Print Is Back

I'm SAVEUR’s new Editor-in-Chief and CEO, and I have some exciting news.

When the word hit in April that I had acquired this brand and was taking it indie, I was so grateful to be flooded with your well wishes and support. And when many of you followed up with the question, “Does this mean print is coming back?”—we, admittedly, played it a bit coy.

As you may know, SAVEUR's previous owners stopped publishing our regular print magazine back at the height of the pandemic. For many of us, the loss was heartbreaking. Since the spring, our team has quietly been preparing the groundwork to give you a straight answer to your question, and here it is: Yes, print is coming back.

Today, I’m so delighted to announce the pre-sale of our first new issue, which will drop in March of 2024—just in time for SAVEUR’s 30th anniversary.

This doesn’t mean we’re diving right back into printing monthlies. In starting from scratch, we had the opportunity to reconsider the old print model and land on one that will allow our publication to be the best possible version of itself, in 2024 and beyond. 

Frankly, the old-school, high-volume print model isn’t sustainable—at least not for SAVEUR. Traditional magazine publishing tended to rely on selling subscriptions for a song, sometimes even giving them away, just to build massive circulation lists. It’s no secret that the pool of potential subscribers isn’t what it used to be, and even huge circ numbers don’t promise the ad revenue they once did. Meanwhile, the parts of our brand that make it special—the ambitious culinary travel writing, first-in-class photography and design, and rigorously tested original recipes—are expensive to produce. We also have a renewed dedication to offer fair and equitable compensation to our contributors. Therefore, the model has to change. 

In short, this means the print issues will cost a little more than they used to, but I guarantee it will be worth it. We’ll publish only two issues next year, and both will receive the care and effort that previously went into a half-dozen slimmer issues. There will be limited print runs, reducing waste. We’re also simplifying our supply chain dramatically, pivoting to focus primarily on direct-to-reader sales through our website. Retail through brick-and-mortar stores will be selective; you probably won’t find the new SAVEUR at the supermarket or pharmacy—but you very well might spot a copy at your local independent bookstore, specialty food shop, or library.  

In adopting these and similar changes, we’re committed to offering you an affordable luxury: a premium print magazine that is more sustainable than ever—environmentally, socially, and financially.

If you want to be sure to get your hands on a copy of the Spring/Summer issue, you can subscribe here. And if you’d like to show SAVEUR some extra love, we’re also offering a variety of supporter-tier subscriptions, which include a one-time bundle of truly excellent swag and pantry goodies from some of our favorite partner brands to accompany the first issue. Each of these will directly support startup costs associated with the relaunch and help us continue printing for years to come. 

To be clear, we’re not abandoning SAVEUR’s digital presence. Under our previous owners, our website underwent a thorough and much-needed redesign and restructuring, and it’s in a far better place now than it was three years ago. In fact, we’ve already started expanding our online content where it makes sense for that medium—including ramped up travel coverage and monthly publication of new culinary destination guides. We’ll continue providing—paywall-free—our archive of 8,000-plus international recipes. And, as always, you can subscribe to our newsletters—also for free—right here.

I hope you enjoy this new iteration of SAVEUR. We appreciate your support, and are investing all of our love and effort to ensure we continue to earn it.

—Kat Craddock, Editor-in-Chief / CEO