation.

Read and listen to the work of critics who review various cuisines. Some contemporary food critics include Frank Bruni, Katie Lee, Andrew Zimmern, Anthony Bourdain and Ruth Reichl. Complete an internship Look for an internship with a food critic for relevant experience and add it to your portfolio. Interns often conduct research and write stories about restaurants, nutrition, or culinary news.

Look for paid positions in print, broadcast or web media. After you gain some experience, start applying for full-time critic positions. Continue working as a freelancer to strengthen your curriculum and your visibility in the field. Over time, you may receive enough proposals to become a full-time independent food critic, a position that offers greater flexibility.

Thanks to blogs and social media applications such as Instagram, everyone has the opportunity to become an amateur restaurant critic. But professional food reviewer jobs require more than just a good appetite and a camera. You must be a good writer who can analyze food and create a compelling story about restaurant food. Remain anonymous Food critics prefer to keep a low profile so that restaurants don't recognize them and manipulate the usual quality or service of the food to their advantage.

I know a blog that focuses on food from Disney theme parks, there's a website dedicated exclusively to breakfast and brunch, there are numerous websites about quirky foods that arouse curiosity. Any note-taking should be done in a way that does not attract attention because critics traditionally keep their identity secret in order to receive impartial treatment, although that tradition is no longer observed in some publications. So while I was preparing to work as a full-time freelancer, I decided to dedicate myself to gastronomic writing as one of my specialties. Some restaurant critics get this experience by blogging about restaurants or writing independent articles about food.

Food is universal, and whatever your niche, I think you can find an intersection that includes food. When I got my next client (in a different niche), they loved what I had been writing so much that they asked me to use my experience with gastronomic writing as a different approach for their site. Introduce yourself as a critic in gastronomic publications. You'll have to gain ground as a food critic before you can get a full-time job.

You can also hone your writing skills by reading the work of other food critics to learn about their style. This means not only thinking about food magazines, food sections of newspapers, or websites about food, but also about publications from other niches. Once you have started working as a food critic, establish contacts with other critics and practice solid and ethical work to develop your career.

Lammy Heijden
Lammy Heijden

Lifelong travel fanatic. Award-winning web geek. Evil travel fan. Proud music specialist. Subtly charming tea specialist.

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