Alison Slattery : capturing the soul of Montreal’s restaurants, one photo at a time

Alison Slattery, a talented culinary photographer, has been a collaborator with Tastet since the very beginning, 10 years ago. A passionate artist, she has made her mark in Montreal’s restaurant industry, not only with her sharp eye but also with her generosity and infectious good mood. It’s a true pleasure to work with her. Here’s the portrait of one of the city’s most talented culinary photographers and one of our favorite people.

Her first passion: sports

Alison grew up in Tralee, Ireland, where she spent her childhood before moving to Montreal in August 2008. “I had a really sweet and innocent childhood. I spent all my time at my grandmother’s house, practicing all kinds of sports,” Alison recalls. Sports have always been central to her life. In high school, she was captain of the Gaelic football team and played basketball. Even at University College Cork (UCC), where she studied early childhood education, she captained the soccer team.

Travel

A passionate traveler, it’s the discovery of new places that draws her to travel: “Every country is different, with its own flavor. I love learning and experiencing these cultures. That’s why I enjoy traveling to different places. And I still have so many more to discover.” Her first trip was to Boston during university, where she fell in love with the city and returned several times.

After her studies, Alison moved to South Korea for two years, an experience that sparked her true passion for travel and photography. It was there she bought her first camera, a “very cheap Nikon D40,” as she humorously recalls.

She then settled in Montreal: “For me, I have two homes: Ireland and Quebec. The dream would be to have a cottage by the lake; it’s the Canadian dream! I love this city, I compare it to every place we visit. I believe we have some of the best food in the world, and the people are incredible.”

A career built on human connections

When Alison arrived in Montreal, she started working in a daycare, taking photos of the children during activities and even doing family portraits for the parents. “I did it out of passion, never imagining it would become my career. I remember at 16, I dreamed of becoming a photographer, but a teacher discouraged me from pursuing it,” she recalls. In 2013, she began wedding photography alongside her partner, Farah Khan, a graphic designer. At the time, Farah worked with Derek Dammann. Alison formed friendships with Derek and several other restaurateurs and chefs.

“Derek was working on a cookbook, True North, and I would accompany Farah to the photo shoots. That’s when I fell in love with food photography. I thought, this is what I want to do.”

It was at the opening of Maison Publique that Alison first met Élise Tastet. “I contacted Élise to expand my culinary photography portfolio, and that’s when everything started. Élise had just launched Tastet, and we blended our two passions together.” Over the years, the two women have visited hundreds of restaurants and made incredible connections.

Written by Fabie Lubin