Food Writing Jobs: 30 Websites and Magazines That Pay Writers

For some, finding a lucrative food writing job could be considered a dream come true. Everyone eats. Not a day goes by when we don’t think about food at least once. So, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that food writing is one of the best niches for freelance writers.

If you’ve ever wanted to become a food writer or already are one, keep reading!

We’ve searched far and wide to locate freelance food writing jobs. Here are 30 of the best publications that pay writers for food-related content.

1. Bon Appetit

This is a very well-known monthly food and hosting magazine. Bon Appetit features recipes, entertaining ideas, restaurant recommendations, and food and beverage reviews. It generally uses in-house writers for recipes and cooking tips but is open to pitches from freelancers for opinion pieces, trendy stories, features, and personal essays.

Writers are paid around $250 for stories that are 300–500 words. Here are the general pitch guidelines.

2. Basically

This serves as Bon Appetit’s blog, dedicated just to cooking. Basically is for people who love food but don’t know how to cook, and it strives to help people feel more confident in the kitchen.

While the pay structure and pitch guidelines are the same as for Bon Appetit, if you’re looking for freelance food writing jobs specifically about cooking, it might be better to try the Basically blog over the larger Bon Appetit publication.

3. BBC Travel

BBC Travel’s food section contains the latest news coverage of food and drinks from around the world. It’s always looking for freelance food writers.

The pay is $0.50/word for feature articles of 800–2000 words. The guidelines are quite detailed and helpful, so make sure to read the author brief carefully.

4. Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan is another very popular publication. While it may have started as a print magazine for women about fashion, celebrity news, and relationship advice, it has branched out and has a thriving food and drinks section.

The pay offered can range from $0.25–$2/word or $100 for online-only articles. While getting this magazine to publish your writing can be difficult, it’s worth a try – it would be a great addition to your writing portfolio. To make a pitch, you must email one of the editors directly. Luckily, another freelance writer wrote a very enlightening article about how they convinced Cosmo to publish their blog post.

5. Bustle

Bustle is an American online magazine for young women. It features news and political stories alongside articles about beauty, celebrities, fashion trends, and food. Bustle is often on the lookout for first-person stories and essays about food, drinks, and dietary choices.

The pay is $0.25/word, and here is how to pitch for them.

6. Esquire

For the more masculine readers and writers, you may be surprised to know that Esquire also provides food writing opportunities. It often publishes stories about food and drinks.

Esquire pays $0.15/word for online articles. It doesn’t have set guidelines for submissions, so you need to look at the About Us page and contact the editor with your pitch.

7. Reader’s Digest

Almost everyone has heard of this general-interest family magazine. Along with inspiring stories, outrageous jokes, and insightful advice, Reader’s Digest also features lots of articles about food and drinks.

Up to $1/word is paid for print articles. If you want to pitch to Reader’s Digest, check out Submissions on its Contact page.

8. The Spruce Eats

Whether you’re writing about a holiday feast or just some great ideas for dinner, The Spruce Eats has plenty of food writing opportunities. While known mainly for its vast selection of recipes, it has been trying to diversify what is published and is looking for stories about food trends, cookbook authors, ingredient profiles, and anything else about how people eat and cook.

While it does have a dedicated writing team, it has been known to pay $225 for the right story idea. You just need to contact the right staff member directly to make your pitch. Here is its About Us page with a complete list of editors, the diversity pledge, and the editorial guidelines.

9. Buzzfeed

This is an American internet, entertainment, and news company with a focus on digital media. Buzzfeed covers everything that the most diverse, most online, and most socially engaged generation in the world would want to know about. If you’re looking for food writing opportunities, check out the Lifestyle section.

The pay is $0.25/word for 1200–1500-word articles. Here’s its how-to-pitch guide.

10. Eater

Eater is a food blog and magazine that considers itself the authority on dining and food. It regularly keeps an eye out for freelance writers who can provide first-person essays, food travel stories, and feature articles from all over the world.

Pay is around $0.31/word for articles ranging from 1000–4000 words. Here’s all the information on how to pitch them stories.

11. Chickpea Magazine

For vegan writers, or those who like to write about vegan food, Chickpea Magazine is an independent, anti-consumerist, lifestyle guide that promotes integrity and transparency. It emphasizes diverse contributors, which makes it a great place to find food writing opportunities.

For the right story, it’ll pay around $0.10/word. Here’s how you can craft the perfect pitch.

12. Cheese

If the vegan lifestyle isn’t for you, it’s not hard to guess what this publication is all about. Playfully called the magazine of culture, the Cheese Magazine includes content ranging from thought-provoking essays to personal histories. If an article is well-researched, fun, personal, and about cheese, this magazine will likely be interested.

It pays around $95 for articles of 750–2000 words and you need to send your pitches via email.

13. Cheese Connoisseur

Cheese is nutritious and delicious and has a long history of being eaten and produced. Therefore, plenty of freelance food writing jobs can be found just writing about cheese. The Cheese Connoisseur magazine provides its readers with information about specialty cheeses, celebrity cheesemakers, chefs, wines, and complementary foods and beverages.

It pays $0.30/word, but it doesn’t have any writer or submission guidelines. Check out the About Us page and then contact them to make your pitch.

14. Good Beer Hunting

For those who like a sudsy drink with their meal, Good Beer Hunting writes about and partners with various breweries in order to try and be a critical, creative, and curious voice in the world of beer. It looks for a range of content with a friendly tone.

