From the cosy cookbooks of the 1970s to the rustic lifestyle shots in a Jamie Oliver tome, food photographs provide a fascinating glimpse of society through the decades.

That's why Leiths School of Food and Wine have teamed up with renowned food photographer William Reavell and Guardian food stylist Rosie Reynolds to present '40 Years of Food Styling' on 12th November.

Making food photogenic is no easy task, and the best food stylists and photographers come armed with an array of techniques to make meals look their best.

From the lavish, stylised tables of the 80s and 90s, where mashed potato was used as ice cream and cotton balls were soaked in hot water to create steam, to the fresh 'unfussy' style of today, all shot using natural light, the talk will be an interactive walk down memory lane. 

Using images from cookbooks, magazines and Leiths' own archives, Rosie and William will examine iconic images and reveal pivotal moments that have affected the development of food styling and photography. They will also have a go at forecasting the trends of the future, and there will be a live food styling and photography demonstration in a professional kitchen. 

Bill has photographed food for Mary Berry, Sophie Grigson, Rick Stein and Antonio Carluccio, and former Leiths graduate Rosie Reynolds is a trusted food stylist for the likes of Bill Grainger and Waitrose.

The event is just one of the many being held to celebrate Leiths 40th anniversary, and follows the incredible success of Leiths 40th panel talk with Prue Leith, Rick Stein, Yotam Ottolenghi and Gizzi Erskine in September.

Held at Leiths School of Food and Wine, tickets will be limited to just 30.  Drinks and canapés will be served on arrival, and there will be plenty of time to ask Rosie and William questions.

ENDS 

Leiths Celebrations

Leiths Birthday Cake Bake off Competition opens 1 October 2015 – Until Sunday 10th Jan
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food and Fashion, Thursday 12 November 2015 19:00 – 21:30
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food and Technology, Thursday 28 January 2016 19:00 – 21.30
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food Writing, with Diana Henry Thursday 25 March 2016 19:00 – 21:30

About Leiths

Leiths School of Food and Wine is a first-class training school for chefs, attracting students of all ages from all over the world.  With its dedicated teaching staff and friendly atmosphere, Leiths' guiding principle is to impart enthusiasm for the trade and instil a lasting love of good food and wine.  Many enthusiastic amateurs attend the varied programme of courses and diverse range of special events led by the Leiths experts or guests chefs. For those with professional ambitions, the Leiths Diploma in Food and Wine is highly respected in the culinary world; notable alumni include Lorraine Pascale, Matt Tebbutt, Gizzi Erskine, Florence Knight and Diana Henry.

Founded by Prue Leith in October 1975, the school's first principal was Caroline Waldegrave.  In 1993 Caroline and Sir Christopher Bland purchased the school and Caroline remained at the helm until 2008. Former Leiths graduate and owner of Divertimenti Cookery School, Camilla Schneideman replaced her and remains the managing director to this day.