Case Study: Haru Izakaya

Brief.

Haru Izakaya are a Japanese small plates restaurant in Lewes, offering sushi, yakiatori, donburi, cocktails and bubble tea in a relaxed, design-led space.

I was brought on not only as a food photographer, but as a brand consultant - tasked with helping shape the visual identity, guide the interior fit, and build a full suite of brand imagery ahead of launch.

The aim was to create a rich and cohesive visual world for Haru that could carry across web, socials, and in-venue communications.

Approach.

We started with a brand strategy session to align on tone, customer experience, and visual storytelling. From there, I advised on the interior design of lighting, frames, neons, table settings, menus and layout choices that would complement Haru’s relaxed, contemporary feel and photograph well for myself, and visiting diners. I additionally worked with a supplier of mine on the branding, brand guidelines and website design.

I then led a 1.5-day lifestyle food photography shoot, creating a bank of imagery that included styled table scenes, graphic close-ups of sushi, cocktails, bubble tea, and desserts - plus reportage shots of service, behind-the-scenes prep, interiors, and informal portraits of the team.

I captured their food photography on a built set, using a tin background, neon lighting, and contrasting lighting - reminiscent of a Tokyo izakaya.

The final gallery gave Haru a strong launch library of brand visuals that is versatile enough for everything from website hero banners to printed menus and window graphics.