He might be the new editor of one of Australia’s most prestigious foodie magazines, but David Meagher is not beyond whipping up a quick Instagram recipe when the mood strikes.
“I do use those recipes too, they’re essential when you’re busy,” he told Mediaweek. “But there are moments when you want to slow down, take your time, and really enjoy the process. That’s where Gourmet Traveller comes in.”
Meagher, who takes the helm of the title as it prepares to mark its 60th anniversary, comes to the role with deep experience in luxury publishing.
At Wish magazine, he worked across a broad remit of premium content, while at The Local Project he helped broaden the brand beyond architecture and design into lifestyle.
“What I will be bringing is that experience I got working for a long time on Wish, which was a very luxury-focused magazine,” he said.
“At The Local Project, one of the jobs I had was to broaden their focus. They wanted to expand into lifestyle, so I created a section that reflected what their audience was interested in, while keeping it consistent with their brand. That’s what we’ll be doing at Gourmet Traveller. It has always been the prestige food magazine, the luxury food title. As we move into the 60th anniversary, the aim is to consolidate that and grow it further.”
LARK Distillery co-founder Bill Lark with Gourmet Traveller editor David Meagher
Broadening content and keeping it relevant
That growth will mean carefully expanding the magazine’s focus while ensuring it remains grounded in its core strengths.
“Gourmet Traveller is more specific: food and travel. My approach is always audience-first, understanding what readers are interested in, what they engage with most, and then expanding in ways that feel natural,” Meagher explained.
Travel, for instance, could evolve to include motoring, not just overseas trips by plane or ship. On the food side, he sees scope for more coverage of products linked to entertaining and dining at home.
“Everything must fit through the lens of food and travel,” he added. “If it does, then it belongs.”
Understanding the audience
Part of Meagher’s early focus will be digging into the reader data to get a clearer picture of who Gourmet Traveller’s audience is today.
“Being a nearly 60-year-old title, Gourmet Traveller has both new readers and long-term subscribers. That sense of ownership is powerful, readers feel invested in the magazine. Respecting that loyalty while finding ways to grow the audience will be crucial,” he said.
Competing in the digital food space
While the print edition remains central, Meagher is clear-eyed about the competitive digital landscape.
“The online food space is crowded, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube are overflowing with fast, simple recipes. But Gourmet Traveller offers something different: a more elevated and considered experience. It’s for the person who cooks for pleasure, not just to get dinner on the table.”
He said the challenge is to play to the brand’s strengths across multiple channels without duplicating content.
“Print, digital and social should work together, but not be carbon copies. Different channels demand different treatments. One focus for us will be video: not just YouTube, but tailored food video for social, each crafted for its platform and audience.”
David Meagher
On Are Media’s sale
Meagher joins at a time of change for parent company Are Media, which is currently up for sale. He acknowledged the uncertainty but said his priority remains the content.
“Working in newspapers for 15 years taught me that change is constant. Restructures, new bosses, new management, it’s part of publishing. You just deal with it when it happens. Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes challenging, but you can’t get bogged down in ownership changes. We’ve still got magazines and websites to put out, and that’s the job,” he said.
“It’s such a cliché to say, but we’ll find out when we find out.”