Ed Smith is a food writer, consultant and trained chef. He also goes by the Instagram handle @RocketAndSquash, where he treats his 70k+ followers to simple recipe ideas with wide appeal. He also writes for Borough Market’s online magazine and print mags, and is the author of The Borough Market Cookbook, which features recipes and stories from a year at the famous market. His latest cookbook Crave won the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards’ 2021 Cookery Book of the Year, and is well worth adding to your kitchen shelf.



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Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu regular Adam Byatt cut his teeth at Claridge’s and the Berkeley, before a tenure with ‘chef’s chef’ Phil Howard at The Square in Mayfair cemented his career. Trinity London, his own Clapham restaurant, came in 2006 – with a focus on British cooking and local produce, it has since earned him a Michelin star. He now heads up new restaurant Charlie’s at Brown’s Mayfair. His Insta account is the place to follow his news – alongside excellent menu highlights.



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Ben McCormack knows his stuff: he was editor of SquareMeal for decades, and is now a regular contributor for the Evening Standard and Food and Travel mag. The London-based journalist has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the 2020 Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. Dubbed a “sainted epicurean” by The Times, his Insta account is a must-follow for the inside scoop on all the latest restaurants – in London and beyond.



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Chef and restaurateur Jackson Boxer is from a family that’s serious about food: his grandmother was esteemed food writer Arabella Boxer and his dad runs much-loved Vauxhall deli Italo. He was always going to end up in hospitality and has become known as the creative mastermind behind much-loved restaurants like Brunswick House and Orasay, as well as Below Stone Nest, a dive bar in Soho he recently opened with his brother Frank (of Frank’s Café in Peckham). We love his account for sneak peeks at what he’s cooking up behind the pass on any given day, as well as impassioned shoutouts for other great restaurants and chefs across London.



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James Cochran spent nine years working for Brett Graham at the Harwood Arms and Michelin-starred The Ledbury, before striking out on his own with James Cochran EC3 and then Islington’s excellent 12:51. A double Great British Menu champ, James also has the outstanding fried chicken joint Around The Cluck and sports bar Valderramas under his belt, and regularly posts photos of his Jamaican-inspired dishes on Instagram. Whatever you do, make sure to add a jar of his Scotch Bonnet Chilli Jam to your next Sainsbury’s order.



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Lucas Oakeley is senior content editor for the phenomenally successful food media platform @Mob. Whether you’re after home-cooking hacks or fresh ideas for eating out in the capital, Lucas is the man to follow. We’re a big fan of his ‘Dinner DMs’– simply send him a direct message, tell him what food you fancy, and he’ll let you know exactly where to book a table.



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You might recognise Ben Tish from his regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch and MasterChef. Classically trained with over 20 years’ experience, Ben spent his formative years working for Michelin-starred bosses such as Jason Atherton and Stephen Terry at various ground-breaking London restaurants, before manning The Stafford and Salt Yard Group – and launching Norma. Now heading up the food at pubs such as the Coachmaker’s Arms in Marylebone and Notting Hill’s The Princess Royal (which Giles Coren gave a rave review to earlier this year), follow his account in case you ever need inspiration for elevated, Italian-tinged comfort food.



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Mark Sargeant is a chef and restaurateur from Kent. He began his career working for the Gordon Ramsay Group and launched the acclaimed Plum + Split Milk at King’s Cross Great Northern Hotel in 2016 before moving back to Kent to open The Brasserie MS in Folkestone last year. From behind-the-scenes shots of the kitchen to posts honouring locals and regulars, this is a great account to follow if you ever need any south-east coast recommendations. 

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Lewis is head chef at Crispin – an all-day restaurant, wine bar and café in Spitalfields serving low-intervention wines and seasonal sharing plates. He previously worked at The Shed and Petersham Nurseries, and uses his Insta account to showcase some of his striking plates of food. If his pics of whipped hake with wild mushrooms and crispy egg or hogget with black garlic don’t get you booking a table at Crispin asap, we’ll be surprised.



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Hit Instagram account @LondonGastroBoy is a (relatively) anonymous stream of well-curated restaurant news and recommendations. From honest at-home meal box reviews to dedicated Stories for individual restaurants, this is an excellent account to follow for thorough, beautifully photographed restaurant recs.

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