When it comes to visual storytelling and mouthwatering content, food influencers on Instagram lead the way. With vibrant food photography, engaging recipe videos, and trusted restaurant recommendations, these creators have become essential partners for brands looking to connect with highly engaged, food-loving audiences.
As influencer marketing continues to grow, food influencers play a key role in shaping consumer preferences and driving brand visibility. For businesses in the food, beverage, hospitality, or kitchenware industries, partnering with the right influencer can turn a single post into serious ROI. In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the top food influencers on Instagram and how brands can collaborate with them to build impactful, long-lasting partnerships.
3 Powerful Benefits of Collaborating With Food Influencers for Brands
Partnering with food influencers on Instagram offers far more than beautiful visuals; it’s a strategic move that delivers measurable results. Here are three key benefits for brands looking to grow through influencer collaborations:
1. Enhanced Brand Visibility
Food influencers often have large, loyal followings that span across local and international markets. A single tagged post, story, or reel can introduce your product to thousands, or even millions, of potential customers. This increased exposure helps boost brand awareness, especially for new product launches or when entering competitive markets.
2. Credibility and Trust
Influencer endorsements feel more personal and authentic than traditional ads. When a trusted food influencer shares a genuine review or recommendation, it carries weight. Their followers view them as tastemakers, so their approval builds credibility and drives consumer confidence in your brand.
3. Targeted Marketing
One of the biggest advantages of working with food influencers is their niche audience. Whether your brand targets vegan eaters, gourmet foodies, or busy parents looking for quick meals, there’s an influencer whose content aligns perfectly. This allows you to reach highly specific demographics and ensure your message resonates with the right audience.
Top 20 Food Influencers on Instagram for Brand Partnerships
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If you’re looking to partner with creators who blend culinary passion with proven marketing impact, these food influencers on Instagram are leading the way. Each has worked with notable brands, built a loyal following, and understands how to deliver content that converts. Here’s a curated list of high-performing food influencers ideal for collaborations:
1. Carleigh Bodrug
Account: @plantyou
Followers: 5.3M
Engagement Rate: 0.50%
About influencer: A leader in plant-based content, Carleigh is known for her meal prep ideas and educational food reels. She’s collaborated with brands like Vitamix and Thrive Market, and her audience leans heavily toward health-conscious millennials and Gen Z.
2. Yumna | Feel Good Foodie
Account: @feelgoodfoodie
Followers: 4.7M
Engagement Rate: 0.70%
About influencer: Yumna shares approachable, healthy recipes and has built trust through consistent content. Her brand partners include Meijer, Stonyfield, and Bob’s Red Mill, with strong engagement from North American home cooks.
3. The Pasta Queen
Account: @the_pastaqueen
Followers: 5.1M
Engagement Rate: 1.55%
About influencer: With a blend of charisma and authentic Italian recipes, The Pasta Queen has become a global sensation. Her dramatic storytelling and high-quality video content make her a go-to for pasta brands and luxury kitchenware companies.
4. Derek Wolf
Account: @overthefirecooking
Followers: 3.4M
Engagement Rate: 0.91%
About influencer: Specializing in open-flame cooking, Derek attracts a primarily male audience interested in grilling and outdoor lifestyle. He’s partnered with brands like Traeger Grills, Cowboy Charcoal, and Yeti.
5. Shivesh Bhatia
Account: @shivesh17
Followers: 3.2M
Engagement Rate: 3.28%
About influencer: A self-taught baker and cookbook author, Shivesh creates stunning desserts and photographs. He’s worked with KitchenAid and Hershey’s India, with a strong Gen Z and millennial following in South Asia.
6. Kenny Song
Account: @kennylsong
Followers: 2.8M
Engagement Rate: 8.09%
About influencer: Kenny’s niche is high-end food presentation and luxury dining experiences. His aesthetic and collaborations with Michelin-starred restaurants make him ideal for upscale hospitality brands.
7. Hajar Larbah
Account: @moribyan
Followers: 2.5M
Engagement Rate: 1.49%
About influencer: Hajar shares vibrant, culturally rich recipes and is known for her modern twists on traditional meals. She works with CPG brands and grocery chains targeting multicultural audiences.
8. Lexi Harrison & Beth Sinclair
Account: @crowded_kitchen
Followers: 2M
Engagement Rate: 0.68%
About influencer: This duo focuses on plant-based recipes and food styling. Their content appeals to eco-conscious audiences and has attracted partnerships with Whole Foods, So Delicious, and Earthbound Farm.
9. Chef Reactions
Account: @chefreactions
Followers: 1.9M
Engagement Rate: 1.64%
About influencer: A professional chef rating viral recipes with humor and precision, he partners with culinary brands and cookware companies for product demos and critiques.
10. Carolina Gelen
Account: @carolinagelen
Followers: 1.4M
Engagement Rate: 4.35%
About influencer: Carolina blends rustic, Eastern European flavors with modern content formats. Her engaging videos and witty voiceovers make her popular among younger home cooks and recipe box services.
11. Jonathan Cheban
Account: @foodgod
Followers: 3.7M
Engagement Rate: 0.70%
About influencer: Celebrity-backed and always over-the-top, Foodgod specializes in extravagant eats. His wide reach and luxury appeal make him a strong choice for upscale or viral-oriented food brands.
