Restaurant Food Photography – The Haberdashery in Stoke Newington

Massimo was born to host. Even as a child, he would be busy in the kitchen, making – often inedible – cakes with the ingredients he saw his mom and grandmother use. In 2009, he decided to take the plunge and leave his catering consultant  job to open the first branch of The Haberdashery with his partner Greg. Four years later, they opened the now famous Stoke Newington branch. I recently joined him and his team for a fun restaurant food photography shoot at The Haberdashery.

A neighbourhood fixture

In the years since it opened in Stoke Newington, The Haberdashery has become a neighbourhood fixture. Indeed, the team has gained recognition and awards from Grazia Magazine, Time Out, Evening Standard and The Independent.

More importantly, they know a large number of their customers by name, and also know their orders! Aside from lunch and brunch, Massimo hosts a series of events. In the past, these have included opera nights, cinema nights, supper clubs, music nights, and vintage markets. At the moment, three more supper clubs are in the books: two for June 2021 and one for July 2021.

Lastly, the art on display is for sale. Massimo finds local artists who are keen to exhibit their work. At the moment, you will find prints by Richard Greenan, while there are five more exhibitions in the pipeline.

The Haberdashery restaurant food photography brief

Massimo had three objectives when it came to this shoot. Firstly, he wanted shots of his staff. Secondly, he wanted me to shoot the best selling dishes. Lastly, he wanted photos of a selection of Bloody Marys. As The Haberdashery has a memorable interior, the idea was to use it as much as possible in the shoot. The images will mostly be used on social media, so I prioritised shooting in portrait orientation.

The staff portraits

The Haberdashery has distinctive tiled walls. We therefore wanted to use them as a backdrop for the staff portraits. In order to keep everyone relaxed, the portraits were shot handheld while having a conversation.

The food photography

The Haberdashery is an amazing brunch spot. When deciding on the brief, Massimo therefore chose the Full English and the Vegetarian Breakfasts from the brunch menu. He then added some popular dishes from the rest of the menu: the Vegan Blueberry Pancakes, the Scandinavian Meatballs, and the Vegetarian Poke Bowl.

All the food was shot on the Italian marble tables. Wherever possible, I also included the walls.

The cocktail photography

The Bloody Mary menu at The Haberdashery alone is a reason to visit! In fact, the cocktails are a great hit with their customers. Accordingly, I shot a selection of the Bloody Marys.

A dreamy brunch

At the end of the shoot, I combined the brunch dishes with the Bloody Marys. As a result, these shots depict the dreamy brunch that you can get at The Haberdashery.

The nitty gritty

To accommodate the team, I mostly worked outside of The Haberdashery’s opening hours. The shoot was spread between two days, starting at 8am. On the first day, I shot the staff portraits; on the second day, I shot the best selling dishes and cocktails.

In May 2021, ahead of the reopening for indoor dining, Massimo and his team undertook a renovation of The Haberdashery. If you’d like to see the new look, check out their Instagram.

If you want to see more of my work, have a look at my portfolio or my shoot at SlowBurn London.

Lastly, don’t forget! You can always connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.