If you want some advice on how to plate your food, Patricia Mazza is the woman to talk to.
A trained pastry chef who discovered it was not her calling, Mazza has worked in design and with companies designing and distributing tableware.
Nowadays she works for the Australian branch of Gault and Millau, an international magazine which critiques restaurants and chefs.
She presented a workshop at the Food Design Conference about how best to frame food.
Plates should be used to enhance the eating experience, she said.
‘‘People eat with their eyes, so you need to make food attractive.''
It was important to think carefully when choosing tableware and as with most things quality lasted longer.
‘‘Don't limit yourself. Be creative in the way you use plates.''
These days plates were not just round or white; they came in a variety of colours and shapes.
‘‘Use their colours to enhance the colours of your food, especially for desert, where you can play more with colours.''
Originally from Brazil, where she worked in design, she moved to Australia and decided it was time to change her career.
Following her passion for food, she studied at Le Cordon Bleu.
Discovering being pastry chef was not what she expected and she was losing her passion for food, she again decided to take a different tack.
Mazza took up an opportunity in tableware sales realising it was an opportunity to mix her design skills and still keep in touch with the restaurant world.
Being involved in the design, importing and production of tableware at the request of chefs was fascinating.
‘‘Many of them wanted exclusivity - they wanted something different.''
The experience had created a lifelong love of good tableware and cutlery, she said.
Along the way she stumbled across the concept of food design and decided that was where her interests really lay.
‘‘I was researching and found this conference. It's what I really want to do.''
In the meantime, she secured an advertising account manager position at Gault and Millau.
‘‘We give feedback to chefs on why their restaurant is not performing or why they are not making money. Maybe the food is great but the service questionable.''
It was her first visit to New Zealand and she has been amazed by the local produce and ingredients.
‘‘I love it. I want to come back.''
