Where Culinary Vision Meets Plate Reality
We started in a cramped kitchen in 2019, obsessed with one question: why does restaurant food photograph so poorly when it tastes incredible? Turns out, plating is half intuition and half learned technique. And nobody was teaching the technique part properly.
Built by People Who Couldn't Plate Their Own Desserts
Back in 2019, I was running a small catering operation from my apartment. Food tasted great, but every time someone snapped a photo for Instagram, I'd cringe. Everything looked... flat. Lifeless. Like cafeteria food, honestly.
So I spent months studying what made restaurant presentations work. Watched videos, read books, even took a weekend workshop in Toronto. Most of it was vague advice like "create height" or "use odd numbers." Which is fine, but how?
Eventually I figured out the patterns. The specific angles that work for proteins versus starches. How sauce placement changes the entire visual flow. Why some garnishes look intentional and others look like an afterthought. These weren't secrets – just techniques nobody had organized into a clear system.
How We Approach Teaching
You won't find flowery language or abstract concepts here. Just practical methods that work whether you're plating salmon or arranging a cheese board.
Geometry Before Garnish
Most people start with the pretty stuff. We start with structure. Where your protein sits, how sauce flows around it, the negative space that makes everything readable. Get the foundation right and garnish becomes obvious.
Repetition Builds Instinct
You'll plate the same dish multiple times with slight variations. Sounds boring, but it's how your hands learn the movements. By week three, you stop thinking about technique and start thinking about expression.
Photo Documentation That Actually Helps
We photograph every plate you create from three angles. Not for social media – for analysis. You'll see exactly what works and what doesn't. Most students find this more valuable than verbal feedback because the plate doesn't lie.
Context Matters More Than Rules
A fine dining plate and a family-style presentation follow different logic. We teach you to read the context first, then choose appropriate techniques. There's no universal "right way" – just appropriate choices for specific situations.
Who Actually Teaches These Sessions
Small team. Everyone teaches. No assistants who've never worked a dinner service. If someone's standing in front of you explaining sauce placement, they've plated a few thousand dishes themselves.
Thora Kjellberg
Lead Instructor
Spent eight years as a sous chef before switching to education. Still does weekend consulting for restaurants in Montreal. Specializes in teaching protein placement and sauce work. Has zero patience for decorative garnishes that don't serve a purpose.
Niamh Desrosiers
Workshop Coordinator
Handles the logistics that make workshops run smoothly. Also teaches dessert plating because she actually understands how chocolate and fruit behave. Previously managed operations for a catering company, so she's seen every plating disaster imaginable.
What Actually Happens in a Workshop
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1
You Plate Something Badly First
Sounds harsh, but it's necessary. We give you ingredients and minimal instruction. You plate a dish the way you normally would. This baseline shows us exactly where you need help, and it gets the nervousness out of the way early.
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2
We Break Down What's Not Working
Not in a mean way – just specific. Maybe your protein placement creates dead space. Or your sauce pools awkwardly. Or the garnish fights with the main element instead of supporting it. We point out the mechanical issues, not aesthetic preferences.
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3
You Learn Three Specific Adjustments
Not twenty techniques. Three. We focus on the changes that'll make the biggest difference for your particular habits. You'll repeat these adjustments across multiple plates until they feel automatic.
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4
You Plate The Same Thing Again
Same ingredients, same dish. But this time applying what you just learned. The difference is usually striking enough that people pull out their phones to photograph both versions side by side. That comparison is worth more than any lecture.
Our Next Workshop Runs September 2025
Six sessions over three weeks at our Montreal location. We keep groups small – eight people maximum – because plating needs individual feedback, not lecture hall presentations.
View Workshop Details