5 Best Food Influencers In Northern Ireland

Updated on: 5th May 2025

Northern Ireland is undeniably a nation of foodies. So much so that it only takes a few shares of a new cafe’s Instagram account to build hype and cause endless queues. From a PR perspective, whether you’re a new or old food establishment, there are plenty of ways to be strategic and achieve maximum impact. One fail-safe way to spread the good word of your business is through influencer marketing. Let’s list the top 5 food influencers in Belfast who have earned the love and respect of many!

Food Influencers in Belfast - An influencer holding macaroons and showing off cake in front of the camera

The Food Influencers Scene in Belfast

While it may be small, Northern Ireland is certainly not short of creative people. Food influencers are innovative, self-made pros in their chosen niche who have captured the attention of their followers through dedicated documentation of things they love on social media. Those could be creative recipes, top restaurant recommendations, or hidden gems where you can get high-quality ingredients.

Usually, with food influencers, you’ll find them posting everything from mouth-watering snaps of what the best local businesses have to offer to their at-home cookalong recipes. Therefore, almost always, there is scope for collaboration. Whether it be something simple like a freebie trade or a carefully curated campaign – your business can reach a highly targeted audience through the power of social influence.

If you’re wondering where to begin and who to choose – here are our top 5 food bloggers you should consider:

Conor Hogan – @belfastfoodblogger

Followers: 29.3K

Providing a mixture of day-to-day life, the latest offerings from local eateries and his impressive cooking skills – Conor Hogan is the ultimate food influencer in Northern Ireland. He even describes himself as “the Carrie Bradshaw of Belfast”, only his is more “Snacks in the City”.

One of the original Northern Irish food bloggers, Conor has worked with a wide range of businesses over the years. These include Mash Direct, Gander, Dairy Council Northern Ireland, Six by Nico, KP Snacks, and Boost Drinks, to name a few. He is also the current Brand Ambassador for EUROSPAR NI.

Nate Grimley – @boredoflunch

Followers: 42.1K

Despite his high follower count, Nate Grimley is relatively new to the Northern Irish food blogging scene. He set up his Bored of Lunch Instagram account in February 2020, just before lockdown hit.

Nate specialises in home-cooked recipes, including slow cooker dishes and healthy meals. With his soaring success, Nate’s past collaborations have included giveaways with big-name kitchenware brands, including Tower Housewares, Kenwood Ireland, and Smeg UK.

Marty O’Neill – @dishyouwerehere

Followers: 37.1K

Dish You Were Here is a food and travel blog well-known for its handy, homemade recipes and beautiful snapshots of life in Northern Ireland. Marty, who fronts the blog, shares his top cooking tips and recommends trips around NI and the rest of the world.

Marty has previously worked on content for brands such as Quaffola Coffee, Aer Lingus, Cyprus Avenue, The Crafty Vintner, Lough Erne Resort, Boatyard Distillery, and McDonald’s UK!

Catherine – @belfastfoodfinds

Followers: 4.5K

Catherine has been blogging since June 2019, aiming to provide a one-stop space for discovery and inspiration. On her Instagram page, she showcases her own clever cooking and baking recipes and shares the best of Belfast’s exciting and expanding food and drink scene.

In her Instagram Story highlights, Catherine provides a great mix of easy meals with step-by-step guides, from traditional dinner ideas to inventive baking combos (including her recent ‘brookie’ recipe pictured above).

Jim Moore – @onlyslaggin

Followers: 22.6K

Pegged as the ‘County Antrim BBQ Specialist’ by Belfast Live, Jim Moore is all about the grilled goods.

With an Instagram page that would make you believe it is summer all year round, Jim is passionate about cooking from scratch in the great outdoors. He has made his dinners from almost every beauty spot in Northern Ireland.

Jim’s roster of clients includes both big-names and local staples, such as Centra, Kamado Joe, Weber Grills, Meater, and Corrie’s Butchers.

But of course, we couldn’t choose just five! Here are a few more food influencers that we love:

@downthehatchni
@belfastfoodbaby
@belfastfoodgirl
@eatoutbelfast
@belfastfoodie
@belfastfoodjunkie
@belfastfooday
@twobelfastfoodies
@tablefor2belfast
@belfast_undercover_chef
@belfast_eats_ni
@eatingoutni and
@eating_ideas

Food Influencers in Belfast: How Businesses and Brands Can Benefit from Collaborating with These Food Influencers

Food businesses and brands gain a lot from partnerships with food bloggers and influencers. In today’s digital age, these content creators possess considerable power over consumer choices through their extensive reach on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and personal blogs. By showcasing your brand’s products or services in their content, they not only lend credibility but also present it in an aspirational manner to their loyal followers.

A genuine endorsement from a trusted influencer can lead to increased brand awareness, higher customer engagement, and a boost in sales. Furthermore, the visually appealing photographs, recipes, and videos they create offer you fresh, creative content that can be repurposed for your own marketing campaigns. Thus, tapping into the influencer ecosystem is a strategic move for food businesses looking to resonate with modern consumers and expand their digital footprint.

Food Influencers in Belfast: Ideas for Collaboration with Food Influencers

Collaborating with food influencers can be a dynamic way for food brands and restaurants to amplify their reach and engage with potential customers. Here are some ideas that you can put into use for such collaborations.

Exclusive Event Invitations

Restaurants can invite influencers for menu-tasting events or new menu launches. Their posts and stories from these events can create buzz and anticipation among their followers.

Recipe Development

As a food business, you can collaborate with influencers to create unique recipes using your products. This showcases the product’s versatility and provides users with fresh ways to use it.

Giveaways and Contests

You can partner with influencers to host giveaways or contests where followers can win products or dining experiences. This can quickly increase brand exposure and engagement rates.

Affiliate Partnerships

Influencers can also receive a unique code or link to share with their followers. Every time a sale uses that code/link, the influencer gets a commission. This incentivizes them to promote your brand actively.

Video Collaborations

Influencers can create video content such as unboxing, reviews, or cooking demos with your products. Videos offer dynamic content that can be engaging and shareable.

Brand Ambassadorship

Instead of a one-off collaboration, influencers can be onboarded as long-term brand ambassadors. This lends more credibility and consistency to the partnership.

Guest Blogging

If you own a blog, you can invite influencers to write guest posts. This brings the influencer’s unique voice and perspective and can attract their follower base to your website.

Behind-the-Scenes Access

As a business, you can offer influencers a behind-the-scenes look at your process, whether food preparation in a restaurant or production in a factory. This kind of transparency can build trust with consumers.