Author of the 
Last week, after 68 years of publishing, it was annouced that Gourmet would be closing its doors as a result of lost advertising sales during the economic downturn.
As it says on the Gourmet magazine website which is run by Conde Nast Publications (but is apparently scheduled to be eventually shuttered as well):
“Please be advised that Gourmet magazine will cease publication after the November (Thanksgiving) issue.
Subscribers can look forward to receiving Bon Appetit magazine for the remainder of their subscription. The Gourmet.com website will remain available during a transitional period, and access to Gourmet recipes will also remain available via sister site Epicurious.com and the Epi iPhone application.”
This was a great surprise to many, as there had been editorial rumbling in some circles that Gourmet’s rival sister publication, Bon Appetit would be getting the ax instead. With noted food expert and bestselling author Ruth Reichl at its helm as well as Gourmet’s long and august history of publication, many thought that Bon Appetit would be the one to go.
Gourmet was often associated with an older, more upscale audience than the more recipe-centric Bon Appetit. Salon Magazine recently published an article intended to debunk that association, stating that Gourmet Magazine’s focus was more aspirational and inspirational than Gourmet’s critics once contended; inspiring many to learn to cook (and the piece’s author himself to eventually become a food writer).
As former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl stated in two consecutive posts on her Twitter page the day the closure was announced:
“Thank you all SO much for this outpouring of support. It means a lot. Sorry not to be posting now, but I’m packing. We’re all stunned, sad.
Dishes done. All gone. Great gathering at the house tonight. I so love the people I’ve worked with at Gourmet. Hard to believe it’s over.”
Please join us tomorrow to read our newest daily food and cooking feature on HuggingtheCoast.Com, The Fish For Friday Recipe of the Week: Lobster Bisque Soup.
If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:
- 75+ Recipes From James Beard Award Winning Chefs
- Foodbuzz Blog Awards: A Tasty Way to Celebrate Some of the Best Food and Cooking Blogs
- Cooking With Ease and Grace With Nathalie Dupree
- 5 Easy Seafood Recipes from a Future Celebrity Chef: Virginia Willis
- A Passion For Chocolate: Remembering the Co-Founder of Scharffen Berger
- Sam Kass, Barack Obama’s Personal Chef, Joins White House Staff
(Photo Credits: Gourmet Magazine and Gourmet.Com)
October 16th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Great post! 5 Great recipes from Gourmet: http://www.chewonthatblog.com/2009/10/05/gourmet-magazine-68-years-of-history-comes-to-a-close/
October 18th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
This was such a big suprise and i was very stunned as well. I am a new fan of gourmet just a couple months ago discovering it..I know i know i was sooo late on that but as a young married woman this is the first time i ever had to cook and gourmet showed me recipes to stun my husband on a regular basis. I went out and purchased both of the gourmet books and i will deff treasure them and go back for recipes time and time again.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
this made me so sad - i’ve gotten gourmet my WHOLE life.