Why the Best Food Writers Never Make Themselves the Story | Paul Clifford

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Chef JKP sits down with Paul Clifford, a journalist and editor who has spent more than a decade covering the Middle East's hospitality industry.

Paul shares how he left banking to become a reporter, moved from crime journalism into food and hospitality, and built his career in Dubai. They talk about restaurant reviews, food influencers, responsible criticism, career change, and why journalists should never make themselves the story.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Growing up in northeast England and the food that shaped his childhood
• Leaving a banking career to become a journalist at 27
• Reporting crime and the lessons it taught him about people
• Moving to Dubai and building a career in hospitality media
• Launching Gault&Millau in the Middle East
• The difference between restaurant critics and food influencers
• Why credibility matters more than popularity in journalism
• His advice for aspiring journalists and storytellers

CHAPTERS

00:00 Childhood Food Memories
10:10 Why He Left Banking For Journalism
22:47 Reporting Crime And Learning To Tell Stories
48:22 Moving To Dubai And Starting Again
01:08:36 Building A Career In Hospitality Media
01:34:37 Food Critics vs Food Influencers
02:14:23 Why He Left After Eleven Years
02:27:01 Advice For Young Journalists
02:38:31 Quick Fire Questions
02:47:05 Advice To His 16-Year-Old Self

FEATURED GUEST

Paul Clifford
Journalist, Editor & Entrepreneur

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdclifford/

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