Food & Wine
Food & Wine is a 1978-founded culinary media brand owned by People Inc., operating foodandwine.com, a print magazine, and a 12,000+ recipe database reaching 16.4M monthly readers. It monetizes via subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and brand partnerships, anchored by its Best New Chefs and Global Tastemakers franchises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Food & Wine does
Food & Wine is a culinary media brand founded in 1978, currently operating as a subsidiary of People Inc. (formerly Dotdash Meredith), a diversified American publishing conglomerate. The brand produces editorial content across food, drink, restaurants, travel, and product categories, anchored by a proprietary archive of 12,000+ chef-developed, expert-tested recipes. Distribution spans the foodandwine.com website (16.4M monthly readers), a print magazine, email newsletters, social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X/Twitter), a mobile app, the Tinfoil Swans podcast, and third-party aggregators including Apple News+.
The core product surface consists of the Food & Wine website, the print magazine, and the recipe database, extended by three proprietary franchises: the Best New Chefs annual recognition program, the Global Tastemakers culinary travel awards (now in its fourth year, voted on by 400+ industry experts), and the Food & Wine Classic live events held in Aspen and Charleston. The technology stack is a standard digital media publishing platform with a recipe database and content management system; no API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
Food & Wine generates revenue through five streams: print and digital magazine subscriptions (managed via buysub.com), display and sponsored advertising on the website, affiliate commerce on kitchen and food products, brand partnerships and sponsorships, and events. The go-to-market is content-led, leveraging the editorial authority of its franchises to attract a horizontal audience of food enthusiasts, home cooks, wine and drink enthusiasts, culinary travelers, and kitchen consumers. Key commercial partnerships include Resy (sponsored partner for Best New Chefs Restaurant Guide) and Oceania Cruises (flagship cruise/hospitality partnership via Best New Chefs alumni as ship godparents).
Food & Wine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food & Wine
- Legal name
- Food & Wine
- Website
- https://foodandwine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Food & Wine is a 1978-founded culinary media brand owned by People Inc., operating foodandwine.com, a print magazine, and a 12,000+ recipe database reaching 16.4M monthly readers. It monetizes via subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and brand partnerships, anchored by its Best New Chefs and Global Tastemakers franchises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food & Wine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Culinary Media & Publishing
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)
Keywords
Where Food & Wine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Food & Wine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscription revenue through subscription management portal at buysub.com
- Digital Advertising: Banner advertisements, sponsored content, and display advertising on foodandwine.com website reaching 16.4M monthly readers
- Affiliate Commerce: Product recommendations and affiliate links for cookware, appliances, and food products featured in editorial content
- Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: Sponsored content and brand partnerships with food, beverage, and kitchen brands aligned with editorial content
- Events: Events including Global Tastemakers awards and editorial events that create sponsorship and partnership opportunities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Magazine subscription pricing not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Food & Wine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food & Wine publishes a monthly print magazine and operates foodandwine.com, a digital media platform delivering chef-tested recipes, restaurant reviews, travel guides, drink content, and editorial features about food and beverage culture. The portfolio includes a 12,000+ recipe database, the Best New Chefs franchise, the Global Tastemakers awards, the Tinfoil Swans podcast, email newsletters, and curated product recommendation content.
Product overview
Food & Wine operates as a culinary media brand offering a multi-platform portfolio centered around food and drink culture. The core offering consists of the Food & Wine website (foodandwine.com) and Food & Wine Magazine, which deliver recipes, restaurant reviews, travel guides, drink content, and editorial features. The recipe database serves as a central pillar with over 12,000 chef-tested recipes. Brand extensions include the Best New Chefs franchise (annual talent recognition), the Global Tastemakers Awards (culinary travel awards program), and the Tinfoil Swans Podcast (editorial storytelling). Additional modules include newsletter subscriptions, sweepstakes promotions, and the What to Buy product recommendation section.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Best New Chefs: A prestigious franchise recognizing exceptional emerging culinary talent annually
- Global Tastemakers
- Food & Wine Classic
Products and services
- Food & Wine Magazine (Print) Print magazine covering culinary content, recipes, restaurant reviews, and food/drink culture, distributed to subscribers with subscription-based access managed through buysub.com.
