Food Photography for Lakeland Dexter

some jobs are tastier than others and as a keen carnivore, the opportunity to photograph and then eat some rare breed beef from lakeland dexter made my mouth water.

Jobs can come out of nowhere and that’s what happened with this beef. Lakeland Dexter usually supply directly to Michelin Starred restaurants and high-end butchers in the Lake District and further afield but like so many businesses working in the catering supply chain, the ongoing lockdown has brought their trade to a grinding halt.

You’ll not keep a good producer down though, so the guys at Lakeland Dexter took to instagram and started offering their prime cuts direct to the public; I was one of those who placed an order and as is often the way on the platform, they followed my profile, got in touch and asked if I could photograph some meat for their web shop and marketing. Yes. Yes I could.

The dark arts and indeed the light arts of food photography are well guarded secrets (unless you have access to the Internet) but most people would be surprised to see how food is set up, lit, prepped and propped to produce delicious images that will make customers click BUY.

Sadly, much of the food you see in magazines and catalogues goes in the bin after the shoot because it has reached room temperature, been handled or sprayed with glossing agent. Rest assured, working on my own, I was able to prep it, shoot it and eat it and let me tell you, this is special beef. The grass-fed dexter cattle are reared at the foot of Helvellyn in Cumbria and produce richly coloured, heavily marbled meat that’s aged just enough to bring out all the flavour without compromising the structure. We’ve been lucky enough to enjoy it in some of Cumbria’s best restaurants so it’s a rare treat to be able to have it at home. You won’t find finer - click here to get your hands on some.

Also… huge thanks to my friends at The Moorcock Inn at Norland who loaned me the beautiful ceramics used in this shoot. They have a range of marvellously tactile, one-off pieces available to buy on their web shop and by appointment at the Inn until times become less…. rubbish. These guys are a beacon of adaptability and positivity; their innovation has inspired my creativity. When the game chips are down, small businesses pull together - click here to find yourself on the Natural Ceramics Instagram feed. And, when lockdown is over and the doors of the Moorcock open again, get yourself booked in to eat some of their mind-blowing food; the finest dining at sensible Yorkshire prices - you will not find better food, beer, wine and people anywhere.

If your business could use some clickworthy images, get in touch by clicking the button below or messaging me on Instagram or Facebook.