Nur Janti, Jakarta – With the growing influence of food vloggers, many people have turned their love for food into careers, recommending dining spots, reviewing dishes and sharing their culinary experiences with the public through social media.

Cindy Evelyne, a 30-year-old former office worker, has been doing this for years. She began posting food recommendations on her Instagram account, Bellyculinary, back in 2017 as a hobby while working at a fast-moving consumer goods company. When her social media account gained thousands of followers, she left her corporate job and pursued food vlogging as a full-time career five years ago.

Cindy was at the Keraton Hotel at The Plaza, Central Jakarta, earlier this month, reviewing food and beverages. The hotel, which opened late last year, invited her to experience its offerings.

With camera and spotlight in hand, Cindy moved around, capturing images of the buffet while asking the hotel's marketing officer about the menu, the restaurant's specialties and any exclusive dishes.

After filming the buffet spread, she reviewed each dish she ordered. Even in her fifth month of pregnancy, Cindy remained passionate about her work, savoring every meal.

"I usually spend four days a week going out to restaurants or trying new places. In one day, I can visit two different spots. I really love exploring food," she said.

As a food influencer, Cindy often receives invitations from hotels and restaurants to introduce their menus and share her dining experiences through her social media. She also accepts paid endorsements.

Yohanes Cahya shares a similar journey, initially starting food influencing as a side hustle before turning it into his full-time job. He added that he began focusing on food vlogging after TikTok gained popularity in Indonesia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yohanes explained that he can earn tens of millions of rupiah a month from his work as a food influencer, three times higher than his income as a corporate employee.

"I initially uploaded food review content regularly. Over time, I received more comments and endorsements, which made me decide to go full-time in 2021. I genuinely enjoy working on social media because it allows me to work flexibly," he said.

"But the main reason is that I simply love food."

Yohanes primarily reviews street food across various cities in Indonesia for its affordability. He believes street food content is more relatable to audiences and helps promote small businesses.

Food vlogging has grown significantly in this digital age, with food enthusiasts often seeking recommendations from influencers.

Faraya Maulida, a 33-year-old employee, said she frequently watches food vlogger reviews to get a sense of a restaurant's ambience before deciding where to go.

"I once visited a Japanese restaurant, Kai Jin, after watching a food vlogger's review. It turned out exactly like what was shown in the video, no exaggerations. I was happy, full and satisfied," she said.

However, she also pointed out that some food influencers tend to overhype their reviews without being descriptive about the flavors.

"Some of the food influencers say things like 'this is so good, I wanna die.' But when I tried it myself, the food was just average. It definitely didn't make me die," she added.

A win-win for businesses, influencers

The rise of food reviewers has been welcomed by hotel and restaurant businesses.

Keraton at The Plaza's marketing executive, Hafi Kamilia, said that the hotel had invited food influencers multiple times to promote its buffet and increase brand awareness.

"It's a good strategy for us. Even if people do not visit our hotel immediately, it's okay because we're getting a lot of exposure, and potential customers are already aware of Keraton," she said.

Chris Andre, marketing communications director of Grand Hyatt, echoed this sentiment. The hotel frequently invites influencers to review its buffet and services.

"We recently invited influencers to review our iftar menu for Ramadan. They helped increase exposure and brand awareness, so more people learn about what Hyatt has to offer. Our collaboration model involves inviting influencers to review and share their experiences," he said.

Down side

Despite the mutually beneficial relationship among food influencers, businesses and consumers, conflicts can arise, as seen in the recent case involving Codeblu, a platform run by William Anderson, and Clairmont Patisserie, or Brand CT.

Last week, William was questioned by the South Jakarta Police over alleged extortion disguised as a food review.

The controversy began in November of last year when William accused Clairmont of providing moldy nastar (pineapple tarts) to an orphanage in South Jakarta. He also criticized the bakery's kitchen hygiene.

Clairmont denied the allegations, stating that all its products undergo strict quality control.

The debate resurfaced earlier this year when William uploaded videos criticizing Clairmont in January and February.

On Feb. 27, the bakery clarified that a former employee of a maintenance vendor had sent the moldy cakes, not Clairmont. The employee reportedly spread misleading information.

Following the backlash, William uploaded a video apology, admitting he had spread information from an unreliable source.

The next day, Codeblu was accused of demanding Rp 350 million (US$21,432) from Clairmont's owner in exchange for deleting the negative review. However, William's wife, Theresia Rosalinda, denied the extortion claims, stating that the money was meant as a consulting fee.

The controversy was raised by a lawmaker at the House of Representatives during a meeting with Trade Minister Budi Santoso. The case highlighted the government's failure to protect both businesses and consumers.

Clear guidelines

Moga Simatupang, Trade Ministry director-general of consumer protection and trade order, said that food review content that harms businesses is regulated under the 1999 Consumer Protection Law, which mandates that consumers must act in good faith during transactions and resolve disputes through legal means.

"If a vlogger creates content that spreads damaging information about food quality, causing financial harm to a business, they may face criminal charges, even if their intent was to help other consumers," Moga said, as quoted by Kompas.com.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is drafting new regulations on influencer product reviews to prevent potential abuses in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors.

"To avoid conflicts of interest and online disputes, the government aims to protect free expression while ensuring fair practices. That's why we are setting clear guidelines," BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar said during a press briefing on Feb. 21.

The draft regulations will involve discussions with multiple ministries, including the Trade Ministry and Health Ministry, and seek input from influencers.

Both Cindy and Yohanes hope these new guidelines will provide clear ethical standards for food reviewers without restricting the growth of influencer marketing.

Source: https://asianews.network/how-food-influencers-shape-culinary-trends-in-indonesia