Career Advice 

Lots of people ask me for tips on becoming a food stylist and if you are interested in a career that's creative, varied and hands on and love all things food then this might be for you. My top tips are:

Get some experience

Either get trained at a cookery school or get some catering experience under your belt. It doesn't have to be 4 years at Leiths but you will need an extensive working knowledge of food and culinary techniques before you even start to worry about the food styling. I did a course at http://www.thegablesschoolofcookery.co.uk

Look at which area of the industry you want to work in. 

Styling for magazines and still photography is quite different from TV ads which is different again from Film. The making food look great part may be the same but each area has it's own challenges, needs different skills and a different set of contacts.

Build up a network. 

Do as much work experience and assisting as possible, speak to as many people as possible and get your face known. If you can do some test shots with a photographer or regularly assist the same person then you'll start to build up a network of contacts.

Build a portfolio. 

Initially this may mean working for free on low budget films or doing test shots with budding photographers but do whatever it takes to get some material of your own that you can send around to the network you've developed.

Develop your own style. 

Take inspiration from everywhere, look at others work and critique your own and soon you'll find it becomes easier to know how beautiful food will look under the camera.