‘Never Seconds’ Blog Catapults 9-year-old Food Blogger to Viral Success

Never Seconds: 9-year-old food blogger Martha Payne documents her school lunches. Photo credit: Never Seconds

Martha Payne, a 9-year-old from Scotland, was not pleased with the lunchtime offerings at her primary school: Stingy on the portions, too few vegetables, poor taste. So she did what any child of the 21st century would do – she started a blog.

Never Seconds, started on April 30, details Payne’s daily culinary adventures: She documents each meal with a picture, and rates the meal according to taste (“food-o-meter”), portion-size, healthfulness, and how many hairs she’s found in it (so far, none). And already, she’s discovered just how powerful the internet can be.

The budding food blogger achieved international fame after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver tweeted a message to Payne’s father on May 10, directing his masses of followers to her blog. Since then, her blog has blown up – as of Friday, the blog had received more than 1.3 million hits – and Payne was interviewed on the BBC, and was mentioned on American media, including ABC. Perhaps more importantly, after Payne exposed to the wider world just how measly the portions at her school were, her father met with the local council – as of May 17, primary school students were allowed as much fruit, vegetable and bread as they wanted.

@ballibeg neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk Shocking but inspirational blog.Keep going, Big love from Jamie x

— Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) May 10, 2012