12. Eloise Head
Account: @fitwaffle
Followers: 1.8M
Engagement Rate: 2.38%
About influencer: Eloise is known for her easy-to-follow dessert videos that rack up millions of views. She partners with baking brands, chocolate companies, and kitchen tools.
13. Magrí Alberto
Account: @pastrychef_am
Followers: 6.7M
Engagement Rate: 8.95%
About influencer: A world-renowned pastry chef, Alberto shares intricate desserts and professional baking tips. Ideal for premium culinary products and hospitality collaborations.
14. Gloria Jang
Account: @glorioustable
Followers: 1.6M
Engagement Rate: 1.80%
About influencer: Gloria creates highly aesthetic Korean-inspired dishes with a minimalist style. Brands working with her benefit from a clean, modern food aesthetic and a loyal East Asian and U.S. audience.
15. Notorious Foodie
Account: @notorious_foodie
Followers: 4.2M
Engagement Rate: 1.39%
About influencer: With bold visuals and street food appeal, this account thrives on food exploration and high-contrast video reels. Great for urban food brands and experiential marketing.
16. Cristiana Magnani
Account: @9vaga_food9
Followers: 981K
Engagement Rate: 0.14%
About influencer: Cristiana combines Italian home cooking with relatable, rustic charm. Her niche audience loves traditional recipes and cooking gear for everyday use.
17. Simha Lily
Account: @simhalily
Followers: 1.1M
Engagement Rate: 6.04%
About influencer: Known for vibrant, plant-forward meals and holistic lifestyle content, Simha collaborates with wellness-focused food brands and eco-friendly companies.
18. Tieghan Gerard
Account: @halfbakedharvest
Followers: 5.5M
Engagement Rate: 0.29%
About influencer: One of the most influential U.S.-based food bloggers, Tieghan shares wholesome recipes with stunning photography. She has long-standing brand partnerships with Crate & Barrel, Walmart, and Target.
19. Ree Drummond
Account: @thepioneerwoman
Followers: 4.3M
Engagement Rate: 0.45%
About influencer: A household name and TV personality, Ree offers wide appeal for family-focused and traditional food brands. She frequently collaborates with major retail and kitchenware companies.
20. Rena | Healthy Fitness Meals
Account: @healthyfitnessmeals
Followers: 3.6M
Engagement Rate: 0.13%
About influencer: Focused on clean eating and meal prep, Rena shares fast, healthy recipes that cater to fitness enthusiasts. She’s a go-to partner for protein brands, meal kits, and health products.
How to Identify the Right Food Influencers on Instagram
Finding the right partner is crucial to the success of any influencer campaign, especially in the highly visual and competitive food niche. Here’s how brands can ensure they’re collaborating with food influencers who align with their goals and deliver real value.
Criteria for Selection
- Engagement rate: Don’t just look at follower count. A smaller influencer with high engagement often delivers better ROI than a macro-influencer with passive followers. Aim for accounts with consistent likes, comments, and story views.
- Content quality: Review the influencer’s feed for aesthetic consistency, video editing skills, and storytelling. High-quality content is more likely to perform well and be reshared by followers and brands alike.
- Audience demographics: Use analytics tools to check follower locations, age ranges, and interests. If you’re targeting health-conscious millennials in the U.S., partnering with a vegan recipe creator in that region is far more effective than a general foodie abroad.
- Brand alignment: Look beyond numbers and evaluate tone, values, and past brand partnerships. Influencers who already share similar products or messages will integrate your brand more authentically.
Tools and Platforms for Discovery
Identifying the right influencer doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Here are a few platforms that streamline the process:
- Hypefy – An AI-powered influencer marketing platform that helps brands find, vet, and collaborate with food influencers across Instagram and TikTok. It offers insights into engagement rates, demographics, niche relevance, and campaign performance tracking, all in one place.
- HypeAuditor – Great for checking fake followers, engagement stats, and audience quality.
- Upfluence and CreatorIQ – Advanced solutions for large-scale influencer management, ideal for agencies or enterprise-level campaigns.
- Manual Search + Instagram Creator Tools – Still a good option for smaller brands or niche campaigns, especially when looking for micro-influencers with hyper-local audiences.
By using the right tools and applying a thoughtful selection process, brands can find food influencers on Instagram that not only reflect their values but also drive measurable results.
How Hypefy Simplifies This Process
- 1-Click Audits: See engagement rates, audience overlap, and past collabs
- Automated Outreach: Templates with open rates 3x higher than manual DMs
- Performance Tracking: Real-time sales attribution (not just likes)
Key Features:
- AI Matching: Finds influencers by cuisine type (vegan, keto, etc.)
- Fake Follower Detection: Flags accounts with <85% real audience
- Performance Predictor: Forecasts campaign ROI before contact
Final Thought:
The best food influencer campaigns don’t just boost short-term sales, they build lasting trust with a loyal audience. Whether you’re a meal kit startup or a global food brand, the right influencer strategy can turn scrollers into customers.
Ready to get started? Try Hypefy’s influencer matching today; your next viral food campaign is waiting.
