What’s cooking? The side hustle of celebrities in the food industry
The newest ‘side hustle’ stars are banking on isn’t beauty or fashion, but food! Hollywood actor Pamela Anderson has just rolled out a limited-edition line, Pamela’s Pickles, selling a few hundred jars she made herself from a recipe passed down by her great-aunt.
Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has expanded her lifestyle brand As Ever (earlier American Riviera Orchard) into jams, wines, baking mixes and more. As she puts it: “This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.”
Back in India, actor Sanya Malhotra has turned her matcha obsession into Bree Matcha, after a holiday in Japan where she rediscovered the drink’s calming energy. And actor-couple Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh also launched their plant-based meat label, Imagine. Genelia had told us, “Our brand was born when Riteish and I, being non-vegetarian our entire life, decided to take the route of giving up animal protein. So, we put some thought into it, and it was born out of an intent to understand someone who wanted to give up animal protein and also to help them have an alternative to it.”
What is fuelling this rush?
Marketing specialist Kartik Shukla says food has shifted from necessity to indulgence. “There is definitely growth there, even from a slightly glamorised POV. It’s a booming business. Celebs (or their PRs) have understood it. For them, it lends a much more grounded, relatable and approachable image with food vs beauty, which still has a perception of luxury, elitism.”
Chefs working closely with the celebrities agree that the personal connection is what makes celebrity-backed food brands resonate. Chef Vicky Ratnani notes, “Food is sentimental; there is a deeper connection there. If someone launches a brand, they have to first resonate with it themself; it starts from within. You need to believe that the brand is you and an extension of you, only then you’d be able to resonate with your audience.”
Chef Suvir Saran adds, “For celebs, food business is scalable and Instagrammable, something that can live in your daily life long after the headlines fade. That makes it a compelling long-term play, especially in India, where food traditions are emotional currency and nostalgia sells.”
