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The creator economy is booming, with brands allocating larger budgets to digital influencers than ever before. While Bollywood celebrities, athletes, and lifestyle influencers have long had established management systems, food creators—chefs, home cooks, and culinary influencers—were left to navigate the space on their own. Despite the increasing demand for food content, there was little formal structure guiding how these creators built their brands, negotiated partnerships, or scaled their businesses. Rashmi Raisinghani saw this gap and turned it into an opportunity.
As the Founder of Bridge The Gap Works, Raisinghani, along with Co-founder Aditya Barkataky, has attempted to professionalize talent management for food creators. Her agency works with chefs and culinary influencers to help them establish long-term brand collaborations, structure their content strategies, and navigate the evolving landscape of influencer marketing. Unlike conventional talent management in entertainment, food creator management involves unique challenges—integrating brand messaging into authentic cooking content, managing production logistics, and ensuring creators maintain creative independence while meeting commercial demands.
What makes food creators distinct from other influencers? How do brands leverage their credibility in an industry where authenticity is key? And what are the biggest challenges facing this growing segment of the creator economy? In this interview, Raisinghani breaks down the business of food creators, the shifts in brand partnerships, and why brands need to rethink how they engage with culinary talent.
As food creators move beyond traditional recipe videos into storytelling, lifestyle branding, and product innovation, the industry is evolving rapidly. Raisinghani offers insights into where the market is headed, how platforms are shaping the opportunities available, and why the future of food content is about more than just what’s on the plate.
Edited excerpts:
Rashmi, can you walk us through the journey of starting your agency? What inspired you to dive into the field of talent management? What were the major initial milestones?
My agency focuses on talent management, but my journey into this space began with jobs at agencies like Percept and Krossover Entertainment, now known as Collective. My last job was in talent management. Initially, I started in PR, but my career transitioned to talent management across four jobs.
Interestingly, starting the agency wasn’t the original plan. In 2015–2016, I intended to open a food takeaway business, inspired by the rise of cloud kitchens. However, lacking experience in the food industry and coming from a Bollywood background, I realised I needed to figure out the space better. That’s when I met Chef Ranveer Brar. I had worked with him on a few projects at my last job, and he recognised my potential in management rather than directly entering the F&B business.
At that time, there were no specialised agencies for food personalities, unlike Bollywood, sports, or web creators. I saw this gap as an opportunity to structure this niche, and that’s how the agency started.
What drew you specifically to work with food creators and chefs as a focus for your agency? How does managing food creators differ from working with talent in other industries?
Firstly, I’m an absolute foodie! But beyond that, when starting a business, you need to solve a problem. The problem here was the lack of structure and fundamentals for managing food personalities. For Bollywood actors or TV stars, there was a defined system—styling, hair, makeup, security—but with food creators, the discussions involved sous chefs, kitchen setups, equipment, and ingredients.
This required a new framework, and learning how to build that was a significant milestone. Having a celebrated chef like Ranveer Brar involved early on helped establish strong foundations.
How does managing food creators differ from working with more conventional talents?
Managing food creators is more direct and honest because the stakes and commercial factors are lower compared to Bollywood celebrities, where multiple stakeholders and hierarchies complicate communication.
Additionally, the food creator space was not established, which gave us freedom and room to innovate. In contrast, Bollywood talent management is already a saturated, well-defined industry. Here, we could carve a new path.
Your agency has carved a niche in managing food creators and chefs. Was this driven by personal passion, a market opportunity, or something else?
Personal passion was definitely a factor, but I also saw a clear gap in the market. Unlike Bollywood actors, who’ve had established agencies since the 1980s, there was no vertical for food creators. It was an uncharted territory with potential for growth.
When I started, only a handful of chefs—like Sanjeev Kapoor and Vikas Khanna—were being approached commercially. Seeing the limited representation, I realised that by creating opportunities for more chefs, the industry could grow exponentially.
What trends do you think are currently shaping the food creator landscape, and how do you see it evolving?
Food creators are evolving beyond their niche. About 30–35% of their work now involves lifestyle brands like BFSI, automotive, jewelry, and clothing. Post-pandemic, food creators became entertainers, inspiring audiences beyond recipes.
Video formats have also changed—moving from recipe-based content to vlogging, which helps showcase their personalities. Brands are now focused on long-term collaborations, favoring organic product placements over one-off campaigns.
Post the Pandemic, my Co-founder Aditya Barkataky and I went through the transition from offline to online, following which the food creators saw a huge shift even from the industries approaching them. Leading to a new dynamic around this industry.
Food as a medium is deeply tied to culture, emotion, and identity. In your experience, what makes food creators uniquely valuable to brands and audiences alike?
Food creators provide authenticity. Their organic content—like plating techniques, utensils, or appliances—makes brand communication more meaningful. For instance, Chef Ranveer Brar’s series, Pankaj Bhadouria Nuskey, Chef Natasha Gandhi’s biryani series attract brands that want to associate with their niche appeal.
By investing in intellectual properties and long-term collaborations, brands create deeper connections with audiences, leveraging the creators’ credibility.
The creator economy has grown exponentially in recent years, creating opportunities but also new challenges for creators. From your perspective, how has the creator economy evolved, and where do food creators fit within this broader ecosystem?
The creator economy is valued at $976 million today and could grow to $3 billion by 2030. Food creators currently make up 17–22% of this space.
We’ve seen a rise in nano and micro influencers, with brands investing in them to tap into smaller markets. Additionally, marketing is no longer seasonal; e-commerce platforms have made campaigns a year-round activity. This evolution has created constant opportunities for creators.
Monetisation remains a critical challenge for creators, especially as platforms adjust algorithms and revenue models. What are the biggest hurdles food creators face in monetising their content, and how does your agency help them overcome these obstacles?
The main challenges are evolving algorithms, the shift to YouTube Shorts, and the demand for constant innovation. Brands now seek tri-collaborations—for instance, involving a spice brand, a utensil brand, and a creator in a single campaign.
Our agency addresses these challenges by helping creators adapt to changing demands, spotting talent early, and focusing on authenticity.
How do you scout and manage talent in such a dynamic industry?
We adopt a pan-India approach, avoiding internal competition by sourcing talents from diverse regions like Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur and Mumbai. This allows us to cater to regional campaigns, such as Diwali in the north or Pongal in the south.
When we talk about the creator ecosystem and influencer marketing as a whole, collaboration between brands and creators is crucial. However, brands often may not fully understand the nuances of working with talent. Based on your experience, what advice would you give to brands looking to collaborate with food creators to make these partnerships more effective?
I think the key is for brands—and this includes their agencies—to listen to creators. Often, the chain of communication is extensive, and the brand may not even be aware of what the talent needs because the agency is busy managing multiple requirements.. So the best way is to observe the chosen personalities and their content style.
One of the biggest mistakes brands make is insisting their product be visible within the first 8-10 seconds of the content. This approach discourages viewers and reduces engagement. Brands should invest in understanding a creator's organic style of content creation. On briefing calls, they need to hear the creators out and trust their ideas and strategies. Creators know how to integrate brand messaging while keeping the content engaging and reaching the right audience.
While some brands are open to this, many are still catching up. Often, they only realise the importance of this approach when they see underwhelming results or find themselves needing to boost posts. My advice: if you’re investing in a creator, trust their expertise and work collaboratively to blend your objectives with their creativity.
Every industry comes with its own set of challenges, especially when working with a diverse and evolving talent pool. What are the most pressing challenges you face when managing food creators, and how do you address them?
One major challenge is the erratic nature of the business. Brands may demand quick turnarounds—wanting something completed in three days—only to put it on hold later. This unpredictability disrupts creators' planning and resources.
Another issue is the overlap of ideas. Creators often feel their unique recipes or concepts are replicated by others. We try to explain that creators in different locations cater to distinct audiences. For instance, someone in Delhi and someone in Bangalore might create similar recipes but target very different demographics. It’s important for creators to focus on their unique voice and audience rather than feeling disheartened.
Monotony is another challenge. Many creators struggle with staying innovative. That’s where we step in with suggestions, like creating topical content. For example, during a Coldplay concert, creators could design a food experience at home for fans experiencing FOMO. By tapping into current trends, creators can resonate with their audience and maintain engagement.
The creator economy is on a trajectory of rapid growth, but it’s also facing uncertainties with platform changes and shifting audience behaviors. How do you see the food creator industry evolving over the next 5-10 years, and what role do you envision your agency playing in shaping that future?
First, creators shouldn’t rely solely on one platform. Each platform has its unique audience—YouTube for long-form content, Instagram for short-form, Facebook for mass reach, and even WhatsApp for targeted communication. Diversifying across platforms is essential.
Second, creators need to remain relevant. Many are now launching their own ventures, like food products, appliances, or serveware. For instance, Sanjyot Keer launched YFL Home, Chef Aruna Vijay came up with Izure Jewellery, The Classy Foodofile launched TheClassyfoodofilekitchen, and Chef Kirti Bhotika came up with Kaizen Coffee. This entrepreneurial approach helps creators evolve beyond the limitations of engagement metrics.
Our agency helps creators map their trajectory, suggesting opportunities like product launches or investments. We also anticipate new platforms demanding specific content types—like ASMR for food—which will require creators to adapt continuously.
Food creators seem to grow followers faster than other creators. Why do you think that is?
Food is deeply personal and culturally significant. A food creator in Delhi making an Odisha dish connects with diverse audiences. India’s culinary diversity, where food traditions change every 50 kilometers, offers endless opportunities for content.
For example, on festivals like Makar Sankranti or Bihu, creators can make region-specific recipes, resonating with audiences emotionally. Food evokes strong memories and attachments, fostering engagement—positive or even negative. Even critical comments contribute to higher engagement.
Unlike travel vloggers, who need to physically visit different regions to create content, food creators can bring those regions alive from their kitchens. This ability to connect emotionally and culturally gives food creators a unique edge.
Lastly, what are Bridge The Gap’s future plans, whether in terms of expanding your roster, entering new markets, or forming new partnerships?
We plan to expand our roster, constantly spotting new talent from different regions, including smaller towns like Dehradun, Kochi and Manali. The mom creator space is another area we’re exploring, as it offers significant potential.
We’re also focusing on infrastructure to support original food content creation, helping creators with ideation and execution. Many creators are unsure how to innovate, and that’s where we come in as a knowledge base, guiding them toward success while fostering the growth of this dynamic industry.