Secret Food Tours

What Secret Food Tours does

Secret Food Tours (legally Essor Ltd., registered in England and Wales, company no. 8368703) is a privately held culinary tourism operator founded in London in 2013 by Nicolas Jacquart and Oliver Mernick-Levene. The company sells guided walking food tours in 120+ cities across six continents, with a signature "Secret Dish" reveal mechanic embedded into every tour. The core product is a 2-4 hour small-group walking experience (typically capped at 10-12 guests) led by a local expert guide who visits multiple food stops while providing cultural and culinary context.

The underlying platform combines a direct-to-consumer booking website with a digital tour-management and reservation system that supports dietary accommodations, gift-card redemption across currencies, and corporate/private inquiry workflows. Supplemental products include Private Tours (customizable for groups of any size), Corporate Team Building Events (with a deposit-based payment model: 20% non-refundable deposit for groups of 10+, balance due two weeks prior), Gift Cards (GBP-denominated but globally redeemable for one year), and a content/blog layer used for SEO-driven top-of-funnel acquisition.

The business model is predominantly direct-to-consumer one-time ticket sales, supplemented by enterprise/B2B corporate events and an affiliate channel for travel professionals. Marketing is multi-channel: blog/content, social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X), email newsletter, and earned media in NYT, Forbes, BBC, WSJ, and other major outlets. The company serves three primary customer segments — individual travelers (the dominant segment), corporate/enterprise clients (logos include Google, Accenture, IKEA, LinkedIn, Facebook, Deloitte, KPMG, Marriott, Diageo, Celebrity Cruises), and private-event celebrants (bachelor/bachelorette, birthdays, anniversaries). The firm holds memberships in ETOA and ASTA, was ranked #14 on the Sunday Times 100 fastest-growing UK private companies and #18 on the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 in 2025, and in March 2026 completed its first disclosed acquisition (Ultimate Food Tours, NYC).

Name

Secret Food Tours

Legal name

Essor Ltd.

Website

https://secretfoodtours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Secret Food Tours operates a global culinary tourism platform selling guided small-group walking food tours in 120+ cities across six continents, primarily to individual travelers via DTC booking, with supplemental private tours, corporate team-building events, and globally redeemable gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Tourism Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Culinary Walking & Market Tours (THAJAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG), Street Food Tours (THAJAGAC), Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops (THAJAGAI), Private Guided Tours & Personal Tour Guides (THAJALAA)

Keywords

• Guided food tours
• Culinary tourism
• Walking food tours
• Corporate team building
• Private group tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Food Tour Bookings: Direct ticket sales for guided walking food tours ranging from 2-4 hours, available in 120+ cities globally. Individual, couple, and small group bookings through the website.
2. Private and Corporate Tours: Premium private group bookings with customizable routes, dietary accommodations, and beverage upgrades. Corporate team building events and holiday parties. Deposit-based payment model for large groups (20% non-refundable deposit).
3. Gift Cards and Vouchers: Food tour gift cards and vouchers sold in GBP that can be redeemed for tours in any city worldwide. Codes valid for 1 year from purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Secret Food Tours sells guided walking food tours lasting 2–4 hours across 120+ cities worldwide, led by local guides who take small groups (capped at 10–12 guests) through multiple food stops reflecting each area's culinary history. The core offering is supplemented by private customizable tours, corporate team building events, and gift cards redeemable globally. Every tour includes a signature surprise "Secret Dish" reveal that is only disclosed when guests arrive at the stop.

