20/09/2026
Plating 101.. 1. Choose the right plate well before you start cooking. What colour? What shape ? Is it big enough? Is it small enough? Foods rich in colour can look amazing on a white plate. The size of the plate is just as important too ! Too small and your food looks cramped. Too big and your portions look tiny. Your food should take up between a 1/3 and 1/2 of your plate and the rest of the space can be left for adding a sauce.
2. Height makes a difference to how food looks on a plate. Although stacking everything on top of each other is a little old-fashioned these days I do find an element of height in the plate adds intrigue and interest, especially to find out what’s hidden inside. Try plating a salad with a little height, I’d start by adding heavier items at the bottom and lighter items at the top.
3. Clean plates. Nothing says you’re a sloppy chef than fingerprint marks or drips of sauce on your plate. Take a wet cloth, fold it and quickly clean away fingerprint marks or drops of sauce before the plate reaches the table
4. The star of the dish should be the star of the dish. If a beef welly is what you’re serving, then it should be seen from every angle - don’t hide it. If it’s a piece of fish, I would always plate it on top of the sides to allow the crispy skin to stay crispy. 5. Odd numbers are your presentation friend. Serve three, five or seven or something as a garnish. For example if I’m plating duck salad with blood orange segments and cucumber - I’ll have five beautifully segmented pieces of orange that I show on display as well as 3, 5 or 7 thin slices of duck breast on top of a cucumber.
6. Have fun and maybe have a go at pre planning how you might plate before you start. Do two or three different styles and see what you prefer ! But beware taking too long means cold food !
