by MediaSlut (@MediaSlut) Today, we’re looking at South African and international magazines which have made our #MagLoveTop10 Best Food Magazine Covers of 2016, whether off-beat, arty, or just plain smart and mouthwatering!
Here’s the publishing schedule for 2016’s #MagLoveTop10 series:
- Friday, 2 December 2016: Best South African magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 9 December 2016: Best international magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 13 January 2017: Worst magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 20 January 2017: Sexiest magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 27 January 2017: Best food magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 3 February 2017: Best travel magazine covers of 2016
- Friday, 10 February 2017: Best business magazine covers of 2016
Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us at @Marklives and @MediaSlut.
Want to view all the covers at a glance? See our MagLove Pinterest board!
View 2015’s yummiest magazine covers here.
#10. Gourmet, Autumn/Winter 2016
This rich pink/beetroot purple beauty from Condé Nast House & Garden Gourmet caught my attention only after it had already gone off shelf but, while compiling this list, it was one of the first that came to mind. It deserves a spot in the Top 10 for its beautiful plating and overall execution. Read more here.
This is Gourmet’s first appearance on this list.
#9. Food & Home Entertaining, August 2016
Sticking with elegance and complete decadence is this dark beauty from Food & Home, with beautiful touches of gold.
This is Food & Home Entertaining’s fourth appearance on this list since it began in 2013. In 2015, it made it to #9; in 2014, it made it to #7, and, in 2013, it made it to #3.
#8. Good Housekeeping, July 2016
The conceptual aspect and final execution are what makes this a fresh cover and idea, and thus deserves to also squeeze into the Top 10 for 2016! Read more here.
This is Good Housekeeping’s first appearance on this list.
#7. MyKitchen, Issue 24
2016 has definitely been a great year for MyKitchen, and I’m sure the TFG (The Foschini Group) Club Members are devouring their issues page by page. I’ve noticed a clear shift in design, styling and overall execution (typography, photography, layout etc), and I’m absolutely loving it all! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it can definitely stand proud next to any other international food magazine! Read more here.
This is MyKitchen’s first appearance on this list.
#6. Eat Out 2017
I know that coming up with a unique cover concept every year, for a magazine that will be on the shelf for a full year, isn’t the easiest thing to do, and there will be many, many, many concepts and revisions before final approval and going off to print. While the black-and-white, yin and yang, and split-toned-cutlery are relatively busy on an individual basis, as an over-all cover, it all balances and works together perfectly. Read more here.
This is Eat Out’s first appearance on this list.
#5. Olive, May 2016
Sometimes a magazine cover comes along and make you go, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Olive and its “’wichcraft” cover does just that. The bright blues, egg-yellow and egg-white are what first catches your attention, and then the dark magic that created here. Next time I’m making egg-in-the-hole, I’m taking it to the next level by using the same spell the magazine did…
This is Olive’s first appearance on this list.
#4. Foodism (London), Issue 9
Hot upon the (bread) heels of Olive is Foodism with its… bright blue, egg-yellow and egg-white cover! Those folks over at Foodism always seem to see things sunny side up, as they have to find creative ways to incorporate their iconic “f” into the cover elements. I would think that it’s an over-hard job, yet they make it look over easy! It really scrambles my brain every time I see their covers; I hope they never run out of ideas… even if they have to poach from others. Okay, I’ll stop now!
This is Foodism’s second appearance on this list. In 2015, it made it to #1.
#3. Crumbs (Devon edition), August 2016
Inspired by the movie Natural Born Killers, the cover line Natural Corn Thrillers in itself deserves a spot on the Top 10! I know, corny, but what really a-maizes me about this cover were the ‘burned’ coverlines on the mielies. And that’s why Crumbs deserves a no. 3 spot this year! Read more here.
This is Crumbs’ third appearance on this list. It made it to #5 both in 2015 and in 2014.
#2. Sweet Paul, Summer 2016
This cover of Sweet Paul wouldn’t be possible without a kickass stylist with a great vision of what they want! It’s as pretty as something you would find in top décor magazines, and it brings together two of my favourite genres of magazines: food and décor. Even though it’s not possible to replicate and cook/bake this cover (as is the aim with most food titles), visually, it’s a masterpiece! Read more here.
This is Sweet Paul’s first appearance on this list.
#1. Woolworths TASTE, September 2016
This cover of TASTE is as local and truly South African as it gets, but the team didn’t just stop with a piece of meat on the cover — they took it to a whole new level and gave it ‘life’ by ‘burning’ their masthead! Smokin’ hot! Visually one of the strongest South African food covers and I think it’s absolutely braailiant and a well-deserving no. 1 spot! Read more here.
This is Woolworths TASTE’s third appearance on this list. It made it to #4 both in 2014 and in 2013.
MagLove by @MediaSlut is a regular slot featuring the best local and international magazine covers every week, recognising well thought-out, powerful and interesting (and hopefully all three-in-one) covers and celebrating the mix of pragmatism, creativity and personal taste that created each of them. The anonymous (for now) blogger behind MediaSlut knows way too much for his own good about media in South Africa, magazines in particular. His mission is to show when SA magazines fail but, most importantly, also when they succeed. If you’re looking for a library about SA magazines and news, this is your one-stop pitstop.
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