Hi! I’m Kari, a Toronto-based food stylist and recipe developer. After years of styling dishes for brands, stills, and movies, I’ve learned that food styling is as much about storytelling as it is about technique as every dish tells a story on camera.
Hiring the right food stylist in Toronto requires more than culinary skill. A professional stylist must understand how food behaves on camera, troubleshoot challenges on set, and prepare ahead of time to ensure every shot looks perfect and that the camera is never waiting on the food to be ready.
Toronto Food Styling Story: The Pizza Cake
One of my first shoots in Toronto was for a cheese brand, where I styled a pizza cake. The project required a perfect cheese pull. Cheese pulls are tricky on their own, but when the pizza became a multi-layered cake it took some serious research. After careful prep, testing, and timing, we got the shot exactly right.
It was a high-pressure moment, but it taught me a vital lesson: prep, testing, and attention to detail are essential for every successful shoot.
Key Responsibilities of a Toronto Food Stylist
A professional Toronto food stylist combines culinary expertise, camera knowledge, and on-set problem-solving. Key responsibilities include:
Culinary expertise: Many stylists have professional kitchen experience, but being a chef is just the beginning. They no only know how to make a beautiful dish, they also know how food behaves under studio conditions and what holds up during long shoots.
Camera awareness: Food looks different on camera than in real life. For example, pouring soup into a bowl can cause ingredients to sink, so we sometimes use bowl fillers like marbles to keep garnishes in place.
Prep and organization: Successful styling begins well before the shoot. Ingredients, props, and tools are prepped and organized in advance, often in coordination with photographers, producers, and clients. On a recent dessert shoot in a hot studio, I tested multiple stabilizing methods for whipped cream and after testing every possible version of whipped cream I found that good old Cool Whip is still the best.
Dietary and recipe knowledge: Stylists can develop recipes for special diets or allergens while ensuring the food looks delicious. On one shoot, I had an actress that needed to eat scripted dishes on camera so I needed to created nut, dairy and gluten free dishes that looked great and stayed looking fresh under hot studio lights.
Troubleshooting: Food can wilt, melt, or separate under studio lights. A stylist knows quick fixes to keep everything looking perfect. Failure is never an option.
On-set expertise: A stylist navigates the set professionally. They follow directors’ cues, assist talent, and be a part of the team that keeps the environment calm and organized. I have also coached actors on how to hold and present dishes naturally on camera.
Why Local Expertise Matters in Toronto
Hiring a local Toronto food stylist adds extra value to your project:
- Access to the best ingredients: Local stylists know where to source seasonal produce or specialty items quickly.
- Prop sourcing: Stylists often have connections for dishes, linens, utensils, and other props to enhance the visual story.
- Local creativity: I often find unique props and additions at Toronto’s used stores and garage sales to elevate shoots.
Essential Skills to Look for in a Stylist
When hiring a professional food stylist in Toronto, consider these qualities:
Professional culinary training: Combined with camera and media knowledge. I started my journey in Norway, certified as a chef with experience cooking for the Norwegian King and heads of state at The Royal Palace.
Travel and cultural experience: Understanding diverse cuisines helps bring authenticity to every dish. I’ve traveled extensively across North America and Europe, which informs my approach to styling and recipe development.
Beverage expertise: Styling drinks requires separate skills. I’m sommelier-trained and have appeared silently on camera as a sommelier in a Christmas movie.
Research ability: Understanding the client/producer/director’s vision and translating it into compelling food visuals. Being a published food writer also helps with editorial shoots.
Set experience: Knowing how to act on set, follow cues, and assist actors or talent if needed. My experience as a stand-in taught me how camera angles affect food styling, and my script supervisor course ensures continuity for multi-day shoots.
Calm under pressure: The ability to solve unexpected challenges on the spot. On a shoot, things can get high-pressure, so it’s crucial to stay calm with camera crews, actors, and directors while maintaining a positive attitude.
Preparing for a Shoot
Great food styling is about preparation. A professional stylist will:
- Pre-plan and prep ingredients and recipes ahead of timeStay on budget while sourcing quality itemsOrganize props and equipment efficientlyKeep everything ready for a smooth, stress-free shoot
One of my best investments was a hot plate I found on Facebook Marketplace for $25. It has been used in branded content and on movie sets, proving that creative sourcing can save time and money.
- Pre-plan and prep ingredients and recipes ahead of time
- Stay on budget while sourcing quality items
- Organize props and equipment efficiently
- Keep everything ready for a smooth, stress-free shoot
One of my best investments was a hot plate I found on Facebook Marketplace for $25. It has been used in branded content and on movie sets, proving that creative sourcing can save time and money.
Final Thoughts
Hiring the right Toronto food stylist means finding someone who combines culinary expertise, creative vision, and on-set problem-solving. From pre-production planning to the final shot, a stylist ensures food looks irresistible and tells the story your brand wants to share.
For me, food styling isn’t just about making food look perfect, it’s about evoking a craving, a memory, or a story for the lens to capture.
If you’re ready to hire a professional Toronto food stylist to bring your brand’s vision to life, contact me kari@foodstylingtoronto.ca
Kari Svenneby is a food stylist in motion & stills photography based in Toronto. 
Leave a comment