What does being a food blogger actually look like? Mrinal Marwaha tells us!

From cooking and filming to reviewing food, content creator and chef Mrinal Marwaha gives us some insight into everything that goes behind making food look aesthetic for his audience.

Food is a love story that always speaks to you no matter what your preference might look like. There is a silent community created by the love of indulging in a recipe and learning everything about the food, especially on social media. People love how it brings out the taste of a place by not just highlighting the culture but also satisfying our need to have something yummy. It’s no surprise that food content creation has become one of the fastest-growing spaces online, with creators turning everyday meals into carefully curated stories for the digital world. Mrinal Marwaha, a food blogger, is one such chef and creator with perfectly plated Reels whose reality, behind the scenes, is far removed from what audiences see on their screens.

Many of the recipes we enjoy online focus heavily on visual appeal. To entice the audience and encourage them to return, it’s essential to not only create a beautifully plated dish but also to taste it. Contrary to what most people might assume, a typical day in this profession rarely starts in the kitchen. Recognising that his job involves a lot of calories, he begins each day with a workout to prepare for tasting his creations and to counterbalance the unflinching honesty of the camera. The rest of his day is dedicated to planning, researching recipes, tracking culinary trends, responding to brands, coordinating with his team and determining which ideas are truly worth turning into content.

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Once filming begins, Mrinal recognises how the pace completely shifts. He recalls taking on the entire process himself, like every other food content creator by adjusting flavours, fixing frames and obsessing over details until they feel just right. “Shoots can take hours, and what people don’t see is the aftermath: the messy kitchen, the constant cleaning, and the back-and-forth effort it takes to perfect the content. Evenings are usually reserved for editing, spending time with family, and trying to maintain a normal life at home.”

For him, filming typically starts in the evening, once his home kitchen is free from everyday use, and often continues well past midnight. “Since I operate out of my home kitchen, I have to wait until all regular cooking is done. I usually begin shooting in the evening and may go on until midnight.” Shooting alone can take six to eight hours, depending on the recipe, followed by an entire day dedicated to editing. What may appear to be a simple Reel is often the result of two full days of focused work. 

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While the videos captivates us, knowing that these creators also get to indulge in the recipes they make, sounds like an enticing part of this job. But, eating for content, Mrinal admits, feels very different from eating for pleasure. When the camera is on, enjoyment takes a back seat to precision. “I prioritise quality over enjoyment because I’m constantly thinking about whether the content has turned out right. I’ll keep shooting until I’m satisfied. But when I eat for pleasure, I’ll keep eating until I’m satisfied, it’s a completely different mindset.”

It’s true that we have become a generation that is constantly looking for inspiration and ways to make our lives easy. Finding a recipe online and saving it so you can try later, is exactly the result of this search for convenience. What we find to be an exciting job, comes with it’s own set of challenges. The one that tops Mrinal’s list is cleaning tops. “No one talks about post-shoot cleaning, but it’s exhausting and unavoidable. That’s probably the most underrated challenge of the job.” It’s one of the least glamorous but most constant parts of the job, and honestly, we can all agree with him.

As he manages to keep up with his work and clean up later, one non-negotiable for him as a creator who is responsible to not just make food but also review it is to be honest. Refusing to promote products or restaurants solely for a good fee, he insists on trying everything himself to ensure the quality matches his standards. “That’s the only way I can justify putting my name behind something.” While food content may look aesthetic and effortless online, the reality is marked by long hours, endless retakes, physical fatigue, and screen-heavy editing sessions. “Sometimes you don’t even enjoy cooking because you’re too busy fixing the shot. It’s glamorous online, but there’s a serious grind behind it.”

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As he continues to serenade people online with a visual artistry, he admits how turning food into content has changed his relationship with it. “When cameras are involved, you can’t fully enjoy the process. To balance that, I keep one day a week where I cook just for myself - no cameras, no content.” It’s a small but meaningful way to stay connected to his craft and remind himself that while everything can become content, not everything should.

Despite the discipline his job requires, Mrinal strives to maintain a balance between family time, managing life with two cats (he's allergic to them), and embracing a little chaos in his twenties. He often finds joy in the unpredictability of his daily life, enjoying spontaneous moments with friends and family, even if it means sacrificing some sleep. As he continues to grow in his craft, Mrinal dreams of exploring new culinary horizons, perhaps even travelling to different regions to capture local cuisines for his audience. 

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For those who believe food content creation is simply about cooking and posting online, his response is straightforward: if it were that easy, everyone would be viral by now. The work is demanding, often exhausting, but when it comes together, it makes the process worth it.

What's the part about food content creation that makes you want to go back to it? Let us know in the comments below.