Does beautiful food taste better?

When dining in a well-reputed restaurant, diners expect their food to be presented exquisitely. The world's greatest chefs are not only masters of flavour, but artists who use the plate as a canvas to tell stories and inspire diners.

Food tastes better when it looks good

Plating a dish artfully is about more than just aesthetics. Of course, the visual design of a plate of food reflects the skill with which it was prepared and communicates to the diner the value of the meal. However, studies have shown that food is often perceived to actually taste better when presented in certain ways.

Studies by Zellner, et al. (2011) show that diners believe food is tastier when plated neatly and in balance compared to unbalanced or untidy presentation, although the ingredients and quantities remained the same.

Similarly, Michel, et al. (2014) found that complex art-inspired plating resulted in diners rating food up to 18 per cent more tasty than the same ingredients plated in a neat, but non-artistic, style. These studies, among others, indicate that visual presentation acts a powerful tool for improving the overall experience and flavour perception of food.

Beautiful food gets attention

There's also great business sense in investing time into presenting your food beautifully. Millennial and Generation Z audiences are making up more of the market - and consequently food photography is on the rise. In fact, 69 per cent of millennials take photos of their food and post them to social media before they eat, according to Maru/Matchbox.

This equates to earned media marketing for hospitality managers. Every time your food is posted to Instagram, it acts as a recommendation of your restaurant and may encourage the poster's followers to visit.

Learn to create beautiful food

Le Cordon Bleu Diplôme de Cuisine students learn the art of French cooking, learning traditional culinary techniques and developing a repertoire of world-class skills for the modern industry. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes support Le Cordon Bleu students in industry placements, contextualising in-class learning and providing an opportunity to hone skills beside industry professionals in the workplace.

Gain an international recognised culinary arts qualification with Le Cordon Bleu Australia. Contact us today to discuss study options.