“Food is spilling into unexpected territories,” says Irish magazine Guzzle’s founder, Jane Gleeson. She references Jonathan Anderson’s viral tomato clutch for Loewe, Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Pop-Up, and restaurants like Rita’s and Sessions Arts Club that have increased presence at the Frieze Art Fair in recent years. It makes sense, because food is arguably the world’s greatest connector, and that’s what Guzzle is all about: using food as a springboard to explore larger ideas and to bring people together.
The magazine has now launched its third issue, which explores the fleeting notion of home, with a commissioned cover painting by Laura Callaghan. Jane founded Guzzle while living in Dublin, but now runs it out of East London, alongside a day job as a consultant for restaurants. Still, Irishness remains the focus of the publication’s identity. The Irish diaspora is one of the largest in the world, and Guzzle has seen its reach go global, with contributions from writers in Cape Town, New York, and Brussels. “Guzzle is a place where they can reconnect with their identity and heritage,” says Jane. “Some pieces are deeply personal, while others adopt humour, spanning the physical and mental tolls of working in a commercial kitchen to a wacky recipe inspired by Dublin’s housing crisis.”
The initial visual identity for the magazine was developed by Dublin-based designer Shane Bonfield. The first issue explored the role of nostalgia in creating comfort during times of unease, while issue two focused on love amid global disconnect. The artwork is just as important as the writing, with commissioned photography and drawings to illustrate each piece. “Several readers have purchased the artwork to frame and exhibit in their own homes,” Jane shares.