In the age of Experiential Travel, people are constantly on the hunt for immersion, whether its done through sampling the diversity of the local culture, joining activity-based travel experiences, or – best of all : eating the local food.
And if you too fall into that last category – foodies of the world – then boy, are you in for a treat!
Kimberlee Oo, Global Content & Brand Manager at Eatwith, has graciously accepted to answer a series of questions about Eatwith (along with all sorts of juicy details) so that we can all ‘meal-plan’ ahead for our next trip.
Here’s our Interview with Eatwith: A Guide to Eat Your Way Through Traveling.
Table of Contents
Eatwith in A Nutshell
Eatwith is the world’s largest community for authentic culinary experiences with locals, available in over 130 countries. We connect people who are seeing unique and immersive experiences with our hand-selected hosts, in private homes and magical venues. We believe the table is the original social network!
How did Eatwith came to life
What’s your story?
During a trip to Lake Titicaca, Jean-Michel befriended an Indian family who invited him to their home for dinner. Meanwhile, Camille was living in Asia, exploring China and learning about the local cuisine and culture.
After crossing paths and sharing travel stories, they realized their common passions for authentic food and immersive tourism. In 2014, they embarked on a journey to change the way people travel, one food experience at a time.
Today, Eatwith is available in over 130 countries, with experiences ranging from a New York rooftop party with a MasterChef, to a hands-on macaron cooking class in a Parisian apartment, to a rural market tour and dinner with a local Hanoi family.
How Does Eatwith Work
Guests can browse over 10,000 experiences on www.eatwith.com or on the Eatwith app, by destination, date and number of people.
Once you have found your ideal experience, you can book and pay for your seats directly on the site. You will receive all the event details (address, host names etc) and you can also chat with your host to discuss dietary requirements or anything else!
Destinations you currently serve?
Eatwith is currently in over 1,100 destinations around the world, from big cities to smaller destinations. And we’re constantly growing!
Most Popular Location?
Italy and the US! We have lots of great pasta & pizza cooking classes in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Milan, Naples and other hotspots, and a strong foodie community all across the US. We’re also big in the UK, France and Spain.
Trustworthiness and Quality
Do you have a process in place to vet your hosts?
Of course; we have a dedicated Community Team who hand-select each and every one of our hosts. Our team rigorously reviews every application and conducts thorough interviews to find out potential hosts’ skill level and motivations. All our new hosts have to hold a demo experience, to make sure we maintain our high Eatwith standard.
Green Initiatives
Does Eatwith have Green Initiatives?
We are passionate about curating experiences that feature organic and sustainable produce. We have a lot of hosts who use locally-sourced, foraged and eco-friendly ingredients, as well as some great charity initiatives.
Experiences are The New Way to Travel…
And the trend is going upward. How do you differentiate yourselves from competition, like AirBnb Experiences? Why should we choose Eatwith?
We are the world leader in the social dining and experiential tourism. Our experiences differ from competitors because we are food experts, and focus solely on experiences related to food, be it: dining experiences, food tours or cooking classes.
Our guests are global and stay in hotels, as well as other accommodation. But we’re not just for tourists – we also have a huge variety of local experiences for people who are searching for something different to do in their own city.
Our hosts come from all walks of life, from passionate home-cooks to award-winning MasterChef and Michelin-starred chefs.
“Best of 2017” in AppStore
It looks like Eatwith is THE favorite app of food & travel lovers. Will more features be added? such as: family friendly, allergy notes, bookmark events, etc
There are lots of exciting features in the pipeline! We already have features like family-friendly options and the possibility to bookmark favorites but we’re constantly working on new optimizations. Our focus for the rest of the year is increased personalization so you can find the experience that’s perfect for you.
What’s Cooking Next
We are constantly growing and curating more experiences, in new destinations around the world. We’re continuing our successful partnership with US MasterChef and working with some of the top names in the travel industry.