The pay can be anywhere from $100–$700. For a complete list of rates and what it’s looking for, check out its style guide.

15. Beer Kulture

Beer Kulture is a nonprofit publication with the goal of changing the world one beer at a time. It strives to create opportunities that encourage diversity and inclusion in the industry of craft beverages.

It’s specifically looking for Black/African American, Hispanic, Latino, Native North American, Pacific Islander, or other BIPOC writers to help develop its blog. You can work as an intern for three months, write six feature posts, and get paid $1000. Here are all the details on how to pitch. 

16. Wine Enthusiast Magazine

If your preference is for a fruitier mealtime beverage, the Wine Enthusiast features wine ratings, pairing information, reviews, events, recipe ideas, and much more.

Its digital rate starts at $0.50/word, and here’s how to pitch a story.

17. Difford’s Guide

One last entry for alcoholic beverages. Difford’s Guide is said to be the world’s best and biggest guide to cocktails, spirits and liqueurs.

It pays $0.29/word. Look for the editorial section on the Contact page to find out where to send your pitch ideas.

18. The Bump

Now that we’re finished talking about alcohol, we can look at food writing opportunities that also consider expectant parents. The Bump is an online and print magazine dedicated to how-to articles on pregnancy and parenting, and food is an important topic.

It can pay experienced freelance writers $0.50–$1.00/word. Look at the Editorial Inquiries section on the About Us page to find out who to pitch your story to.

19. Modern Farmer

Modern Farmer is an American nonprofit magazine dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring action at the intersection of food, agriculture, and society. Its goal is to drive positive change and create more equitable and sustainable food systems in North America.

Because its subject matter is quite specialized, it pays writers based on story format and complexity with a base rate starting at $350 for an article. Here are all its submission requirements.

20. Civil Eats

Civil Eats is another American nonprofit food news resource. It likes to publish stories that critically examine sustainable agriculture to build economically and socially just communities. It’s especially interested in content that focuses on climate, policy, race, meals at schools, and science.

It generally pays $400–$500 for an article depending on content and length. Be sure to check out the FAQ for Contributors page.

21. Chicago Caregiving

Chicago Health: Caregiving Magazine is specifically for senior citizens and the people who take care of them. So, healthy lifestyles and diets are important topics. Since this publication is based out of Chicago, it helps to mention some local experts, places, or events as much as possible.

The pay is $0.50/word or $150 for an online article. Check out the Contact page to find out where to send editorial pitches and story submissions.

22. Colorado Health and Wellness

This free online magazine’s publisher is also a marketing agency that helps local doctors and businesses create content for their own websites. Colorado Health and Wellness features lots of articles about healthy food and drinks.

It pays $0.60–0.70/word. Use its About page to find the right person to pitch your story ideas to.

23. Chatelaine

Moving north of the United States, Chatelaine claims to be Canada’s biggest and best women’s magazine. It often looks for articles on health, wellness, and food. Just make sure you have checked all your facts before submission.

It can pay $1/word. Just be sure to read all of the writer’s guidelines.

24. British Columbia Magazine

British Columbia Magazine and its website often hire freelancers. As the name suggests, it’s focused on the scenic western province of Canada and is interested in stories about the people, places, and food there. It’ll even give assignments to writers it has worked with before.

The pay is $0.50/word for stories of 500–1300 words. Here are all the writers’ guidelines.

25. Extra Crispy

Whether or not you believe it’s the most important meal of the day, most won’t deny it’s the first. Extra Crispy is a blog about breakfast and morning food.

It pays around $0.50/word and here’s how to pitch.

26. Food Beast

FOODBEAST isn’t interested in recipes or how-to articles. It wants stories about big food brands, new products, and developments in the food industry.

It pays new writers $0.10/word and you need to use the Contact Us page to send in your pitch.

27. Backwoods Home Magazine

This quarterly homesteading magazine contains seasonal articles on food preservation, cooking, gardening, and recipes. Backwoods Home Magazine calls itself a country and self-reliance-oriented how-to magazine.

Payment ranges from $40 to $200 per article, and here are its writers’ guidelines.

28. Eat Your World

As the name suggests, Eat Your World combines two popular blog topics: food and travel. It aims to guide people to the best local foods and drinks around the globe via curated destination guides.

For shorter blog posts, it pays $75–$125. For the destination guides, the rate goes up to $350–$500. Here is all the information on how to write for them.

29. Food First

Food First, also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is a nonprofit organization with the mission to end the injustices that cause hunger. So, any writing topics that touch on this theme are suitable for pitching.

It has been known to pay $300 for certain types of articles. At the time of writing, it is restructuring, but keep checking back to find out how to join the writing team.

30. Gastro Obscura

You won’t find restaurant reviews or chef interviews on Gastro Obscura. It serves as more of a database for unusual foods, drinks, and dining locations. It also wants articles to include a compelling story.

Typically pay is $0.50/word. Read through this Google Doc to find out how to pitch.

Becoming A Freelance Writer

If any of these amazing freelance food writing jobs sounds interesting, come up with a great pitch and contact them right away!

But, if you feel you may lack some of the skills required to be an amazing food writer, don’t worry. We have a course that can teach you everything.

Becoming A Freelance Writer will show you how to research, outline, write, and redraft compelling blog posts and articles. Plus, achieve 80% or more in the final assignment and you’ll have the opportunity to build your portfolio by writing three pieces of content for our blog.

You can even try some lessons for free right now.