A blog created in University by a thrifty student has now become a fully-fledged business with a book deal, partnerships with other brands and a thriving Instagram community. With the festive period upon us, inevitably you’ll be having several Christmas dinners towards the end of this semester. Whether it’s with your flatmates or with your friends, it can often be hard to find recipes that cater for everyone, with ingredients that don’t break the bank. If you’re looking for unique ideas, MOB Kitchen has got you covered.
MOB Kitchen is an online publishing company that was set up by Benjamin Lebus to share affordable and easy-to-make recipes via free “how-to” videos online. The brand claims what makes them different to other food bloggers on social media sites is that they don’t post typical “food porn” that the average person couldn’t hope to cook well. Instead, the recipes are easy to replicate, showing students that it’s possible to make delicious, tasty food, even after a long day of lectures.
The main component that has led to their success over the past two years is their budget-friendly food. Every recipe in their first series of videos, as well as in their 2018 cookbook, feeds four or more people for under a tenner…and when they say £10, they mean it. If you’re thinking of getting back into the kitchen but are lacking the kit, don’t panic! Their budget doesn’t assume you’ve got the kitchen cupboard fully stocked – all they expect you to have is salt, pepper and olive oil. Recipes are also priced at the cost of the product in the supermarkets rather than the cost of how much of the product you use, making it so much easier to work out your weekly shopping bill. What’s even better is after you’ve trialled a few recipes, you’ll have leftover ingredients from previous videos and can subtract that cost completely from your next shop.
We spoke to Anna Higgins, the official Leeds MOB Brand Ambassador (a new position created this year in order to spread the news about the MOB). Anna believes that MOB is focused towards students and tries to help students in every way: “I personally have always been a big foodie and came across the brand before I started university – MOB’s recipes are cheap, easy and most importantly super delicious.” Anna emphasised that MOB tries to be as inclusive as possible, offering a range of recipes to suit all dietary requirements. Their vegetarian and vegan recipes have been so successful, they’re planning to launch an exclusively veggie recipe book next year. Vegetarian recipes have seen tremendous growth in popularity with all age groups, not least of which among young people who are becoming more environmentally conscious about their food consumption. This brand has something for everyone and if you’re looking for quick and easy ideas to keep all your housemates happy at Christmas, these free online videos could give you a helping hand.
Whatever you’re planning this holiday, food can bring people together, so why not take the opportunity to try out a few recipes with your mates this festive season?
Daisy Woodford