FT Magazine, part of the globally respected Financial Times, is now commissioning insider hospitality stories — and paying around £0.50 per word for the right pitch. If you work in a restaurant, bar, hotel, or anywhere inside the hospitality industry and you’re noticing interesting shifts happening on the ground, Food and Drink Editor Harriet Fitch Little wants to hear from you. This Insider Writer opportunity is fully remote and open to writers worldwide, including Kenya.
About This Role
FT Magazine’s “Insider’s Notebook” is a regular section that publishes sharp, informed perspectives from people embedded inside industries — not outside observers writing about them. For hospitality, that means chefs, bartenders, sommeliers, restaurant managers, hotel staff, servers, and anyone working day-to-day in food and drink service who is seeing something worth writing about.
The pieces are not long rambling features. They are tight, precise, and grounded in firsthand knowledge. The editor is specifically looking for angles that a journalist sitting outside the industry would not naturally spot — emerging trends in dining behaviour, shifts in kitchen culture, supply chain changes, new customer expectations, or anything that insiders are talking about but the general press has not yet covered.
At approximately £0.50 per word, a 1,000-word piece earns around £500 GBP. Confirm the exact rate with the editor once your pitch is accepted. A byline in the Financial Times is one of the most valuable publishing credits available to any freelance writer — the audience is global, affluent, and influential.
Key Responsibilities
- Pitch a clear, specific story idea drawn from your direct experience inside the hospitality industry
- Write a tight, well-structured piece for the “Insider’s Notebook” section of FT Magazine
- Deliver copy that meets the Financial Times’ editorial standards — precise, authoritative, and free of padding
- Revise your draft based on editorial feedback within agreed timelines
- Supply supporting context, sources, or anecdotes that ground your observations in verifiable detail
- Communicate professionally with the editor throughout the commissioning and editing process
Required Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- Active or recent hands-on experience working inside the hospitality industry — restaurant, bar, hotel, catering, sommelier, kitchen, or food service in any capacity
- A specific, fresh story idea that reflects something happening on the ground right now
- Basic writing ability — your pitch does not need to be polished, but your story idea must be clear and compelling
- Willingness to work through an editorial revision process
Desirable:
- Previous writing clips or published work in any outlet — trade press, local media, a personal blog, or any byline that demonstrates you can structure prose
- Awareness of what FT Magazine publishes and the tone of the “Insider’s Notebook” section
- Experience pitching editors and working to editorial briefs
Skills and Competencies
- Sharp observational eye for trends and shifts happening inside your industry
- Ability to frame a specific, timely pitch — not a broad topic, but a focused angle with a clear point
- Clear, direct writing voice that communicates expertise without being technical or jargon-heavy
- Professionalism in email communication with a senior editor at a major international publication
- Discipline to deliver clean copy on time and handle revision rounds without friction
What FT Magazine Offers
- Rate: Approximately £0.50 per word — confirm final rate post-acceptance
- Publication credit: A byline in the Financial Times is among the most prestigious freelance credits in international journalism
- Global reach: FT Magazine is read by senior professionals, executives, and decision-makers across more than 180 countries
- Remote: Pitch and write from anywhere in the world — no location requirement
- Career value: One FT byline can open doors to commissions from other top-tier international publications
About Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading international news and business publications, founded in 1888 and headquartered in London. It is read by over one million paying subscribers globally, with a reputation for rigorous journalism across finance, business, politics, and culture. FT Magazine is its weekend supplement — a premium editorial space covering lifestyle, food and drink, travel, arts, and long-form features aimed at a highly educated, high-income global readership.
The “Insider’s Notebook” section specifically platforms people with working knowledge of industries rather than journalists covering them from the outside. Hospitality is a regular focus, and the editor actively seeks voices from beyond the traditional London and New York media axis — which makes this a genuine opportunity for writers in Kenya and across the Global South.
How to Apply
Email your pitch directly to Food and Drink Editor Harriet Fitch Little: harriet.fitchlittle@ft.com
Your pitch email should include:
- Your story idea in one clear paragraph — what trend or shift you are observing, and why it matters now
- Your hospitality background — what role you work or have worked in, and where
- Why you are the right person to write this piece
- Two or three writing samples if you have them — links or attachments both work
Keep your pitch focused and brief. Senior editors at major publications make commissioning decisions fast. One sharp paragraph beats three vague ones every time.
