How did four friends become internet stars with no guitar involved?
The honest answer is - we have no idea! From talking in a pub about the horrible food we were all eating at uni to filming ourselves cooking up some recipes from Ben who was training to be a chef seemed like a really small step and a very natural progression to our original chats. But the videos started to get more and more popular, with more people joining in the conversation... and SORTEDfood was born! We got in touch with a few bigger YouTubers and asked to come cook with them... At the time, no one else was really doing food on the platform, so it was a big novelty. Those early collaborations really helped grow our numbers in the early days.
Was there a "grand plan" day or did the business creep up on you all?
There was never a grand plan - but as the videos grew in popularity, we quickly realised that more people our age and in similar situations to ourselves were looking for entertainment and information around food... And they weren't finding it from anywhere else. It was at that point we started to take it a bit more seriously and see what we could turn it into.
What planned careers if any went out the window when SORTEDfood took off?
I (Jamie) had completed a marketing degree and was working in social and digital agencies. Barry was making inroads with portrait photography, Ben was working his way up in professional kitchens and Mike was already teaching kids music back at our old school.
What were the key steps that took place to get SORTEDfood where you are today?
I think there were a few key steps...
Not taking things too seriously - we didn't start with any commercial aspirations or thoughts to turn this into a business, this allowed us to play and build up an audience around the things we loved.
Carrying on the conversation - SORTEDfood started as a chat in a pub, and nothing has really changed... We're still chatting about food, but just doing it online.
Adapting to new opportunities - our home has always been on YouTube, but over the last few years as the world of social media has changed, we've had to adapt and make sure we're using the platforms where our audience are, as well as what we're used to.
Who does what in SF out of the four of you?
We all have roles off screen as well as monkeying around on camera.
Ben heads up food direction for the business while Barry is the creative one who is always pushing the company forward into new areas. Mike directs and edits our videos while I look after all areas of communications, social media, PR, marketing and business development.
What were the biggest stumbling blocks along the road to where you are now, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest stumbling block was probably making sure we kept a long term perspective and didn't sacrifice anything for short term gain... For example, some commercial opportunities initially look really great from a cash point of view, until you realise the long term effect it could have... Like your face being plastered on the side of some packaging for the next five years, and your reputation being tarnished for ‘selling out'. These will always be hard decisions, particularly when you have overheads such as a studio or other team members to pay - but the way we've always seen it is that we'd much rather do the right thing by ourselves and our community, because we all have far more to gain from it than money.
What is an average week like for the SF crew?
That's the best thing - every week is different. The constants are a lot of discussion about the latest food trends, recipe development and testing, filming either in or out of our studio in central London, eating incredible food, and talking to people online from all around the world... You really can't beat it!
Actually, the UK is only our 2nd biggest market - the U.S. is by far our largest audience, followed by the UK, Canada, Australia and... surprisingly enough, Singapore! We don't know why either!
What has been the most satisfying aspect of the business to date?
The most satisfying has also been the most surprising - the effect that SORTEDfood has had on other people and the difference it's made to their lives... This has always been incredibly fun for us, but we now receive messages from people on a daily basis who have used our videos to learn how to cook, or help through illnesses or family tragedies... It's incredible!
As for the future, anything else on the list to get the "Sorted" treatment?
Even though we've been doing this for six and a half years on YouTube, it doesn't feel like we've even scratched the surface of food yet... there's so much to explore out there that it'll keep us busy for a long time! We'd love to focus in on a few areas around learning how to cook and doing lots more travel.
Check the guys out on their You Tube channel or at sortedfood.com
