The brief
English writer Hughie Shepherd-Cross was looking for someone to help his new comedy with songs ‘Out to Lunch’ get reviews; to encourage food critics to come, and to be included in roundup pieces. It was their fourth time at the Fringe, but the first Fringe to be held since the pandemic, so it was going to be competitive to get coverage.

My role
I had a very limited time to get up to speed (we started work in June). First up was to get in touch with previous reviewers, and to send press night invites to the many chefs and critics mentioned in the script. Weeks were spent messaging with national reviewers over LinkedIn. I reached out to a handpicked selection of Instagram influencers who had an interest in food and drink. I braved the crowds to pitch the show to the press at Meet the Media (an in-person event which connects journalists and editors with Fringe participants).

The result
I secured a preview interview with a podcast. The Scotsman came to review. During the first seven days of the run, six reviews were published - more at that stage than all of their previous Fringe appearances. A member of the Guild of Food writers and food and drink influencer gave the show extensive exposure on her social media channels. The Observer's restaurant critic Jay Rayner even responded to the email invite. Reviews were published by titles including The Student, Edinburgh Guide, Broadway World, Edfringereview, The Scotsman and Broadway Baby.