Sweet FA 2020 Winner: Jake Fenton
Jake is a new freelance food stylist which meant, unfortunately he wasn’t entitled to any government help during lockdown. However, this didn't knock his spirit. He was very resourceful and quickly set up a home studio, so that he could not only create spectacular dishes for his client, but he could also capture them on camera.
We want to nominate Jake as this would be a well-deserved reward for all his efforts and positivity is such a hard time for everyone. We are very proud to work with such a talent.
You can find Jakes stunning food styling work here: www.jakefenton.co.uk.
We met with Jake to see how he feels about being a Sweet FA 2020 winner and to learn a little more about him.
How does it feel to be a Sweet FA 2020 winner?
It feels very unexpected to be a Sweet FA winner. I didn't expect to be nominated so to be a winner is an even bigger bonus. It's been a tough year for everyone and this has helped to bring a happy end to the year for me.
| Aspect | Employee | Independent Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Control and supervision | Direct control over how, when, and where to work | Freedom to set their own schedules and methods |
| Payment | Regular wages; taxes withheld by employer | Paid per project; responsible for their own taxes |
| Benefits | Health insurance, retirment plans, paid leave | Must arrange their own benefits |
| Termination | Often requires notice and may include severance | Can usually be terminated at any time without benefits |
| Tools and equipment | Provided by the employer | Typically use their own tools |
I didn't expect to be nominated so to be a winner is an even bigger bonus.
Why did you donate to food banks?
Being a food stylist there is a lot of surplus food leftover from every shoot and there is only so much yourself and the crew can take home. As a community food stylists are very aware of the potential waste of food and try to donate as much as they can via food banks, charity's and food sharing apps like Olio. It's something we do all year round and has become more important because of Covid-19.
Let's learn some more about you:
How did you become a Food Stylist?
Before being a food stylist, I was an Art Director for many years in advertising. Unfortunately, the work changed, and it didn't feel like it was for me anymore. At the same point in time, my interest and love for food was getting stronger and I started to make a food blog. Not long after that I got the news I was being made redundant so I used that as an opportunity to retrain at culinary school so I had all the skills to be a competent stylist. I so pleased I made that decision as my job no longer feels like work.
Can you tell me about a project you're proud to have worked on?
When I was an Art Director working in advertising I always had the ambitions to work in a big TV campaign, now I’m a food stylist I finally have. This year I was part of the food team that delivered all things Christmas for Tesco, from massive billboards to their TV campaign. It was a lot of long hours, hard work and it was so rewarding when I first saw it on TV.
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Meet Jake
Jake is a freelance food stylist and recipe developer. He works across editorial, social, publishing and advertising campaigns for companies such as Tesco, BBC Good Food, Olive Magazine, Penguin Random House and many more. Previous to food styling Jake was an award-winning creative Art Director at top advertising agencies for several years. He decided it was time to combine his passion for creativity with his love for fabulous food, so he left his job in the city to learn the skills he would need to take the food world by storm and trained at the renowned Leiths School of Food & Wine.
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