The Dave Chang Show Modern Food Media With Ruby Tandoh
Oct 30, 2025
In a lively discussion, Ruby Tandoh, bestselling food writer and former Great British Bake Off contestant, explores the evolution of food criticism in the age of social media. She shares insights on the roles of influencer-critics like Keith Lee versus traditional critics, and the challenges of reliability in democratized reviews. Ruby also discusses how algorithms shape trends, the resilience of narrative cookbooks, and her ambivalence towards the recipe economy. Plus, she humorously envisions a more comfortable dining experience.
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Food Media As An Ideas Economy
- Ruby Tandoh shifted from recipe creation to interrogating food media as an information and ideas economy.
- She views food media as worthy of critique beyond producing more recipes.
Who Critics Are Loyal To Matters
- Critics' loyalties shape their role: to consumers, newspapers, or restaurants.
- Ruby highlights critics like Keith Lee who align their accountability with restaurants, altering influence.
Elite Backgrounds Narrow Critic Reach
- Traditional critics often come from elite educational backgrounds and miss broad audiences.
- That gap fuels the rise of grassroots critics who resonate more with everyday diners.