- Food & Wine Recipe Database
Quantifiable outcome
- 16.4M monthly readers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Food & Wine
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Food & Wine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Food & Wine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Oceania CruisesflagshipFood & Wine's Best New Chefs alumni served as official godparents for the christening of Oceania Cruises' new ship, Oceania Allura. The partnership highlights the cruise line's dedication to culinary excellence, with alumni chefs officiating the November 2025 christening event in Miami and showcasing the ship's culinary features including 12 dining venues and Jacques Pépin's French restaurant.
- ResycoreResy serves as sponsored partner for the Best New Chefs Restaurant Guide, integrating restaurant reservation capabilities with Food & Wine's editorial restaurant recommendations. The partnership provides readers with easy booking access to featured restaurants.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Food & Wine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eater: Digital-first food media brand covering restaurants, dining culture, and food news — competes with Food & Wine for restaurant content and food-obsessed readers but with a digital-native model.
- Serious Eats: Award-winning digital food publication known for rigorously tested recipes and food science — competes with Food & Wine for the home-cook audience valuing recipe reliability.
- Taste of Home: Reader-focused food brand with recipes, cooking videos, and a longstanding magazine — a direct peer in the food media category with mass-market consumer reach.
- Cooking Light: Dotdash Meredith-published food magazine focused on healthier cooking, recipes, and culinary content — a sister-brand under the same People Inc. parent and a direct peer in food media.
- Wine Spectator: Leading wine-focused publication covering wine reviews, ratings, and wine culture with both print and digital editions — directly comparable to Food & Wine's wine editorial pillar (Ray Isle column).
- Epicurious: Recipe-centric food media site with a long-running recipe database, tested recipes, and cooking content — directly comparable to Food & Wine's recipe-database value proposition.
- Saveur: Food and culinary travel magazine covering world cuisines, restaurants, and food culture with a print heritage and digital edition — directly comparable editorial positioning to Food & Wine's food-plus-travel mix.
- Bon Appétit: Condé Nast-owned food and entertaining magazine with a major digital presence, recipes, and restaurant coverage — the closest direct competitor to Food & Wine across both print and digital.
- Travel + Leisure: Travel magazine with significant food and culinary-travel coverage, owned by People Inc. — overlaps with Food & Wine's Global Tastemakers travel content and shares parent-company synergies.
Broad incumbents
- Condé Nast Traveler: Premium travel publication covering hotels, restaurants, and culinary destinations globally — overlaps with Food & Wine's travel/restaurant content and competes for culinary-travel ad dollars from a wider portfolio base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Food & Wine social profiles
Digital presenceFood & Wine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food & Wine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Food & Wine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food & Wine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food & Wine
What does Food & Wine do?
Food & Wine publishes a monthly print magazine and operates foodandwine.com, a digital media platform delivering chef-tested recipes, restaurant reviews, travel guides, drink content, and editorial features about food and beverage culture. The portfolio includes a 12,000+ recipe database, the Best New Chefs franchise, the Global Tastemakers awards, the Tinfoil Swans podcast, email newsletters, and curated product recommendation content.
Is Food & Wine a public or private company?
Food & Wine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Food & Wine founded?
Food & Wine was founded in 1978. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Food & Wine based?
Food & Wine is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food & Wine make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising, affiliate Commerce, brand Partnerships & Sponsorships and events.
Who are Food & Wine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eater, Serious Eats, Taste of Home, Cooking Light, Wine Spectator, Epicurious, Saveur, Bon Appétit and Travel + Leisure. Condé Nast Traveler is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Food & Wine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food & Wine.
What industry is Food & Wine in?
Food & Wine's product category is Culinary Media & Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAF, Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAGAFAE, Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos. Its SIC code is 2721.