Education, Connection, and Resources for Food Writers by Food Writers
Welcome! If you’re a food writer who wants to build a sustainable business, grow your audience, and connect with other, like-minded food writers, you’re in the right place.
Hello. I’m Rebecca Blackwell a food writer with two recipe websites and a Substack newsletter. I started this group in January of 2025, and The Food Writers Business Lab in May of 2026 as a way to link arms with fellow food writers and deepen the community of support.
Information is everywhere. Collaboration is rare.
There is no shortage of information about food writing and growing a business. What is much harder to find is a group of experienced people who are willing to share what they’ve learned, offer thoughtful feedback, celebrate your wins, and help you solve the problems that are baked into building a creative business.
That’s what this group is about.
“If you are a food writer on Substack, this is the place you want to be! Not just for knowledge and information, but also for encouragement and support. “
Here’s how to get involved:
Monthly Mastermind Meetings: Join fellow food writers every month for a free 90-minute mastermind meeting held over zoom. Meetings are free to attend, but registration is required. Here’s where you’ll find information about this month’s meeting.
Recordings from previous meetings. All of the free mastermind meetings are recorded so if you can’t join us live, you can watch the replay later. Here’s where you’ll find all the meeting recordings.
The Food Writers Business Lab (Paid Members). Hands-on workshops taught by experienced food writers covering food photography, cookbook proposals, organizational strategies, platform building, SEO, products, cooking classes, and more.
Business Strategy Meetings (Paid Members). A once a month mastermind meeting for paid members who are focused on building a sustainable business as a food writer
The Food Readers Book Club! A fun opportunity to connect with other food writers over books!
A quick note about recommendations
One of the ways Substack encourages cross-promotion is through Recommendations: The “also subscribe to…” prompts that appear when you first subscribe to a publication or upgrade to a paid subscription. These prompts are built into the platform and cannot be disabled by publication owners.
The recommendations for Mastermind For Food Writers are made up of rotating groups of 4 or 5 paid subscribers. Each month, I update the list with a new group of publications, giving different members the opportunity to be featured. It’s one small way I can say thank you to those of you who support this community with an annual subscription.
The goal of Mastermind for Food Writers and The Food Writers Business Lab isn’t simply to learn more. It’s to build a better business alongside people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.
"I am thrilled to finally be able to support Rebecca and all she does for the food writing community. I absolutely cannot wait to see what the future holds for her and those that she pours her knowledge into." - Kalee Tilli - Table Root Farm
Questions?
Send a direct message to Rebecca Blackwell, or leave a comment on this post.
About your meeting hosts
Rebecca Blackwell is a writer, recipe developer and food photographer who publishes two recipe websites and a Substack newsletter. Her and her husband are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. Rebecca write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.
Liza Debevec is a social anthropologist, African studies specialist, and coach. She writes two Substack publications that bring together her love of stories, food, languages, and personal growth. Originally from Slovenia, Liza now lives in Lisbon, Portugal, after many years in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and other corners of the world. Her work is inspired by the ways people connect through meals, words, and meaningful conversations.
The Food Writers Business Lab
The Food Writers Business Lab is an online community for food writers who want practical, affordable guidance for growing their businesses, expanding their audience, and building sustainable careers.
Here you’ll find classes and workshops taught by experienced food writers who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of this industry. It’s education for food writers taught by food writers.
How the Food Writers Business Lab Works
The idea is simple: practical, hands-on workshops, taught by fellow food writers, designed to help you make meaningful progress in your business.
Throughout the year, experienced food writers lead workshops on topics like SEO, food photography, cookbook publishing, platform building, creative recipe writing, video, organizational strategies, creating digital products, and other skills essential to building a sustainable food writing business.
