Food: Design and Culture - Book Review

The way that we prepare, serve and eat food is a powerful reflection of our way of life and the process of our food is shaped by design. Published in 1999, this book is a collection of essays which explore the different aspects of design involved within the world of food, such as the design of supermarkets, the rise of the designer restaurant and many more.

My first impression of this book was that it was super outdated- from the cover design to the actual images that accompany the essays, it's crazy to think that 18 years ago this was cool and modern! I loved the full spread images of McDonald's toys and Japanese food as well as seeing how food plating and photography has dramatically changed and improved over the years- majority of the food in this book I personally think looks quite grotesque and unappealing, however I found it really interesting to look back at a time period in food in which TV dinners and microwaves were new technology.


I was surprised at how varied the subject matter in this book is, however my favourite essay has to be 'Food: a design for the senses' by  Claire Catterall. Directly related to my research into food design and food plating, this essay talks about how our food transforms from fuel to something to be cared for and meaningful simply through the combination of using different elements to appeal to our senses.

Overall I would rate this book 4/5. It was very insightful and informative and gave me a wide range of subjects to read about in which food and design are connected, allowing me to make an informed decision to choose which area I want to learn about in more depth.