The Rise of London’s Food Zine Scene

The zine has always been London's medium of choice for countercultural movements. Suffragettes passed around pamphlets in the 1860s, punk fanzines became popular in the ’70s, and the riot grrrl movement of the ’90s gave rise to a new wave of self-published essays, poems and interviews. Now, Londoners are setting their sights on reclaiming food storytelling, highlighting new voices and honouring the city’s longstanding connection to this subversive format.

London’s food zines are stapled manifestos of flavour, rebellion in A5 format, selling out faster than a trendy east London restaurant books out its tables on a Saturday night. Often unbound by advertisers or investors, zines bypass the gatekeepers of food publishing and allow for freer discussion, more niche topics and wider voices.

“Independent publications are rebellious in nature and are not afraid of sharing exactly what is happening in the scene,” Georgia Spanos, founder of Uno Magazine, tells Broadsheet.

As Toothsome Magazine co-founders Ashley Yun and DK Woon put it: “Food zines feel like a natural response to London’s current challenges. With the cost of living rising and hospitality under strain, food has become an important way for younger generations to express identity and creativity and discover intentional, affordable ways to engage with food.” Highlights from Toothsome Magazine’s inaugural issue include a still-life photography series on eggs and an interview with Silo’s former head chef Ed Tejada conducted while he foraged for magnolia blossoms.

For Rahel Stephanie, the Indonesian chef behind Pedas, the zine was a way to “share recipes exactly as I make them, with the full cultural context, humour, and texture intact”, resonating with anyone who loves “food with character”. Pedas – which incorporates six recipes – represents Rahel’s Jakarta upbringing and her reclaiming of pedas (meaning “spicy”), “as an Indonesian woman, on my own terms".

At the core is community. Pedas and Toothsome are extensions of supper clubs. Uno Magazine (which describes itself as “a community magazine that is for the people”) gathers recipes globally via open submissions. And Extended Lunch – the debut cookbook by London chef Mafruha Ahmed – comes with an accompanying publication called EL Zine, which showcases stories and images from Ahmed’s newsletter subscribers who tried out early iterations of her recipes. “It was a really amazing way to get an audience involved, and to change the narrative around what a home-cooked meal needs to look like,” Clem Macleod, publisher of Extended Lunch, says. “People aren’t just cooking from it; they’re connecting with the history, humour, and small details woven into every page,” adds Stephanie.

A biannual magazine centred on food and its place in culture. Toothsome doesn’t chase trends; it showcases stories that don’t have expiration dates, in the form of visual essays, interviews, lists, reflections, poetry and recipes. Issue 01 is out now.

Created by Indonesian chef and food writer Rahel Stephanie of Spoons supper club, Pedas (“spicy” in Indonesian) is a stunning collection of six regional spicy recipes alongside essays, cultural context, and bold visuals. Self-published in collaboration with Jakarta-based Tiny Studio, it’s an intimate window into Indonesian cooking that celebrates the depth and balance of spice. Look out for her sophomore zine, Cantik Manis, released in spring, which will explore the sweeter side of Indonesian food.

More than just a cookbook, Extended Lunch, published through London-based literary publisher Worms, is an invitation to slow down, savour the process of cooking, and create meals that bring people together in a meaningful way. Born from her work as the chef at creative hub Young Space, Mafruha Ahmed’s Extended Lunch features 60 adaptable recipes with an accompanying zine showcasing contributions from friends and strangers, showing that good food isn’t about perfection – it’s about embracing an intuitive approach to cooking.

Uno Magazine is a food magazine from and for the community by London-based editor and writer Georgia Spanos. Celebrating the everyday cook rather than big-name chefs and food influencers, each themed issue (the first focused on tomatoes) gathers recipes from around the world via open submissions, creating a collection that honours family recipes and home cooks everywhere. Issue 01 (Tomatoes) out now.