Photographing your Christmas menu: What restaurants need to know.
If you run a restaurant, pub or café, your Christmas menu is one of the most important launches of your year. Guests start browsing festive menus and booking party tables long before December, which means the photos need to exist before the bookings start, not after.
This guide is about the planning side: which dishes to choose, when to book, what happens on the day and where your images will work hardest. (For styling and lighting tips, see my earlier post on how to style your food and drink brand for the festive season.)
Why festive menus need photographing early
Christmas bookings open earlier every year. Office parties, family get-togethers and group tables are often decided in October and November, and guests choose where to book by what they can see online.
If your images are ready when your menu goes live, you can use them everywhere at once: on your website and booking page, in your social posts, in emails and on your Google profile. If you shoot in December, you've missed most of that window, and you'll be juggling a shoot with the busiest weeks of your year.
Choosing the dishes to photograph
You don't need to photograph every item on the menu. Pick a handful of hero dishes that tell the story of your Christmas offer.
Choose your hero items. Think about your signature dish, your best-sellers and anything you want to push this year.
Aim for colour. Festive reds, greens, golds and rich browns look appetising together, so a mix of dishes gives you a more varied gallery.
Add variety. Include a starter, a main, a dessert and a drink, plus something shareable. Don't forget a vegetarian or vegan option, as more guests are looking for one.
Pick dishes that hold up. Choose items that look consistent from plate to plate and don't collapse or lose their shine in the first few minutes.
Agree the list with me in advance. The more dishes you want, the longer the session, so it helps to decide your priorities early.
Timing: book by [mid-November]
Work backwards from the date you need the images. Menus need printing, your website needs updating, and your social posts need scheduling.
A simple timeline looks like this:
Book your shoot by [mid-November] so there's time for everything that follows.
Shoot at a quiet time, ideally before service when the kitchen has space.
Receive your gallery within 7 working days of the shoot.
Use the images on menus, your website and your socials.
If you want to launch your menu early, book even sooner. Slots get taken quickly in the run-up to Christmas.
What happens on the day
Here's how a shoot works, using a recent session at Kerala Hut as an example.
Before the shoot. We have a short planning chat, then I build a shot list and mood board, so everything is agreed in advance. For this Kerala Hut shoot, the planning was rather simple, such as the number of dishes or the look agreed. This is a natural layout for these dishes, and the restaurant decide on the day which dishes I photograph.
Prep. The kitchen prepares each dish in the order we've agreed, so every plate arrives at its best. You don't need to do anything fancy. Your usual plates and serving dishes are often exactly right.
Styling and shooting. I handle the lighting, styling and direction. We shoot dish by dish, taking a wide shot of the whole plate, a closer detail shot and, where it helps, a drinks or table scene. As the shoot at Kerala Hut the styling was simple, with using the restaurant environment as the background and the dishes were placed near to the window to capture the light upon each dish.
What I need from you. A chef or team member to plate dishes, access to a table near natural light, and a clear idea of what the images are for.
Where to use your images
One shoot gives you content for months. Your images can go on:
Your menus, both digital and printed
Your website and booking page
Social media posts, stories and ads
Your Google Business Profile
Delivery apps and third-party booking sites
Email newsletters
Local press and PR
As part of my festive offer, I also supply free festive social crops, so your images are already sized for Instagram and Facebook posts and stories.
What it costs and what's included
My food and drink shoots start from £250, depending on how long you need:
The Mini Food Taster (1 hour), £250: a hero dish, chef profile or social campaign
The Menu Refresh (2 hours), £395: seasonal menu updates, featured dishes or cocktail launches
The Social Story (3 to 4 hours), £695: your venue, kitchen action, staff and a full food spread
The Premium Campaign (full day), £1,395: food styling, interiors, lifestyle hero shots and short video loops
Every booking includes professional editing and colour grading, a private online gallery, a commercial licence for your digital, website, social media and local PR use, and high-resolution files within 7 working days.
Refresh Before Christmas: book any shoot with me and get 10% off, plus free festive social crops. Book by 6 Nov, shoot by 4 Dec, with limited slots available.
Book your Christmas menu shoots before 6th November
The sooner we plan it; the more time you'll have to use your images. Book your Christmas menu shoots before the 6th of November or start with a free 30-minute chat about your menu, your goals and your timeline.
Click here to view my full Food & Drink Portfolio
Book your Christmas menu shoot | wellypictures.com | 07908 226 845 | sampeel@wellypictures.com
