Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Coppel
Hi Maddie , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I was a little girl, I always remember being interested in the food industry. I spent my time after school watching Food Network for hours on end, dreaming to be like Ina Garten and Bobby Flay.
I ended up studying agricultural communications at Ohio State University, graduating in 2023, hoping to get more background into food, how it’s produced, and how to communicate about these efforts. I didn’t know if I wanted to work as a chef, have my own restaurant, or just write about the beauty that is the food and beverage industry.
In the early spring before graduation, I saw a sponsored post on LinkedIn from The Blade, looking for a journalist to fill its food editor position. I had only taken a few journalism classes in college, but food was at the center of everything I wanted to do. The job was described as recipe testing, interviewing local chefs, farmers, and community members, and writing feature stories on just that. I took a leap of faith and applied, and the rest is history!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With not having a journalism background, learning some key rules in feature writing and how to best contribute to telling these community stories was definitely a learning curve at first, but after just over a year in the role, I feel like I am finding my voice and how I like to share these stories.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the food editor at The Blade newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. I specialize in writing local pieces on food trends and innovative recipes, along with telling the stories about area chefs, farmers, vendors, students, teachers, and more.
I also film a monthly recipe series called Meals with Maddie through The Blade partnered with a local appliance center called Durocher’s, which can be viewed on The Blade’s website or youtube channel. I feature local chefs and community members to share their recipes periodically as well.
I am most proud to share the stories of local individuals, including their recipes, their view on the food industry, and what they contribute to Toledo. Considering my degree in agricultural communication, I also love to write about sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices that happen both locally and nationally.
I am happy to share that just yesterday, I received a regional award from the Press Club of Toledo for best feature story in the area, which was a piece on the wild allium, ramps! This summer, I also received second place for best arts writing in Ohio from the Society of Professional Journalism.
What sets me a part is my ability to find a story in a single ingredient, in a recipe, in a season, and in a person. I like to dig deep, and share the stories of local people in the area, and how they contribute to the food and beverage industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I took a risk moving to Toledo for this very job. I am not from the area, I am from Chillicothe, Ohio which is 3.5 hours south of here.
I moved to a place right after college where I didn’t really know anyone, know the area, or know where I was going to work. I am proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone, taking this risk, and making the most of it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddiecoppel/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddie.coppel
