10 questions with… Ailsa Harper – the face behind the delicious foodie Instagram @EdinEats

Holyrood PR Blog

Get to know one of Edinburgh’s top foodie influencers as she speaks to our Scottish PR agency

Scottish PR photography headshot of Ailsa Harper (EdinEats) 10 questions interview.
Photo credit: Paula Russell Photography.

WE TOOK a moment to catch up with foodie influencer Ailsa Harper, to find out a bit more about how influencer work changed in 2020, some top social media accounts to follow and some handy top tips for PR agencies looking to do collaborations, as well as finding out about her interests and passions and what success looks like to her.

Ailsa started EdinEats in 2014 and has grown her Instagram account to 16.5K followers (and counting!) by sharing Edinburgh’s top restaurants, bars, hotels and more.

In 2020 during the first lockdown, Ailsa set up her second foodie account, EdinCooks where instead of visiting restaurants she set off into the kitchen to share her very own top recipes and treats.

Keep reading to get to know Ailsa…

1) What is your job?

I work as a creative services assistant at Meraki Concept Studio, we’re a design and communications agency. We work with businesses to define their venture, streamline their visual aesthetic and help communicate their brand story.

 

2) What is your favourite social media channel and why? – and who’s content are you enjoying recently?

Last year I got really into TikTok, it was a good way to distract myself when the world felt a little heavy (or in other words lose a few hours to everyday haha). I also started an account with a good friend of mine, Lyndsey, called @girlsaroundscotland, where we share even more foodie content.

It’s no surprise that I love food content, you can find so many amazing recipes and inspiration on there. Some favourites are @coffeebae97, @iamtabithabrown and @theviplist.

 

3) When did you decide to start your EdinEats Instagram account and why?

I spent some time living in America and was in awe of all the New York food accounts that were popping up on IG at the time (back in 2014). I realised that there weren’t many Edinburgh accounts so that’s when Edineats was born! I’ve always loved eating out at restaurants and taking pictures of my food so it just happened pretty naturally.

 

4) How has the world of influencing changed in 2020?

With all the restaurant closures due to the restrictions, I had to learn how to take pictures of food at home, which was a bit of a challenge but I think I’m finally getting there now! So many places have switched up their offering and are doing home delivery, I guess the food world has changed as you can now have restaurant quality food from the comfort of your own home.

 

5) What is your source of inspiration?  

I take a lot of inspiration from my fellow food bloggers––if they’ve said something is good, I trust their opinion. I usually look at their recent pictures of where they’ve been to decide what places I want to try next.

 

6) What makes a good collaboration? What advice would you give PRs for approaching you / working with you? do you prefer emails or DMs for example?

I think having a clear brief and outline of what is expected from the collaboration from the offset is always good, it allows little room for error and means that you know exactly what is needed from both sides. I don’t mind if a brand/PR contacts me via email or DMs but sometimes DM’s do get lost or stuck in message requests, so emails are always good.

 

7) What’s the best campaign you’ve worked on? 

I was delighted to work with Eden Locke, a hotel in Edinburgh, last year. When the restaurants had to close at 6pm, they launched an in-room dining box so you could cook a lovely dinner in your room instead. I thought the concept was just lovely and it was incredible to work with a hotel I had dreamed of collaborating with. They made the whole experience very special!

 

8)  What content is your favourite to produce?

I love going somewhere and being able to create content around the whole visiting experience––so being able to sit and enjoy a meal in a cafe/bar/restaurant, especially if it’s a new opening as that is always very exciting. Here’s hoping that we will get back to that this year!

 

9) What keeps you going when things get tough?

I’m lucky to have an incredible support network of family and friends who I can always count on and turn to when I need a little bit of help. The last year has only strengthened those relationships.

 

10) What is your definition of success?

2020 taught me so much, we just never know what’s around the corner. Success to me means that you feel you are the best possible version of yourself and doing the best that you can to get through every day. If you love your life, then to me that is success.

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