Sharing what you eat with your Instagram followers has become something of a habit. Many of us do it. Some people, though, have acquired the power to influence what, and where, other people eat. Lots of them. For many of Clerkenwell Boy’s 147,000 followers, his feed is their first port of call when choosing a restaurant, or even a particular dish. When Clerkenwell Boy posts a close-up of say, a crispy soup-filled dumpling made by Lillian Fuk (on Instagram as @ShanghaiSupper), you can be pretty sure that by the time you get around to booking a table at her next supper club, it will be sold out.
His following was initially the result of being part of the supper-club scene when it was in its infancy. Having moved to London from Sydney in 2005, going to private dining clubs was a way of meeting people and the Instagram account a way of keeping in touch that became a hobby. “I came to London, knew no one, and kind of got sucked into its whole food culture,” he says. And he insists it still is a hobby, even though the community he’s built around himself now includes everyone from Jamie Oliver to tourists and obsessive food lovers desperate to keep pace with the latest openings. Inevitably, his day job is advising companies on their social-media strategies.
The thirtysomething refuses to divulge any other personal information, preferring to flit about the capital’s restaurant scene unnoticed. Of course, nowadays he’s invited to openings to preview them but says he clearly states that it is a soft opening or a “sneak peek”. If he’s been commissioned by a publication, he might claim the cost of the meal back on expenses but otherwise, he pays for his meals and remains more enthusiast than critic.
“I’m not there to ruin anyone’s business,” he says. “I know it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to open a restaurant.”
Later this month, Clerkenwell Boy launches his #CookForSyria initiative to raise funds for the country’s displaced children, in partnership with Unicef UK. Participating restaurants will add a Syrian-influenced dish to their menu, with £2 from each sale going to charity.
The launch dinner on 31 October will be cooked by a star line-up of chefs: Fergus Henderson, Nuno Mendes, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, José Pizarro and Angela Hartnett. It’s all a testament to the galvanising power of social media. “I’ve met so many people I grew up idolising like the Jamies, Nigellas and Ottolenghis – to be collaborating with them is a dream come true.”
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