Plan Burrito, Loughborough — Takeaway & Delivery App Photography

Not every shoot needs a stylist

This one came together quickly. A contact who runs the social media for Plan Burrito in Loughborough got in touch; she wanted to test whether some simple, clean menu photography could improve how the dishes looked on their delivery app listings. Short notice, no stylist, just the food as it comes and a white background.

I want to be upfront about something here; I'm a photographer, not a food stylist. I don't claim to be and I don't pretend otherwise. What I do is find the best version of what's already there; the right angle, the right light, a clean background that lets the food speak for itself rather than disappearing into a busy table setting.

For delivery app photography specifically, that's often exactly what's needed.

What delivery app photography actually needs

When someone is scrolling through Deliveroo or Uber Eats on a Friday night, they're not looking at your images on a large screen with time to appreciate the styling. They're looking at a thumbnail, probably on a phone, probably while deciding between three or four options in about ten seconds.

Clean white or light backgrounds work best for this because they make the food pop at small sizes. The dish needs to be immediately recognisable; what it is, what's in it, whether it looks worth ordering. Elaborate styling and dark moody backdrops that look beautiful in a restaurant context can actually work against you at thumbnail size.

Plan Burrito's food is colourful, fresh and genuinely appealing. It didn't need dressing up; it just needed a clean background and the right light.

The shoot

We worked in the Loughborough shop, using the food as it came from the kitchen; no additional props, no tweaking beyond basic positioning. Five images, focused on the key menu items, shot to work specifically as delivery app listings.