How We Crafted the perfect partnership with WhatInTheChef and Channel 4 Served

Just last week we were thrilled to announce Socially Powerful: Talent’s Imran Ali (@WhatInTheChef) would be joining Chanel 4’s Served as an ambassador and on-screen talent.

Bringing his signature blend of bold recipes, effortless techniques, and infectious on-camera energy to a platform that celebrates the UK’s most original food creators, Imran’s addition highlights exactly how powerful authentic creator-brand partnerships can be.

We sat down with Curtis Morton, our Head of Talent Management, to hash out how this landmark deal was brockered.

CHANNEL 4 SERVED AND IMRAN ALI: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

When Channel 4 first reached out, the platform hadn’t launched. No content, no creators, just a bold idea and a brief for someone to help shape it.

Their original search was to bring on a full-time recipe developer and on-screen talent to join the team. But as conversations progressed, we saw huge potential to pivot and turn this into something moresomething, more creator-led and ultimately, more powerful, with only one person in mind. 

They trusted us to find the right fit. We backed WhatInTheChef. And together, we built a partnership that’s already delivering.

@whatinthechef

Alhamdulillah for everything, thank you to all of you. Go follow @Channel 4 Served it would mean a lot (let’s get em to 10K) ❤️❤️

♬ original sound – whatinthechef

THE CHALLENGE: FINDING THE RIGHT FACE FOR CHANNEL 4 SERVED

Channel 4’s new digital food platform, Channel 4 Served, was still in development when the brief landed. The ask was straightforward: find someone who could front recipe content and help shape the creative direction behind the scenes.

At that stage, nothing was live, just a concept and a clear ambition to do something different in food content. They wanted real cooking, real creators, and accessibility through short form content across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

@channel4served

One pot spicy creamy rigatoni is what’s for dinner, and @whatinthechef is keeping it heavy on flavour and light on the washing up. Serves 2 Total time: 30-35 mins Ingredients 3 tosp olive/vegetable oil 2 shallots, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 250g plain passata large pinch of salt sprinkle of black pepper sprinkle of dried oregano ½ tbsp onion powder ½ tbsp garlic powder ½ tbsp paprika ½ tbsp red chilli flakes small handful of fresh basil 400ml vegetable stock 200g rigatoni pasta 50g mascarpone small lemon wedge parmesan, grated zest of ½ lemon #rigatoni #quickrecipes

♬ original sound – Channel 4 Served

ENTER IMRAN ALI: THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

We knew straight away this wasn’t a job to be filled, it was a partnership to create.

Rather than slotting someone into a fixed position, we worked with Channel 4 to build a partnership around WhatInTheChef. A partnership that gave him creative freedom, kept his tone intact, and let the content feel native to both his world and theirs.

This wasn’t about handing over a script. It was about shaping something collaborative from the ground up: a long-term ambassador role with space for both sides to grow, evolve, and lead.

Channel 4 saw the value. They backed the idea, trusted the process, and together created something that worked for everyone involved.

BEHIND THE SCENES: CRAFTING THE PERFECT DEAL 

The partnership didn’t happen overnight. Over several months, we worked closely with Channel 4’s team to structure a deal that worked for everyone. This involved shaping the content format and scripting recipe content that stayed authentic to Imran’s voice, a non-negotiable for him and something that was crucial to ensure the content remained trusted by the audience.

The culmination of this work led us to Channel 4’s brand-new Leeds studio, where we shot the first batch of episodes. For Imran, this was a significant milestone, his first time working on a full-scale production set, marking a new chapter in his content creation journey.

@channel4served

@whatinthechef one pot honey garlic salmon & rice is seriously Effort(less). Dinner in 15 minutes? Doesn’t get much better than that. Serves 2 Total time: 15-20 mins Ingredients For the salmon: 2 salmon fillets 1 tbsp light soy sauce Sprinkle of white pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ginger powder 1 tsp onion powder For the sauce: 1 garlic cloves, grated 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp honey ½ tsp chilli flakes ½ tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil For the rice: 300g long grain white rice, cooked Pinch of salt ½ tbsp sesame oil 1 handfuls of frozen vegetables 1 spring onion, sliced Sprinkle of sesame seeds ½ red chilli, sliced #salmonrecipe #quickrecipes

♬ original sound – Channel 4 Served – Channel 4 Served

WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP WORKS

What makes this collaboration successful isn’t just the impressive metrics, it’s the authentic alignment between creator and brand. Imran’s audience genuinely connects with his content because it feels natural and unforced. Channel 4 Served benefits from having a creator who embodies their values of real, relatable cooking content.

This partnership demonstrates what’s possible when brands allow creators to be authentically themselves in their content. You can create a polished, high-production piece of content, whilst maintaining the charisma, charm and personality that viewers know and most importantly trust.

The success of Imran’s partnership with Channel 4 Served sets a new standard for creator-brand collaborations, proving that when the fit is right and the approach is strategic, everyone wins; the creator, the brand, and most importantly, the audience.

THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES 

@channel4served

Whether you’re team onions or no onions, @whatinthechef Chicken Karahi is simple enough for midweek, but still good enough for seconds. Maybe thirds… Serves: 2 Total time: 45–50 mins Ingredients 4 tbsp vegetable oil 1 bay leaves 1 small cinnamon stick 500g chicken thighs 0.5 tsp salt 2 frozen garlic and ginger blocks 3 medium tomatoes Large pinch of sugar 2 cm ginger, sliced 0.5 tsp turmeric (optional) 0.5 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (adjust to taste) ½ tsp chilli flakes ¾ tsp black pepper powder 1-2 green bullet chillies or thai green chillies 1 tbsp natural yoghurt 1 tsp garam masala Pinch of kasuri methi (fenugreek), optional – for garnish Handful of fresh coriander Method 1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Cut the chicken into bitesize pieces and pat them dry. Add the chicken to the pan with the salt and cook on medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring until the chicken starts to whiten and seal 2. Once the chicken has coloured slightly, add in the garlic and ginger blocks and stir them through. Blitz the tomatoes in a food processer and add them in. Cook on medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes to cook down the tomatoes 3. Add a large pinch of sugar and cook for 2 more minutes 4. Add the spices (except garam masala) and green chillies (cut them open if you want more heat). Stir and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes until you can see oil separation. At this stage you can add 150ml of water if it’s too dry. Then put the lid on and simmer gently for 10 minutes 5. Once done, remove the lid. and add in the natural yoghurt, then stir and cook for a minute. Add in the garam masala and stir, then put the lid on and continue to simmer for 10 – 12 minutes (keep an eye on it, don’t let it dry out too much). Add splashes of water if needed 6. Once done, remove the lid and sprinkle in the kasuri methi, chopped fresh coriander, and slices of fresh ginger. Stir through, then increase the heat and cook for a final few minutes until you have a thick masala and oil separation

♬ original sound – Channel 4 Served – Channel 4 Served

The partnership has exceeded expectations across the board:

• Imran’s first 3 recipes have started strong, as the top-performing posts on Channel 4 Served’s TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channels.
• The audience response has been exceptional on both Imran’s personal channels and Channel 4’s platform. The audience wants to see Imran win, and they want to be part of that success.

As Curtis Morton puts it: “It’s rare to see a branded partnership so unanimously embraced by a creator’s community. With Imran, it’s clear: he’s built a following that truly trusts him. And with Channel 4? It’s a match made in foodie heaven.”

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@sociallypowerful