Tastes like more
The decision by Kevin Mahon and his wife Jules to start a purely online food and drink magazine has really borne fruit in terms of international recognition and visitor numbers
P itching itself very much at the luxury end of the market, digital food and drink magazine TheTaste.ie sees itself as a champion of Irish restaurants, hotels and produce.
Since setting up in October 2014, the magazine has built up an audience of 2.25 million unique readers, as well as over 325,000 registered members.
Keith Mahon, who set up the venture with his wife Jules, had previously been managing director for online in the Irish Times before taking voluntary redundancy. The initial plan was to start a print magazine, but the pair decided it would be more prudent to go online only.
Having started out in their own kitchen, they are now based in a proper office in Drumcondra in Dublin, together with a team of six employees. Six freelance writers also contribute to the publication.
The idea was to offer a luxury magazine that would identify the hidden food and travel gems across Ireland. The core of the business is to support the hospitality industry, says Mahon. As well as hotels and restaurants, this can include everything from producers to mixologists and wine specialists. “The name lends itself to pursuing different avenues.”
Rather than just being a guide that’s added to on an ongoing basis, The Taste has regular editions. “We plan on a monthly basis as a magazine – looking at what’s going to be on the home page and the features we’re going to do.”
The publication makes money through commission on special offers for readers. “We partner with food brands, restaurant brands and hotels and we try to come up with unique reader offers,” Mahon explains.
“Newspapers and magazines have had these reader offers for years, but we’ve tried to go after really tempting offers that people can’t turn down.”
According to Mahon, the company has generated €3m for the hospitality market to date through these offers.
Another revenue stream is through The Taste’s own special events, such as a champagne dinner held in the Shelbourne Hotel during February, which was €100 a head for the 100 tickets available.
The magazine consciously operates without ads. “The credibility of the magazine is of the utmost,” says Mahon. “Also, everything is designed to be understated with a black and white logo and a light grey background so the images pop off the page and we can showcase the best of Ireland.”
Last year, The Taste was shortlisted and subsequently named the winner of The Gourmand award for Best Digital Food Magazine in the World. It was a turning point, says Mahon. “We saw the traffic shoot up from countries that we didn’t think we’d ever have a reader base in.”
Since then, invitations to do reviews overseas have started coming in. “It’s started to get real international appeal. We plan to cement where we are in Ireland and make sure it’s working and possibly hire a few more people.
“Then we are going to look at a more international venture. The appetite for Irish food and produce and even the style of food we’re making in Ireland is huge.”
“We partner with food brands, restaurant brands and hotels and try to come up with unique reader offers”