Most South Australian chefs approve of diners photographing food, except for bad pics online

FOOD SELFIES ARE FINE: Auge head chef Judyta Slupnicki serves Sarah Garuccio, 23, of Fulham as she takes a photo of the dish. Picture: Tricia Watkinson. Source: News Corp Australia

After recent reports that many top restaurateurs find the practice annoying, and some even ban food snaps, a quick survey reveals Adelaide food providers tend to have a more generous outlook.

Nigel Rich of the Elbow Room in McLaren Vale takes it as a compliment.

“I’m very happy if people love the food so much they want photograph it. I take lots of food photos myself,” he says.

The new head chef at award-winning Italian CBD restaurant Auge, Judyta Slupnicki, says diners risk letting their food get cold while they spend time taking pictures, but isn’t bothered that they do it.

“I don’t have a problem with people wanting to keep a memory of the food,” she said. “As chefs, when we visit special places, we take pictures too. If the food wows you, why not.”

Chef Eddie Ye, of North Adelaide’s Yakitori Takumi, tells his diners to down cameras when the food arrives, but Adelaide chef of the yearDuncan Welgemoed, of Bistro Dom, says he only objects to “bad online postings”.

“It’s not good if you spend all that time presenting beautiful food and then bad photographers post unflattering pictures, and sometimes shots of half-eaten food online,” he said, also worrying that flash photography was a problem for other diners.

“It also can stop people from engaging with each other, and about the food.”

Restaurant & CateringCEO Sally Neville believes the practice is well accepted in Adelaide, so long as it isn’t overly intrusive.

“I’d draw the line at anyone taking pictures of other people’s food over their shoulders,” she says.

The local attitude is in keen contrast to star chefs such as David Chang of New York’s Momofuku Ko, who has banned food photography at his Manhattan eatery and enforces a “no flashes” rule at his Seiobo venue in Sydney.

Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck in London, also “discourages” flash photography.

In Brisbane, chefs of top Queensland restaurants Urbane, Stokehouse and Statler and Waldorf say diners should snap them quickly, then put their phones down.

“Food photography taking priority over actually sitting down and enjoying a meal with family or friends is not polite restaurant etiquette,’’ Statler and Waldorf co-owner Andrew Tolley said. “People should take five seconds to take a picture and then they eat,’’ says Stokehouse Brisbane head chef Richard Ousby.

Source: Perth Now - 11 April 2014