Gastropod Partners with Eater And Vox: Excellence On The Menu

Eater editor-in-chief Amanda Kludt announced today that Gastropod, one of the largest food podcasts, is forming a long-term partnership with Eater and the Vox Media Podcast Network (VMPN), effective with Gastropod’s August 3 episode. 

VMPN will take on responsibility for Gastropod’s sales, marketing, and distribution, and will work with the award-winning podcast to explore editorial collaborations and extensions. Gastropod will remain independently owned.

Gastropod is a podcast that is equal parts about food and history. The podcast seamlessly infuses each episode with a pinch of historical perspective and a smidge of foodie nerdiness.

In other words, the podcast makes you hungry for more.

Gastropod has aired since 2014 and is hosted by journalists Nicola Twilley and Cynthia Graber. 

 

Amazingly, the two hosts produce the podcast out of their homes in Somerville, Massachusetts and Los Angeles, California, respectively. The podcast has grabbed its share of recognition by winning the The 2015 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Best Culinary Audio Series (for the episode "The Golden Spoon"), Regional 2015 Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Small Online News Organization Audio Documentary (for the episode "The Microbe Revolution"), and, more recently, the 2019 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Best Podcast or Radio Show.

Some of their best episodes include Menu Mind Control from November 2019 where Twilley and Graber talked to Alison Pearlman, author of a book on menus called May We Suggest. In the interview, Pearlman stressed how a menu has to persuade diners that they want what the restaurant is selling. So how do menus do that—and are they somehow subconsciously manipulating our choices? Are there universal principles of effective menu design that savvy diners can identify and outsmart? In this episode, the hosts deftly decode the history and science of the not-so-humble menu.

Moreover, the hosts do not shy away from controversy. Witness the March 2020 episode White Vs Wheat: The Food Fight Of The Centuries. In the episode, the hosts enter the fray between white bread boosters and the wheat advocates. Along the way, they review 1920s claims that white bread breeds criminals and the central role played by Wonder Bread.

Why is Gastropod such a critical and listener favorite? First and foremost, Graber and Twilley are terrific hosts who play off each other so effortlessly and have the timing of a well-oiled team.

Whether they are discussing how Leonardo da Vinci invented the first pasta machine, how Jack Daniel learned how to make whiskey, or the history of birthday cake, Graber and Twilley infuse a passion for discovery, a constant search for insight from facts, and a strong desire to inform into every episode.

Each episode, which is about fifty minutes long and is released every two weeks, delves deeply into details about the historical, cultural, and scientific background of the episode's subject and feature interviews with multiple experts, sometimes recorded on location at laboratories, farm fields, or archaeological digs. This attention to detail and for on-site reporting (which costs money and time) demonstrates their commitment to scrupulously researched and carefully curated episodes.

“I am such a fan of Gastropod’s smart, authoritative, and compelling work,” says Eater editor-in-chief and SVP at Vox Media Amanda Kludt. “Like us, they are committed to telling interesting and entertaining stories around food and invest in the quality of their reporting and research, but their focus on audio and on examining food issues through the lens of science and history brings an entirely fresh perspective and audience to our portfolio.”

“Vox Media is such a strong media brand, and Eater plays such a major role in food coverage nationally — we knew that this had the potential to be an incredibly exciting step for Gastropod. We’re already overflowing with ideas about how we can come up with great new storytelling in partnership with all the amazing reporters at Eater, as well as bringing Gastropod’s unique take on food to Eater’s audience and Vox Media Podcast Network listeners,” says Gastropod co-host Cynthia Graber.

“Longtime Gastropod listeners will know that, although we’re entertaining and informal, we are also journalists, with strong journalistic values. Curiosity, integrity, accuracy, and nuanced, critical reporting are at the heart of what we do — and that’s why we feel at home at the Vox Media Podcast Network and Eater. We’re proud of what we’ve built from scratch as an independent podcast, and delighted to find a partner that shares our values — and our undying fascination with all things food and drink — to help the show reach a new audience and fulfil its potential as the most popular food podcast in America,” says Gastropod co-host Nicola Twilley.

Vox Media Podcast Network is enjoying a year of rapid expansion, having acquired Cafe, Preet Bharara’s podcast-first media company in April, and plans to launch over a dozen new shows or seasons in 2021.

Gastropod is an excellent addition to its podcast portfolio.