Interview: Chefclub

Becky Ash sat down with the Lang Brothers, Thomas (CEO), Jonathan (CCO) and Axel (COO), who are the founders of the phenomenon which is Chefclub to talk food, licensing, and the exponential growth of the brand.

A Unique Position in ‘Eatertainment’

Can you outline how you came to found Chefclub?

At the beginning of 2016 we came up with the idea for an original cooking concept: have fun in the kitchen using ordinary ingredients and turn them into extraordinary recipes. But how to best translate this spectacular cuisine? Through video of course! This unique positioning between easy recipes and entertainment turned out to be an immediate success with hundreds of thousands of views! Chefclub became the answer to an uncomplicated cooking experience, a far cry from traditional stuffy culinary shows. Our mission was simple: bring everyone together in the kitchen with inspiring, fun and accessible products and services. Our first videos were shot in our family apartment which soon became the HQ of the startup, prior to setting up our offices in a former printing house in the 11th arrondissement in Paris.

And did you have culinary experience?

Despite our reputation for the French being gourmets, we are like most people in France and other places, Chefclub’s goal from day one was to re-ignite an interest in the kitchen and have fun using ordinary ingredients to create extraordinary recipes.

Can you tell us some of your impressive viewing figures to date?

Chefclub gets 2.5 billion monthly views from 100 million subscribers in Europe, the US, China and Latin America – with almost half of our views in the US alone. And crucially, our views are very sticky with an many seconds per video which is six times higher than the Facebook average. This is a real achievement considering how fierce the competition is on social platforms where all publishers are fighting to keep the attention of their viewers.

What is the appeal, do you think?

It is our unique positioning as eatertainment which resonates far beyond cooking enthusiasts. Our motto is to get everyone in the kitchen, from men and women, to children. We have put having fun in the kitchen at the center of everything we do with and around cooking. We also have designated channels (Chefclub Original, Light & Fun, Daily, Cocktails and Kids) that appeal to special interests for a wide audience. Chefclub really offers something for everyone in the family. We are especially proud of our initiatives for children which give them inspiration and autonomy in the kitchen. On top of our eye-catching and entertaining video recipes, we offer a whole new experience to children with kid-friendly utensils to facilitate their cooking experience.

Did you notice a rise in popularity during the pandemic?

Certainly. It seems that cooking and the internet became the main source of entertainment during the pandemic.

Our ethos focuses very directly on uniting friends and family through having fun with food, so we were able to respond to a very important need over the last two years. We saw a massive uplift in family home cooking and the demand for our Chefclub Kids set had an exponential growth of +400% during lockdown. Changes in people’s eating habits tracked during lockdown showed a rise in families eating together and Chefclub Kids’ offering has been acting as a key tool and inspiration to a lot of families during this difficult period.

Let’s talk licensing – what potential partners are you looking for?

We are looking for partners in loyalty promotion, promotion, meet&greets, food&beverages, QSR as well as homeware, home textile categories mainly.

How does the ethos of Chefclub translate into licensing?

Our unique positioning between food and entertainment translates really well in licensing since we offer more than just products, we also offer experiences and activities that engage the entire family - both online and offline. We provide retailers and partners with a uniquely immersive, distinctive and character-driven cooking universe. Our first initiatives in France with Carrefour (Chefclub Experience Tour) or Toy/Cookware Specialists (Chefclub Corners) pave the way and inspire both future licensees and retailers to count on Chefclub’s growing IP to offer family experiences to their customers. Licensees and retailers are in need of meaningful brands with a purpose, strong brand values and storytelling that are able to connect with their consumers in store as well as online, and Chefclub is able to play that role. This approach has attracted retailers that recognize Chefclub’s strength at connecting with consumers on an emotional level. We offer uniquely inspiring cooking experiences through our innovative kids product line, our best-selling cookbooks, live in-store events and displays, and of course our eye-catching video recipes.

This year you announced a move into kids animation, what are your objectives?

We have a very simple objective which is to expand the platforms on which our existing fans can enjoy the Chefclub universe, and welcome new users into the Chefclub world. We are very excited about our new animation project Chefclub Friends because it will provide a new way – both in terms of platforms and in genre – to ignite a passion for food. In the series, which stars the popular mascots from Chefclub, viewers can go beyond the confines of their own kitchen to discover foods from all over the world. And the unique storytelling freedom of animation will add all sorts of adventure, fantasy and comedy not possible in live videos from our studio.

How will the Chefclub Friends series extend the brand overall?

Chefclub Friends will be the backbone of our character-driven brand. Having our animated series aired on linear TV or platforms will be an important step for us, as well as a starting point for new licensing opportunities. A linear series will speed up the process and allow us to expand into new categories and territories.

For more info see: www.Chefclub.tv, https://boutique.Chefclub.tv/

2.5 billion organic monthly views

100 million followers