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Behind the (Food) Scenes

The people who make TV chefs look good.

Three top food stylists - all of whom have ghost-written and cooked on behalf of the world’s top chefs - step out from behind the scenes.

More often than not, when it comes to food in the media, a lot of what you are seeing, and reading is the work - not of a top chef - but a food stylist. ‘Home economists’ as they are also known, do everything from cooking the dishes you see on screen, to ghost-writing whole cookery books, with all kinds of weird and wonderful food tasks in between. They churn out hundreds of recipes without breaking a sweat, but get none of the credit, staying firmly in the shadows of the kitchen.

Until now. Move over Jamie and Gordon, it’s time to meet your supporting cast.

Emily Thomas talks to Rob Allison, Nicole Herft and Abi Fawcett. Between them they’ve worked for most of the world’s best known chefs including Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal.

(Photo: Chef garnishing soup with tweezers. Credit: Getty Images)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 23 Dec 201808:32GMT
BBC World Service

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  • Thu 8 Nov 201803:32GMT
    BBC World Service UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East, West and Central Africa & Online only
  • Thu 8 Nov 201805:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
  • Thu 8 Nov 201811:32GMT
    BBC World Service except West and Central Africa
  • Thu 8 Nov 201818:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia
  • Thu 8 Nov 201821:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 8 Nov 201823:32GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 11 Nov 201808:32GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Thu 20 Dec 201803:32GMT
    BBC World Service UK DAB/Freeview, Online, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 20 Dec 201805:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
  • Thu 20 Dec 201811:32GMT
    BBC World Service except West and Central Africa
  • Thu 20 Dec 201818:32GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia
  • Thu 20 Dec 201821:32GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 20 Dec 201823:32GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 23 Dec 201808:32GMT
    BBC World Service

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