Pitching the Heavy Table (Businesses)

Kate N.G. Sommers / Heavy Table
Kate N.G. Sommers / Heavy Table

The Heavy Table receives many press releases and other pitches each week, but is able to do stories on very few of them. If you’re a company or press representative looking to reach the readers of the Heavy Table, keep in mind first and foremost that we’re looking to cover the craft food and drink of the Upper Midwest. Our bread and butter stories are deep dive interviews with food artisans and restaurant reviews. Anything else we run has to be as good as or better than a new review of an intriguing hole in the wall restaurant or an interview with an exciting chef.

Here’s an FAQ that addresses many questions that businesses have for us.

Can Heavy Table Preview My Event?

Probably not. There are dozens (or hundreds) of events every week, and event previews don’t generally perform well for us (as opposed to restaurant reviews or artisan profiles.) If you’ve got a promotional budget, sponsored announcements or longer sponsored content can be a great fit for introducing your event to our audience.

But always, always feel free to tell us about your event – if nothing else, we’re happy to add it to our Event Calendar.

Can Heavy Table Review My Product?

Possibly. It should be made locally (Minnesota, Wisconsin, or potentially Iowa.) It helps if it’s food, and not a food-related thing or service. It also helps if there’s a craft/artisanal aspect to it. If you’re thinking about sending a sample but aren’t sure how good a fit the product is, feel free to reach out, and we can give you a sense as to whether it’s a slam dunk, possible review, longshot, or instant no-go.

If you’re an out-of-state company pitching a product being introduced to the Minnesota market, sponsored content and/or other advertising is almost certainly your best bet for interacting with our readers.

Can Heavy Table Attend My Restaurant Preview?

Generally speaking, we’d rather not. We prefer to review restaurants as members of the public experience them, not via media events. The food, service, and overall feel of a restaurant preview often bears little to no resemblance to the actual restaurant. But always feel free to ask, particularly if we’ve written about you before.

Can Heavy Table Review My Restaurant?

Potentially, sure. We’ve got dozens of restaurants on our radar for possible review, so tell us what makes yours interesting. Tell us about a special dish or dishes, about the stories of your team members, about what makes your place different and/or better.

Can You Review My Book?

Assuming it’s about food and/or drink in the Upper Midwest, maybe. Books vary so wildly in quality (both writing and visual appeal) that we won’t know until we look at a review copy. We don’t have a lot of space for book reviews, but we do try to fit them in every month or two. And when we really like a book, we also like pairing reviews with cooking-with-the-author type in-depth Q&As, too.

Do You Mind If I Ask You Questions About How and Why You Cover Things?

Not at all. We’re always happy to talk about our editorial priorities and explain how the sausage gets made. Email editor@heavytable.com. For questions about sponsored content, banner ads, newsletter sponsorships, and other underwriting opportunities, contact jrnorton@heavytable.com.