Summer 2026 Publisher’s Letter
Well, readers—we did it. This summer’s issue marks our 20th anniversary, a milestone not many print publications see. Edible Boston is older than the iPhone, Instagram and Twitter (RIP); we were printing long before the national launch of Facebook, Eater, OpenTable and Resy; it’s almost two decades older than your new best friends, Claude and Chat; and while blogs and podcasts existed in 2006, they lived in the shadow of more trustworthy sources—like legacy newspapers, magazines, public radio and the nightly network news.
So much has changed in the years since my predecessor Ilene Bezahler founded this little business in the spare bedroom of her Brookline home, one of the earliest members of the burgeoning Edible Communities—now 80+ magazines strong. With a tiny budget and little to no design or publishing experience, she relied on the contacts she’d made working at Allandale Farm, used the advertising-supported, give-it-away-for-free model of the other Edible magazines and created Greater Boston’s first and only publication dedicated exclusively to local food and drink—and, importantly, the people who make it. And look how far it’s come!
From 2006 until 2019, Ilene edited and published 55 gorgeous issues before passing the torch to me and Chris. Since then, we’ve printed 27 issues of our own and launched Edible Worcester; we’ve weathered a pandemic and the economic downturn that followed; two wild presidential elections; a digital revolution and the infiltration of AI into our industry. The media landscape has been utterly transformed: Where print was once king, video now reigns supreme.
But through it all we’ve remained true to our values and our mission: to introduce readers to the people behind the food on their plates—and how cooking with the ingredients they produce can help build an influential community around locally grown food. There’s no shortage of stories left to tell, and we’ll be here for the next two decades—at least—as your trusted source for quality, local food journalism. None of this would be possible without our team, our readers, our supporting advertisers and subscribers, and we’re forever grateful: Your support helps us create this beautiful magazine, season after season, and bring these important stories to life.
We’re just so happy you’re here. In honor of our Big Birthday, I invited Ilene to send you all a note, included below. Hats off to local food!
Peace,
Sarah
Dear Edible readers:
It is so exciting to be writing a letter for Edible Boston's 20th anniversary!
The first issue came out in the summer of 2006. It was just the beginning of some of the best adventures I’ve had in my life. Days were spent driving around, exploring. Stopping at farms, trying new restaurants and getting to know the people who grow and make our food. 20 years later, I still consider many of them my friends.
I had no idea what was involved in publishing a magazine. Who would write the stories? Pictures? Do I take them or would I find a photographer to work for me? I was on a shoestring budget.
After the first issue came out the phone starting ringing. Local writers whose work I admired—Louisa Kasdon, Rachel Travers, Claire Leschin Hoar and Andrea Pyenson to name a few—wanted to write for the magazine!
Then in January 2007, Michael Piazza called. He had just relocated to Boston from New York and was starting to make contacts. It was love at first sight! His images had the visual aesthetics that I wanted. And so the foundation for the next 20 years began.
In October 2010, Sarah reached out and was looking for work. She was the the missing piece in our team. She totally understood my vision and was instrumental in assisting me to make it happen.
The lessons I learned in my 13 years publishing will never be forgotten. They enabled me to seamlessly meld into my new life in the wine country of California’s Central Coast where the local food and drink culture thrive.
Nothing makes me happier than to have had Sarah and Chris take the reins. I am so proud that the magazine has continued to be the voice for the local food community.
I hope you will continue to support the publication as it moves into its third decade.
Take care,
Ilene
