The Guardian Tests Substack Platform with Food Newsletter Experiment

The Guardian has initiated its first trial on Substack by migrating its Feast food newsletter to the platform. This move is part of Project Berger, a strategic initiative led by editor-in-chief Katharine Viner to enhance the publication's digital and experimental approaches. Feast, which boasts over 100,000 subscribers and nearly 70% open rates, represents one of nearly 60 newsletters The Guardian has developed over four years, shifting from automated content to original reporting. Toby Moses, appointed as the head of newsletters in 2021, explained that Substack's active food community, including publications like Vittles, made it an ideal starting point. The experiment aims to determine whether Substack can attract new readers unfamiliar with The Guardian's journalism. Potential future steps include creating exclusive content for Substack and expanding more newsletters to the platform. This development follows similar moves by other major publishers: The Financial Times launched a free weekly newsletter from its FT Alphaville blog in November to engage younger audiences, and The Economist introduced a paid data journalism newsletter on Substack in September, targeting niche readers without affecting its core subscription base. These initiatives reflect a broader trend of traditional media exploring alternative platforms to reach diverse audiences and leverage existing communities.