On his chosen careerFood Styling can be described as the art of preserving the natural appeal of food to ensure its innate beauty is kept in front of the camera… at least that’s how Theo Zaragoza, Food Stylist and Managing Director of Resultado Gourmet Designs, Co. views his profession. “I see it as an art of bringing food to life, or a means of counteracting the forces which tend to turn food unattractive in front of a camera. It is not about faking it, but wanting to prolong the radiance which food has naturally… sometimes its just bringing out the best of that said beauty and communicating it to the viewer.” – Words from a passionate chef turned food stylist. When asked about his chosen career, he begins with describing his day-to-day work. Descriptions such as fascinating, exhilarating, and challenging are almost always interjected in his stories. Even after five years of working as a food stylist, he continues to experience new highs and thrills with every assignment he accomplishes. “I never stop learning, and I never stop myself from obtaining knowledge with the people I work with, the challenges I am faced with, and even the mistakes I sometimes stumble upon”, he says.
Theo’s early memories were always about his adventures in the kitchen, from eating delicious home cooked meals to learning the basics and the art of cooking simply by observing his mother. As he puts it, “If painters consider their canvas as their work of art, or if writers show their deepest emotions in their narratives, then I express myself through my cooking.”
His love for the arts brought him to De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde where he graduated with a degree in Industrial Design. But his passion still led him to the kitchen; and soon after he had a flourishing catering business, a summer culinary class for kids, and a café named Cucina Maithe.
It wasn’t until later that he concentrated his fervor to food styling. It was when he, together with his friend photographer Anton Feliciano, decided to partner in a food styling and food photography business they named Resultado Gourmet Designs, Co. With his knowledge in designing and cooking, he and his partner landed several projects with big-time clients.
But being the perfectionist that Theo is, he wanted to learn and grow more in the field of food styling. After formal short courses in cooking with culinary schools and training with several chefs, he flew to New York to study Professional Food Styling in the Culinary Institute of America under the wing of Dolores Custer.
And as if a spark grew into fire, combining his two love – art and food – felt like his ultimate calling.
Lights, Camera, Action
Today, Resultado Gourmet Designs, Co. has an impressive list of partners from restaurants, advertising agencies, food companies, to magazines. With their growing clientele, Resultado decided to expand its services and offer food consultancy, recipe development, and production design to cope with their clients’ growing demands. Resultado has also partnered with several notable photographers and graphic designers, making the company an ultimate one-stop-shop.When asked about his experiences with work, I found myself scribbling away with his fascinating stories. He mostly shared unforgettable events, both good and bad. “The positive thing about bad experiences is one can always see it as something to strengthen them and make them better. If I lose this perspective, I would have given up early in my career.” Theo points out. He talks about the rise of Resultado, the story not being all about glamour or even sounding close to a fairytale. Theo recalls, “We really came across trying times especially in the early days of the business. Even with a great idea such as a ‘food styling and food photography company’, there are risks involved. There were times when the company will experience a dry spell and our pockets would be empty even before the season ends. But we trudged on, we never gave up, and now I am happy where the company is”.
Being in the business for five years now, I asked him the main ingredients that make a service-oriented company successful. He laughs at this question and humbly mentions “I don’t think were in the position to answer that. I mean, we still have a long way to go to be considered successful. But I can share to you the things I have learned in this business which, as you put it, is service-oriented.” I expected to hear something like ‘keeping connections are very important’ or something common like ‘patience is a virtue’. But then, he simply says with pure honesty, “one has to be ‘ma-PR’. That’s it.” And as if he quickly picked up my puzzled look, he continues to say “that’s just the whole of it. ‘Ma-PR’ can have a negative connotation and seem as if I’m saying you have to be plastic, but for me PR is not just about ‘pang-bobola’. For me, it means presenting yourself with confidence and knowing your client well enough to perceive what makes them happy.” He then explains that in the five years he has been working as a food stylist, he had encountered different kinds of people and he equally learned how to deal with each one of them. “I’d be lying if I actually said I have never worked with tough, even bordering crazy, clients. But the key is not to childishly complain about it, but make the best out of the situation by knowing their ‘kiliti’ and trying to get the good side of them. I learned that it really starts with ways of assuring them that everything is under control,” he narrates. I asked him if he can point out some examples of such and he tells me more about the comparison of how he worked before to how he is now. “Before, I used to hate it when [during the meetings] everything flows so smoothly and plans are so concrete, but when shooting day comes, they completely change the plans or they meddle with my work. But I learned that it’s because I fail to understand that I can’t please everybody the same way. I have to adjust to different kinds of clients, read their expressions, and work with them the best way I can. If I have to redo a whole shoot because they weren’t happy, I would gladly do it. As it is with any service organization, the customer is always right. I just keep this in mind and do my utmost best in every job assignment.” It really sounds so easy but I know that this is coming from a person whose had years of experience.
