Prabha Goswami - Food Blogging Can Definitely Be a Career Option, With Brand Collaborations and YouTube Paying Good These Days (Blogger, India)

Instagram - @love_atthe_firstbite 

1. Please tell us about your background and journey.

I am Prabha Goswami, a food and lifestyle blogger living in Mumbai. I was born and brought up in a town called Haldwani in Uttarakhand. I did my Masters from IIT Kharagpur and work brought me to my dream city Mumbai. I have always been a foodie and started cooking a variety of dishes during my school days only. 

I started travelling a lot during my college years, visiting new places and exploring their local cuisines which made me fall in love with food all over again. Finally, in 2020 I created my blogger page love_atthe_firstbite on Instagram and Facebook. 

It has been a phenomenal journey since then, my work got a lot of love and appreciation, I have been getting invites from restaurants and cafes in Mumbai for reviewing them. I am doing paid collaborations with a lot of food and lifestyle brands. love_atthe_firstbite family is 10K strong now and it has been a very fulfilling experience.


2. Which is your favourite cuisine and dish?

It would be very difficult for a food lover as myself to pick out one favourite cuisine but I could definitely list out a few of them. I love Continental, Mexican and Italian food the most. 

Pizza is definitely my biggest guilty pleasure, something I could have every single day no matter what time of the day it is or what mood I am in. But nothing beats the satisfaction that one gets after having nice “Ghar ka Khana” after a long tiring day of work.


3. Should food blogging be just a passion or can it become a regular career?

Food blogging can definitely be a career option, with brand collaborations and YouTube paying good these days, but I would suggest all aspiring bloggers to not solely rely on these in the beginning, and focus also on developing and applying their skill sets into some job that supports them not just with their finances but also helps them grow creatively. There is a lot of competition out there and they need to learn how uniquely they can create their own space in this field.


4. Which restaurants/food joints would you recommend to food lovers?

This is a very subjective question I feel, with no single correct answer. The choice would depend on one’s preferences, type of cuisines and ambiences one is looking for and sometime even on location of the restaurant. 

But I would like to suggest everyone to go and explore newly opened cafes and restaurants in your area because they would be the worst affected ones by the lockdown situation. Your presence would really boost their morale and help them grow.

5. What makes you appreciate a particular dish or a restaurant and talk about it on your blog?

For me, more than the dish, it is the love and sincerity with which it is prepared and served. A smiling and welcoming presentation goes a long way. The positive vibe of the place truly sets up your mood for a nice meal. 

Definitely taste is of utmost importance, why else would we go back to a restaurant otherwise, isn’t it? But I also look for how unique the dishes are and what creativity has been put into preparing them. Also, hygiene plays an important role for me so I always look out for places which take a good care of this.


6. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

I feel I associate myself with every dish I make. I leave a part of myself in every single dish, pour my heart into creating it and so every single one is equally special for me.


7. Which is your favourite book and why?

Again a tough choice! I have read a lot of novels and there is an entire list of my favourite ones. I enjoy novels by Paulo Coelho and Dan Brown. I just finished Sapiens and Ikigai and absolutely loved them. But the novel I am most fond of is 

The Alchemist as it was my first novel and I keep re-reading it every once in a while. The way it inspires you to follow your passions and pursue your dreams is simply incredible. And that is the reason, this book will always hold a very special place in my heart.

- Interviewed by - Sanjana Jain