BakeSpace Advances Food Social Networking with New Mentor Program for Home Chefs

 
“A lot of home chefs want to learn new skills, but don’t know where to turn for help,” said BakeSpace Founder Babette Pepaj. “Our new mentor program makes it easy to connect and learn from more experienced members, while discovering new friends along the way.”

 

The mentor program adds a new level of utility to food social networking by helping less experienced members tap into the skills and knowledge of their more experienced peers. Each member who wants to become a mentor creates a mentor profile tagged to specific types of foods, as well as cooking and techniques. So when people browse BakeSpace’s recipe database and find a tasty recipe, they also find a list of related tips and corresponding mentors who are eager to share advice and provide encouragement. Those looking for help can also browse the mentor section directly to find and connect with mentors based on a variety of search criteria.

 

“With today’s hectic, high-tech lifestyle, it seems like there’s less and less time to hang out in the kitchen and learn skills the old-fashioned way,” Pepaj added. “The new mentor program, like the rest of BakeSpace, is all about preserving the tradition of gathering in the kitchen to prepare food, share skills and socialize. On BakeSpace, great recipes are just the beginning of the journey.”

 

The mentor program is part of BakeSpace.com’s first head-to-toe makeover since the site, which has earned back-to-back Webby Award honors, was launched nearly two years ago. In addition to a new homepage design and logo, other new features introduced as part of today’s relaunch improve customization, navigation and sponsor integration.

 

 

From day-one, BakeSpace has been based on a unique recipe-swap platform that feeds each member’s latest recipes automatically to the online “kitchens” of members in his or her network of BakeSpace friends. Called the “Recipe Feed,” this newsfeed-style platform for swapping recipes helps BakeSpace members stay up-to-speed on what their friends are preparing in the kitchen.

 

The recipe feed capability has been expanded with today’s relaunch so members can automatically receive not just their friends’ latest recipes, but also the latest recipes added by the entire BakeSpace community in specific recipe categories. When a member selects one or more Recipe Feed categories, the latest matching recipes automatically start to appear in his or her online kitchen. Selected recipe categories can be changed to accommodate dietary and lifestyle preferences, seasonal changes, etc. Like the mentor program, BakeSpace’s Recipe Feed enhances utility, social interaction and community-building. 

 

“The Recipe Feed does more than just satisfy the craving for great recipes… it personalizes the BakeSpace experience and helps build community by connecting members with peers,” added Pepaj. “It’s the online equivalent of having friends stop by your kitchen each day to chat and swap recipes.”

 

In addition to customizing their private online “kitchen” with friend and category-based Recipe Feeds, members can also customize their public BakeSpace profile seen by other members and visitors to the site. It’s now easier than ever to add backgrounds, slide shows, videos, music and a range of other personalized elements. BakeSpace is unique among food-themed online communities in enabling members to customize profiles beyond simple photos.

 

“Our members are as unique and diverse as the recipes they post on the site, and many of them want their profiles to reflect their personality,” added Pepaj. “They don’t want anything ‘cookie-cutter’ about their kitchen, whether it’s at home or online.”

 

 
Navigation

 

With the addition of the Mentor program, BakeSpace is now configured into five sections: “Recipes,” “Mentors,” “Conversations,” “Members” and “My Kitchen.” Integration within and between sections has been improved with additional navigation bars. Recipe browsing and sorting has also been enhanced with navigation channels that sort recipes by multiple categories and themes. The new homepage design introduced today also makes it easier to see at a glimpse what’s new in the various content sections.

 

Sponsor Integration

 

Over the past year, BakeSpace has hosted a series of unique, highly engaging promotions for brands such as KitchenAid, Universal, Sara Lee, FOX Searchlight and McCormick’s. Most recent was a promotion with ABC’s Desperate Housewives in which BakeSpace members could swap recipes inspired by the show with Bree, Edie, Susan and the other lead characters. The redesign introduced today allows brands to engage even more actively in ways that provide utility and get them involved in the conversation.

 

Members on BakeSpace range from teenagers just starting to explore the culinary lifestyle to great grandparents who want to share and catalogue their treasured family recipes. The common thread is a passion for food and the desire to connect and learn from one another.

 

Pepaj added,”The features introduced and expanded today are designed to retain BakeSpace’s grassroots feel while helping food enthusiasts connect in new and exciting ways. The goal is to create an environment where people come for the food, but stay for the conversation.”

 

More information about BakeSpace is available at www.BakeSpace.com.

 

Source: BakeSpace