First Issue Review – Eat Soup
“He believes the good things in life are often worth bribing for. He dines out on food that suits his mood – hungry or hungover – and drinks to change it. He pays by credit, because he’s got no cash, and drives fast because he’s late. And when he arrives at a table, he always pulls out a chair for a lady. Even if one isn’t coming.”
This is Eat Soup’s definition of its reader: unashamedly aiming at the Loaded-lads while focusing on food, drink and travel sounds a bit like a contradiction in terms. It may be rather difficult to try and imagine the young bloke, preoccupied with booze and women, leafing through Eat Soup to discover the fineries of kitchen implements, yet this is what IPC is hoping for. Surprisingly, the mix appears to work.
The centre-piece of the launch issue, an interview with Michael Caine, discusses the actor’s love for food, drink and the good life, talks about his favourite eating places and the many restaurants he owns and has owned. Travel articles focus on the search for good food in strange places (or vice versa): eating barnacles in Spain or finding the best burger on America’s Route 66. Stretching the theme of food slightly are features on cannibalism and vampires
As well as the longer features, which often run for several pages, there are many guides to making Epicureans more accomplished at enjoying themselves: guides to restaurants, cities, lagers and wine abound and there are also articles on related topics like etiquette, culinary terms, cigars and cookery books.
The writing is concise and entertaining but with a slightly more grown-up style than other ‘lads’ magazines – Eat Soup makes a good stab at being informative in an entertaining and easy-to-read manner.
The big question of course is whether a magazine of 164-pages, covering what can only be described as a narrow niche for a niche audience, can maintain a good circulation. Many have doubted it and the concept of Eat Soup does sound weak. Yet to pick up the magazine is to realise that this is a title which may well reach the target and hit the right spot to maintain a steady, though probably small, readership.
Advertisers reflect the magazine’s upmarket feel and include Hugo Boss, Moscow Mule, Holsten Pils, Kawasaki and Baumler suits. Eat Soup is bi-monthly title, costs £2.50 and has an ad:ed ratio of 17:83.