So you want to be TV food presenter?

The growth in media coverage of food has given rise to a new breed of presenter who can cook and inform while engaging with an audience.

‘How to be a Food Presenter’ is a course aimed at anyone who wants to cook for and connect with an audience – whether they plan to start an informative YouTube channel, teach cookery, demonstrate at live events, cook on TV or simply improve their presentation skills.
The course, which is the first of its kind in the UK, will be taught by trainers from Chef’s Training, a television training company with vast experience in media and food, as well as by the chefs from Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Working in a small group of no more than 10, students will spend five evenings learning at Leiths School of Food and Wine in west London, before heading out for a full Saturday ‘on location’ to film their showreels, which will be fully edited into a professional product for their portfolio.

This can be sent to casting agents or simply used as part of their online marketing strategy. A professional make-up artist will be on hand, and 10 professional photographs will be taken and supplied of each student in chef’s whites, or clothing of their choice.

Students will initially be taught how to cook and talk clearly at the same time, before working on their voice projection, voice control, body language and enunciation.

They will be then be taught the art of cooking on camera: learning to keep their cool and cook with finesse while providing the audience with essential factual information – ingredients, measures and cooking times – in a warm and engaging style.
Then they will be guided through more technical skills such as using autocue and talkback, and working with multiple cameras.

Watching themselves on screen, they will be given constructive feedback, before practising in front of the camera again.

Throughout the course, students will be offered advice on their individual career strategies, with suggestions on how to market themselves, and how to dress and style themselves for television.

The course will run from 6.30pm to 9.30pm every Wednesday evening from November 2 to November 30, plus a full day on Saturday December 3.

A second course will run from 6.30pm to 9.30pm every Wednesday evening from February 22 to March 22 2017, plus a full day on Saturday March 25.

The cost of each course is £900.To find out more visit www.leiths.com/courses/how-to-be-a-food-presenter