Hugh Hefner’s name brings to mind images of Hollywood parties and half-naked women. While the former media mogul’s is best know for Playboy, which he launched in 1953, he also had a hand in creating one of the most popular food magazines of today. Turns out, without Hefner we might not have Food & Wine.
The glossy insert originally was created as a supplement to Playboy’s March 1978 issue. Below an image of a scantily clad blonde gazing out of a red sports car, ran headlines about sex toys and an interview with Bob Dylan and a teasers in the bottom right-hand corner that read, “Special Insert: Preview Issue of ‘Food & Wine’ A New Magazine.” Copies are available on eBay if you’re interested.
Hefner and Playboy were in their heyday, and America was experiencing an economic revitalization leading to the expansion of the middle and upper class and a growing appetite for the “finer things,” Food & Wine says. Investors weren’t sure of the new publications, so after seven years of floundering the founders to Hefner and Playboy for support. Hefner readily agreed there would be an audience for the topic and agreed to run a special insert of the new magazine within the pages of his successful men’s magazine.
Among the content published in the first issue was a ranking of canned tuna and tapas talk by James Beard.
Food & Wine editors worked with the Playboy staff for two months before branching off and handling the magazine on their own.
