Kerri Peifer from Richmond.com visits SPJ!

By Hillary Huber

Kerri Peifer, a scrumptious food writer and editor for Richmond.com, visited SPJ on Tuesday to share a  little insight into her career and give advice to aspiring journalists.

(From left) Jalisa House, Katherine Coates, Mia Burnside, Manhatten Royal, Kristine Hadeed, Kerri Peifer, Hillary Huber,Jessica Coates

Although Peifer refers to herself as a food writer, she says the career name is so vague that even Wikipedia doesn’t have a description of it. According to her, food writing differs from being a food critic in that she doesn’t know enough about food to properly critique it, and is a “barely functional cook.” So what exactly do food writers do?

There are three particular skills a person must possess in order to be a successful food writer. First and foremost, they must know food–not in the “you must drink this wine and eat this cheese” sense, but know what people look for in different kinds of food. Secondly, he or she must know how to write well. Peifer said while it’s easy to say what she liked and didn’t like about a restaurant, it’s more challenging to put the entire experience into well-crafted words. Lastly, he or she must know Richmond. She said it’s important to know the culture of the city, to know the best local hot spots, and to understand what the people of Richmond like in a restaurant. Above all, he or she must have a strong voice–uniqueness, originality, and creativity are all important to incorporate into food writing.