Product overview

Secret Food Tours operates as a multi-product culinary tourism platform offering guided food walking tours across 120+ cities on six continents. The core product is the standard food tour (2-4 hours, small groups of 10-12 guests) supplemented by Private Food Tours for exclusive group experiences, Corporate Team Building Events for business clients, and Gift Cards/Vouchers as a complementary offering. The company also publishes a Blog with food guides and travel content. All offerings leverage a global network of local guides and restaurant partnerships, with the Secret Dish reveal as a signature experience differentiator across all tour types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Tours Guided walking food tours lasting 2–4 hours across 120+ cities, led by local guides with deep knowledge of city food culture. Small groups (10–12 guests maximum) visit multiple food stops tasting dishes reflecting the area's culinary history. Each tour includes a signature surprise "Secret Dish" reveal only disclosed when guests arrive at the stop. Available for individual, couple, and small group booking via the website.
• Private Food Tours Customizable private tours for groups requiring specific times or exclusive experiences. No minimum or maximum guest limits, flexible scheduling, and accommodation of diverse dietary preferences. Designed for milestone celebrations, family reunions, and friend groups seeking a tailored experience.
• Corporate Team Building Events Corporate event and team building food tours designed for employee engagement, including holiday parties, team building activities, and executive retreats. Includes customizable routes, beverage upgrades, dietary accommodations, and a deposit-based payment model (20% non-refundable deposit for groups of 10+, balance due two weeks prior). Used by named enterprise clients including Google, Accenture, IKEA, LinkedIn, Facebook, Deloitte, KPMG, Marriott, Diageo, and Celebrity Cruises.
• Gift Cards & Vouchers Food tour gift cards and vouchers valid for 1 year from purchase and redeemable for any tour in any of the 120+ global cities. Sold in GBP with variable denominations and usable worldwide without currency surcharge.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nashville Food Tour ranked #1 Food & Drink Experience in the entire United States by TripAdvisor
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ultimate Food TourscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Acquired Ultimate Food Tours in New York City, combining two leading culinary tourism brands. The acquisition brings Ultimate Food Tours' established reputation and local restaurant partnerships into Secret Food Tours' global network of over 100 destinations. Ultimate Food Tours had operated five food tours and four cooking classes.
• ETOA (European Tourism Association)minorOthersProud member of ETOA, the European Tourism Association, indicating membership in a major industry body representing European tourism operators.
• ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors)minorOthersProud member of ASTA, the American Society of Travel Advisors, indicating professional association membership in the US travel industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eating Europe: Specialist food tour operator with multiple European cities; directly competes with Secret Food Tours on guided culinary walking tours, small-group formats, and the same experiential traveler segment.
• Context Travel: Small-group, expert-led cultural and culinary walking tours across global cities; directly comparable on tour format, target customer (discerning travelers), and city-by-city expert guide model.
• Withlocals: Marketplace for local-led private tours and food experiences in 40+ cities; competes with Secret Food Tours for the same experiential traveler booking, particularly in private and customizable tours.
• Tours by Locals: Private tour guide platform offering city and food tours with vetted local guides; overlaps with Secret Food Tours on private group bookings and corporate/private client use cases.
• Walks & Devour Tours: Specialist food walking tour operator across multiple European and US cities (WALKS operates Devour Tours); directly comparable small-group, multi-stop culinary tour format in overlapping destinations.
• Strawberry Tours: Free and tip-based walking tour operator active in multiple European cities; adjacent competitor on guided walking tour demand, including some culinary-focused itineraries.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Large global tours and activities OTA aggregating food tours (including Secret Food Tours' own inventory); a major distribution channel and the most consequential broad incumbent competing for the same end-customer booking.
• Viator: Tripadvisor-owned tours and activities marketplace listing Secret Food Tours among many operators; competes for the same food tour bookings at scale and shapes the discoverability of food tour inventory.
• Airbnb Experiences: Online experiences and in-person food experiences hosted on Airbnb's platform; a broad incumbent with massive marketing reach competing for the same experiential traveler food-tour wallet.

Emerging players

• Free Tours by Foot: Tip-based walking and food tours across many US and European cities; competes in the discovery layer of the same traveler segment with a lower price-point format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/secretfoodtours
• Facebookfacebook.com/secretfoodtours
• Instagraminstagram.com/secretfoodtours
• TikToktiktok.com/@secretfoodtoursofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secret-food-tours

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Secret Food Tours