Awards & Nominations
Fortnum and Mason Food And Drink Awards 2025 – Rising Star Content Creator of the year – Shortlist
The Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious in British food media, recognising the year’s best work across publishing, broadcasting and digital. In 2025, Middle Eats was shortlisted for Rising Star Content Creator of the Year, a public vote category celebrating voices shaping how the country eats. Being recognised alongside the calibre of finalists in that room was an honour, and a milestone we shared with the community that made it possible.
YouTube Creator on the Rise
On 11th November 2020, YouTube featured Middle Eats as a Creator on the Rise — spotlighting the channel across its homepage, Explore and Discover pages globally for 24 hours. The programme recognises emerging creators producing quality work and making an early impact on the platform.
Testimonials
Obi and Salma are my go to experts on Middle Eastern Cooking and all its regional variations. Their food looks incredible and they are great communicators. As a Chef and
recipe developer myself, I have made several of their recipes and can say with confidence that they are of the highest standard…well tested, easy to follow and most
importantly, delicious.
When it comes to authentic Middle Eastern food there’s no one I trust more on the internet than Obi! When I’m looking to go deeper into a recipe I know Obi is going to bring the authentic techniques and flavors that take my skills and food to the next level. He also can educate and inspire you without complicating the subject matter which is super important with the way I like to learn about food.
Salma and Obi personify what Middle Eastern food is all about: generosity, community and warmth. Their combined curiosity and passion for food is the driver for Middle Eats, and what’s needed more than anything to showcase the rich diversity of all the region has to offer
Salma and Obi are incredible ambassadors and educators for authentic Middle Eastern recipes. They are true experts in the field of Middle Eastern cuisine and watching them cook reminds me of watching my grandmother cook. I have the most profound respect and admiration for the sheer breadth of their knowledge and their approachable teaching style.
Middle Eats has identified what is missing in how we teach home cooks about Middle Eastern cuisine. With every recipe they make, they not only teach you the how to make specific dish, but also the underlying techniques and spice combinations that make it special. This approach empowers home cooks all around the world to understand middle eastern
cuisines at a fundamental level.
In the press
“My favourite method, however, and not just because it involves less work, comes from Obi and Salma. As Obi says, “It’s hard to get the same texture and flavour … if your meat is in direct contact with the pan”, so their technique packs it on to ordinary skewers, as tightly as possible to keep it juicy, then puts it under the grill, “for direct heat but without any actual surface contact, to get a more authentic taste and texture”. Not only is this a one-step process, but the results genuinely taste like the real thing. It’s a stroke of genius, and I sincerely commend it to you.” The Guardian – 17th August 2022
Felicity Cloake
Award-winning food writer, writing for The Guardian
