The hunger games

Whatever type of food or beverage you fancy, chances are, there is, at the very least, a website and probably a Facebook page devoted to the stuff. And, of course, there are all those enthusiastic Instagram users who delight in posting photographs of food. We may pretend to scoff at these social media pages, but we remain addicted to them all the same. My guilty pleasure is Facebook, which has spawned a devoted foodie community and various food forums across Pakistan.

On any given day, these forums – of which the Pakistan Food Forum and Foodies ‘R’ Us are the most popular, especially in Lahore – pack a scrumptious punch of information on the city’s burgeoning food scene. Every day, members’ newsfeeds offer snapshot after delectable snapshot of entrees, restaurant reviews, conversations about food, recipes, promotions… name it. Not sure where to eat? Search for a restaurant. Not sure what to eat? Ask your foodie comrades what the best entree is on offer at a particular restaurant. Someone out there will respond in seconds. For many users, food forums are really like their own version of Siri, but better – food-obsessed and a bit more efficient.

Online food forums are like Siri, but better - food-obsessed and more efficient

Social media can change your views on food within minutes. If you happen to read a positive review of a restaurant, you will be more inclined to give it a shot. Of course, this can go the other way too. You might choose to give a place the miss, based on a few negative reviews even if the restaurant is a hit with many other people. “It really is a Catch-22 for restaurants,” admits the owner of a popular joint. “We can have a good week, and then one negative post sets off a chain reaction.”

The said chain reaction can lead to hundreds of comments in minutes, based on a single review or snapshot of an entree. A survey conducted by Deloitte in the UK suggests that 61 percent of 18–34-year-olds consult social media when deciding where to eat out. This trend would likely hold true for social media users in Pakistan as well, were the same sort of demographic sampled. As various social media platforms mushroom (if you’ll pardon the pun), more and more of our purchasing decisions, especially in food, are based on the views of people we have never met and are never likely to either.

Restaurants are, obviously, in a precarious position, but the newer ones are more likely to benefit from social media, at least till the soft-launch stage. Advertising is now a click away and new promotions bubble up on newsfeeds everywhere. Popular eateries that had a fan following for years suddenly find they are in competition with newbie restaurants that can (and do) advertise aggressively on social media. Although most food forums put a cap on the number of posts per restaurant, all it takes is an appetising picture of what’s on offer to lead hundreds to try it out. Thereafter, the fate of the restaurant is entirely another matter, but based on some clever advertising and luscious photographs, the place will be checked out at least once. “Food forums nowadays make or break a restaurant as it’s live feedback from several customers at once,” says Asad Sheikh, who runs the 20,000-strong Foodies ‘R’ Us. So, even if some new restaurants don’t get a positive response, they will at least get some feedback, which is better than none.

Social media digs in even deeper when consumers are faced with healthier food options vs. unhealthy ones. “Organic” is the new buzzword for foodies all over the world and Lahore, too, has jumped onto the gravy train. Consumers are now more aware of what’s out there because their newsfeed is choked with healthier food options. Forget the Eighties obsession with high-protein diets and the Nineties low-fat fad – consumers now look for a balanced diet that provides lasting health benefits. Grill ‘n’ Bake in Lahore is one such establishment, offering whole-wheat naans basted with olive oil. It has a growing fan base. Dozens of small vendors offer healthier foods delivered to your doorstep. “Consumers are clearly more savvy,” suggests Afrin Hussein, who owns Grill ‘n” Bake, “and social media has helped people serving healthy food reach their potential customers and made them aware that it exists.”

What is perhaps even more fascinating is that social norms influence our eating choices. This has been confirmed by 15 experimental studies in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on how people make food choices. They are more likely to make low-calorie or high-calorie choices based on what others are eating. So, if your Instagram or Facebook feed is trending pictures of high-calorie meals, you are more likely to fix yourself something similar. Essentially, even though I may be aware of healthier food options, if I see enough photographs of burgers and fatty fries, I’m likely to head out to Burger King or Hardees and order up a satisfyingly unhealthy storm. Last month, Foodies ‘R’ Us went viral with their “mug cake”, with hundreds of recipes and snaps of this cup-of-instant-happiness.

Another trend is the rising number of women gourmands on social media. Women may have traditionally cooked at home and fed their families, but these old barriers are coming down. Women who have chosen to cater from home are now using social media to market a wide array of menu options at a fraction of restaurant prices. Dinner party? Need that perfect moist chocolate cake just out of the oven? It can be delivered to your doorstep. You’ll find dozens of small catering businesses on Facebook in Lahore alone run by women. Sameena Tarar is one such home-based cook who decided to start her own catering business. “With the kids grown up, I decided to revive my hobby as a side-line business,” adds Tarar, who runs LION’S SHARE along with Asma Zoeed – a food group on Facebook. The page started off by word-of-mouth, but now has more than 2,000 members.

With social media being what it is, we are increasingly allowing others to affect our food choices. Its quick, no-nonsense approach appeals to consumers who want choices at the click of a button. As our socialising habits and tastes continually change, so will we. For now, we are single-minded lemmings strutting forward into a foodie world with happy abandon.