Kiosk Konversations // in conversation with Ben Mervis, founder and editor-in-chief of Fare Magazine

Fare Magazine, founded by Ben Mervis in 2017, is a captivating bi-annual print publication that delves into city culture by intertwining food, history, and community. Using food as a lens, Fare Magazine uncovers the stories, history, and essence of city life, with each issue being guided by locals intimately familiar with the city's pulse. We had the privilege of interviewing Ben Mervis, the founder and editor-in-chief of Fare Magazine, who also has contributed to the acclaimed Netflix documentary series “Chef’s Table” as the lead researcher. Join us as we dive into an inspiring conversation with Ben, get to know the team behind the scenes and explore the captivating perspective they have created through the pages of Fare Magazine.

“As food is something we all enjoy, and can all speak to, it’s such a great connective element, both for our readers and contributors.” 

– Ben Mervis, Fare Magazine

Ben, you are the founder behind FARE magazine. Could you please introduce yourself and your FARE team to our readers?

My name is Ben Mervis, I’m a food writer and researcher, and also the founder and editor-in-chief of Fare magazine. In our editorial team, I’m also joined by Kenzie Yoshimura, our managing editor, who keeps us in shape, keeps us organized and directed. And then in terms of design, we’ve got Ric Bell, our long-time art director, who has worked on every issue of the mag. In addition we have two longtime photographers, Liz Seabrook and Sam A. Harris, who’ve each shot several issues, as well as some other recurring contributors who make regular contributions like Aurore Carric and Waldemar Stepien. They’re not members of the team, per se, but their contributions help give character and consistency to what we do.

In your Copenhagen issue, you wrote: “The way food can be used to understand people, to understand the world around us, went on to form Fare’s very foundation.” Could you please share with us the inspiration behind starting FARE magazine, as well as its vision and mission? And, of course, what motivated you to delve into the intersection of food and travel?

Yeah, so Fare is founded on the idea that food is the best way to familiarize yourself with a city and the people who live there. By exploring the food, you tap into deep rooted elements of culture. We love how each edition of the magazine has a web of connections –into history, politics, religion, community, migration, and so on – but which often begin with a conversation around food. As food is something we all enjoy, and can all speak to, it’s such a great connective element, both for our readers and contributors. 

Your first issue featured Istanbul, and your latest issue is focused on Budapest. How do you go about selecting the destinations and stories that are featured in each issue of FARE? What criteria do you consider when deciding on a particular destination?

To be honest, as an independent magazine, these decisions are made differently from issue to issue, based on the circumstances. We always look for a compelling city with a rich history and a fascinating food culture, but we also want to find cities that have a different feel to what and where we’ve covered in the past. In terms of selecting stories, well it’s a long process that begins with a deep dive into the city’s history, all sorts of books and articles on the place, and interviews or casual chats with locals across the city. Starting with what feels like a million ideas we slowly whittle them down to about 20 or 25. 

Why cities? What is it about cities that makes them particularly special when it comes to food culture, in your opinion?

That decision was more foundational than you’d think. Diving into a city over 200 pages seemed a fine amount of space, with ample room for distinctly different stories and angles on the same location, with the ultimate goal of leaving with an understanding and essence of the place. 

What role do you believe food plays in understanding and experiencing different cultures, and how does FARE aim to capture and convey these cultural connections through its storytelling?

For us, it plays a crucial role in how we introduce and flesh out a city by sort of talking around and through it, but rarely about the place itself. The best situation is when we find that two or more of our stories connect to each other – in terms of the people, dishes, or neighbourhood discussed. That’s often by pure chance, but it shows us we’re moving in the right direction in a narrative sense.

Each issue of FARE is akin to a cherished travel book, a companion leading you to a destination through shared experiences. Why did you opt for a high-quality print magazine instead of a digital format?

Exactly for that reason, it’s something to cherish, and something to slowly digest. I feel that Fare is a very thoughtful publication, and it should take time to get through an issue, to slowly appreciate it. It’s not about how quickly you want the information. If you want that, there’s better sources for you out there!

What challenges do you encounter when capturing the essence of a food culture in a magazine format? How do you overcome these challenges to create a compelling and immersive reading experience for your audience?

It can be difficult to get started, to find contributors, or find stories that feel like the right fit for us, but frankly, we just keep at it! We just have to keep going and we’ll eventually get there. Often when we find someone who was great to work with, we’ll tap into their network as well and see if there’s anyone they’d suggest speaking with. 

Each issue is guided by locals of the city and you work with as many local writers, photographers, and illustrators as possible. How does this collaboration enhance the authenticity of your magazine's content? Could you please describe the process of bringing an issue of FARE Magazine to life?

It’s important that the locals play a big role in guiding the content, otherwise it’s just us doing that again and again, and probably about things that don’t matter much to locals! We often start with many ideas about the city, what it’s like, and what stories to cover, and by the end of our first research trip we’ll have thrown out or replaced half of them! The fact that we choose locally-led topics is as important to the magazine’s concept as its decision to use food as a vehicle for storytelling. It’s how we know we’re on track. The local illustrators and photographers we work with give each issue a character and aesthetic all its own. I think that’s so fantastic. You really get a feel for the flavour of the city that way.

Do you enjoy reading any other indie food, drinks or travel magazines? Which ones are your favourites?

 There are many magazines out there that I admire and respect, but to be honest, when I’m switching off from work I tend to switch off entirely from the genre, otherwise it becomes all consuming! But there’s so many great mags and books out there, like The Preserve Journal, Monocle’s city guide series, and I’ve really liked the look of the new Kinfolk books.

What has been your favorite story from the latest issue that explores the food culture of Budapest, and why do you believe everyone should grab a copy?

Honestly, this is one of the best issues we’ve ever done, so it’s hard to pick! There’s an essay on a retro communist-era café called Bambi which is excellent, and evokes the uniqueness and charm of this sort of locals-only institution. The fact that it’s written by a local, a journalist, with their own insight into Budapest intelligentsia and café scene gives it this extra level. There’s also a really nice Hungarian folktale that’s woven into one writer’s personal childhood memories surrounding food, celebration, and heritage. It’s the last piece in this issue and it’s a really touching sign-off. 

photo credits:

photo of Ben Mervis: © Murray Orr
group photo of team FARE: © Sarah Bell
other photos: © FARE Magazine

FARE issues available at Ferment Kiosk: