Cocoa & Chili- Styling, Photography & Recipe Development

Hi, I’m Nidhi, a Melbourne-based Food/Product Stylist, Photographer & Recipe Developer. I moved from Bombay to Australia 8 years ago to live with my husband. I am a proud bunny mama to the fluffiest bunny.

I am a Chocoholic who loves Chocolate just as much as Chilies hence the name Cocoa & Chili. It also combines Indian heritage & my formal training in French Patisserie.

My images are Bold, Elegant, and Clean, showcasing food to be the real hero. When I photograph food & develop recipes, I try to draw on the deep-rooted emotional connection that food has in our lives. Be it the nostalgia of fun childhood treats to the effortless luxury of a special evening of celebration. Food has the power to evoke memories and emotions that I convey by creating captivating visuals for brands.

I often employ a Storytelling form of styling for my photos allowing the ingredients and food to shine.

I love creating desserts and food with unique flavour pairings, just as much as I love making handmade pasta and cheeky cocktails. Traditional Indian food is an everyday affair but, I love to create Modern Indian dishes that show that Indian food is ‘More Than Just a Curry’ and can be as refined and sophisticated on the plate as it is on the palette.

My Food is my Story.

Let’s Work together by allowing me to be a part of your food story!

Some of the services I offer:

Styled Shoot: Ideal for brands selling their products online and in-store, including food and beverage products as well as Cookbooks, E-Commerce, Website, Editorials & Blogs. Shoot is Styled and prepped in studio and includes a mix of core product shots & images of the product in use, depending on the product. The shoot is designed and customised to suit your needs, marketing goals and style.

Lifestyle & Branding Photography: This is perfect for lifestyle products, packaging, or food products that don’t require cooking or recipe development and writing. I can craft engaging scenes that appeal to your target audience or let your product shine on its own.

Recipe Development: Showcasing your product in a unique way by creating recipes that lets the food shine. A great way to share various, delicious, and creative uses with customers. Helps in improving brand recognition & recollection amongst your audience.

Restaurant/ Bar/ Café Photography: Want to attract customers with unique images that embody your brand and vision? I’ll curate a collection of photos for you to use on your website, menus, social media, and marketing materials.

If you are a restaurant, café or bar in the Greater Melbourne Region, I would love to do a shoot for you!

I have helped many businesses (Chaiwalli, The Prosecco Van, Yarra Valley Cheese, Sault Restaurant) produce quality content for websites, social media, and marketing material. Be sure to check my portfolio and my Instagram to see some recent examples of my work.

I’d love to help you achieve your marketing for your brand so feel free to book a Discovery Call with me