[ 01 ]
48 hours before
Confirm the final dish list. Locked. Not negotiable on the day. Late additions slow the whole shoot down and lower image quality.
Order any specialty produce — fresh garnish, fresh chillies, microgreens, edible flowers if they're part of your styling.
Pull out any signature plateware you want featured — and clean it.
[ 02 ]
24 hours before
Confirm the shoot time with kitchen and front of house. Most menu shoots run pre-service (8am–11am) or in the quiet mid-afternoon window.
Brief the chef on plating order. We usually shoot heroes first, simpler dishes second, and any garnish-heavy plates last.
Have a backup plate of each hero dish ready. Sometimes a re-plate is needed if a sauce breaks or a garnish wilts.
[ 03 ]
Day of shoot
Fresh garnish, fresh sauces, freshly polished glasses. Nothing yesterday.
One nominated staff member on call for plate-ups — usually the head chef or senior CDP.
Clear access to one prep bench for our prop kit, lighting and camera setup.
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