Before I jumped to my next question, he quickly adds, “But always remember that you can’t be confident with something you don’t have. Wag mayabang kung walang pagyayabang,” he ended with a laugh.
He had worked with big names such as Unilever, Universal Robina Corporation, Jollibee
Corporation, Magnolia, and Del Monte to name a few, but when asked about his most memorable project, “definitely the Chef’s Secrets & Favorite Recipes Cook Book project with Hinge-Inquirer,” he enthuses. Chef’s Secrets & Favorite Recipes is a cook book released by Hinge-Inquirer which features young and talented chefs of our country, showcasing their unique and delicious recipes. Theo partnered with Photographer Benjamin Chan with this project. “When I met Ben for a shoot in Tapa King, I really saw a talent that quickly showed passion and hunger for photography. He’s very easy to work with, we both have the need to make each food shot perfect, and he’s really skilled at his craft. I also learned from him that I’m only as good as my last shoot. So now, I make it a point to give my 110% in every click of the camera,” describes Theo. Theo and Ben worked with Hinge-Inquirer for a month long cook book project, which did not only bring new challenges, but also brought about new friends from the publishing company. “From the day of the meeting, we all quickly jelled well. Everyone was very accommodating and helpful. Every shoot day was polished and planned out. But more than the professional relationship we had, every time we were together, we were always laughing and having fun. The shoot may even take the whole day, but it will always end with smiles… not to mention overflowing great food!” Theo had the pleasure to work with Project Editor Ms. Norma Chikiamco, Editor-in-Chief Ms. Nana Ozaeta, Editorial Manager Ms. Annaliza Lopez, Editorial Assistant Ms. Millicent Agoncillo, Recipe Testers Ms. Vicky Ferrer and Ms. Dorothy Ferreria, Staff Photographer Mr. Christian Regis, and Make-up Artist Kusie Ho amongst many more others. “We really worked well as a team and I would love to work with them again,” he exclaims. This project also allowed Theo to face new challenges that has honed his skills as a food stylist. “I was actually anxious at the beginning of the project, because being a Chef myself, I felt that it will be difficult to capture the vision of the Chefs and still keep the 
theme of the cook book consistent. But surprisingly, they were all very easy to work with. We had an unspeakable respect for each others craft. This really made it very easy for me to work on their recipes. The only thing I had to worry about is the project’s test on my creativity,” he reveals. He showed me the photos of the dishes he food styled and Ben photographed, and I must say that they all looked so beautifully done, I thought I was viewing pictures of an Internationally published cook book. It had drama, it was natural, and it was superbly food styled. As Theo was narrating his story behind every picture, I could really see how truly proud he is with this project. He even says this is the best project he had so far because of the friends he made and the new skills he had learned from it. His excitement is very childlike, showing that it is very important to not let the fame and fortune get into one’s head, and always remember that every project that comes one’s way is a blessing worth to be cherished.What’s Next for Resultado
“When it’s about the future, I leave it all to God, because I know that His plans are perfect,” Theo says with confidence. “But I do hope that I will finally bag a food commercial, be able to put up my restaurant, and open an office for Resultado a few years from now,” he quickly adds. With the expanding services and growing clientele of Resultado, I don’t see this as far from happening. In fact, he plans to get into charity this coming 2009. “When I realized that everything I have is from God, I feel compelled to give back in anyway I can,” he humbly explains to me. His plan of sending one child to school is actually very simple, but is a great act of kindness as well. With a heart like Theo’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d be reaching his dreams faster than he thinks. “Right now, I just want to concentrate on my craft and passion, [food styling], and do my best at it in every project I will get,” he ends with the usual honest smile he has.
By: Samantha Ramos-Zaragoza
