Qatar’s Trailblazers |
She was encouraged by the positive responses to her
blog: “People really seemed to engage with me,” she says.
Instagram and Twitter helped her to find an even bigger
audience to share foodie finds with her fans. Rachel has recently expanded her quest to find the very
best eateries outside Qatar’s borders. She says: “Qatar is
a gateway and we have so many interesting destinations
within easy reach for a weekend trip.”
Whatever the platform, Rachel works hard to uncover
Doha’s best restaurants. She says that regular and varied
content “keeps readers engaged and coming back”. Because her fans in Qatar are constantly on the lookout
to discover new cuisines, they are enthusiastic about her
foodie adventures abroad. She is now just as likely to be
found showcasing food in Sri Lanka, India or Singapore
as in Doha. India is a particular favourite: “I love the
food and the energy of the country,” says Rachel.
Today, she is one of Doha’s most established ‘influencers’
– a word used to describe people with a large fan base on
social media, especially Instagram, who set trends and
influence consumer behaviour.
The rise of Instagram and its influencers has, according
to Rachel, “transformed how we eat and how we decide
where to eat.” Just one Instagram post from her can
make or break a restaurant’s reputation in Doha. As
such, there are some perks to the job: invitations to
restaurant openings, complimentary food and drink, and
reservations at the very best tables.
Despite her position as an influencer, Rachel has
struggled to be seen on equal terms to food critics writing
for traditional newspapers.
She says: “I think there is a still a level of scepticism
about bloggers and social media generally, and this has
made it hard to win over audiences.”
But this hasn’t put her off blogging – and her
perseverance has paid off. She says that a big turning
point in her blogging career, and one of her proudest
moments since starting Life on the Wedge, was when
international brands started to take notice of her work.
She also sees her blog as a way to connect with people
and share her experience of living in Doha. She says: “I
love how passionate people are about food here.
“I also really enjoy the holy month of Ramadan – not
just the incredible food, but the family atmosphere and
spirit of sharing makes it one of my favourite times of
the year.”
These days, Rachel is just as likely to be found with
her head buried in a book than eating at the latest new
restaurant. “I’ve recently joined Qatar National Library,”
she says. “I’ve been able to indulge my inner book nerd
– it’s a stunning space, has more than one million books
and is a great space to lose myself for a few hours.”
But nothing can keep Rachel away from restaurants for
too long. After all, she says: “I do spend a lot of time
eating out!”
Last year, Rachel was featured in Qatar Airways’
onboard magazine, Oryx. She says that when she saw
the article, “it made me feel that all the hard work was
finally paying off.”
About Rachel
Website: lifeonthewedge.net
Instagram: rachelmorris71
Twitter: @LifeontheWedge
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