Taste; an exploration of food locale storefronts and class significations

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Introduction

Food exists at the intersection of biological necessity and culturally-constructed choice, acting as a key agent in producing diversity within modern society. Being a result of standardised (industrialised processing of ingredients and tools) as well as organic (cultural-political) systems, it exists not just as sustenance but as a signifier. Neither the significance of food nor its capacity to associate and communicate is unfamiliar to us; the environment food is situated in similarly functions as a signifier. “The product as bought—that is, experienced by the consumer is by no means the real product” (Barthes, 2018, p21), and much of the arbitrary value we assign to eating lies in our perception of its surroundings. This translates the consumer’s desire for a product into a desire for an experience. However, much of the various contexts food sits in and the effects this has on the act of consumption has thus far been understudied (Spence, 2015, p32).

Judging a book by its cover—judging a locale by its storefront—is an inevitable behaviour. Design elements of an establishment serve as extrinsic cues consumers use to form snap judgements of quality and value before direct engagement (Bitner, 1992). The consumer can then be defined in two senses: firstly, as someone who’s literally eating food and secondly, as a participant of society consuming a product of culture. Pierre Bourdieu’s critique of class in ‘Distinction’ underpins this research’s exploration of consumption, with his sociology work famously addressing power dynamics in society and influencing much of today’s social science studies. Bourdieu discusses the transfer of power in regards to cultural capital and legitimacy, subjective metrics this research will utilise. He states that “cultural consumption (is) predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not, to fulfil a social function of legitimating social differences.” (Bourdieu, 1984, p7), where social differences are largely dictated by class position. Class can then be established in two symbiotic senses: it can refer to the objective socio-economic class one resides in and also allude to the subjective idea of having so-called elite tastes or manners (‘classy’). Therefore, consumers partaking in social and economic activities of eating is no different than the participation of society’s class divisions.

This research deconstructs how elements within food locale* storefronts participate in the signalling and reproduction of class in order to uncover the contexts behind class distinction and encourage nuance towards everyday consumption choices. Photography is the primary methodology of data gathering, paralleling a pedestrian-to-be-consumer’s point of view in the visual reception of a storefront (while taking into consideration the locale’s cost of dining*). Analysis is conducted under the framework of graphic design principles and elements to explore significations that might arise in consumers, consciously or sub-consciously.

To frame the lens of how research was conducted: storytelling of place-based dynamics has been a part of my graphic design practice in recent years. Whether it was to raise awareness for communities or shed light on individual perspectives, my goal—as is with this research—is to engage others with nuances in experience and culture. Additionally, my personal position as a Singaporean-Hong Kong migrant residing in London motivates much of my curiosity toward a multicultural understanding of sites.

*food locales, as defined in this research, references businesses that sell in-house prepared food as their primary product. Some examples of exclusion are supermarkets—which do not primarily prepare food in-house, and gaming cafes—where food consumption isn’t their primary purpose. The term ‘locales’ is also used in lieu of ‘restaurants’ to be inclusive of businesses operating outside a fixed structure, such as food trucks or stalls.

*Cost of dining definitions (price per person):
£ = £10 and under
££ = £10-£20
£££ = £20 and over

Geosocial Background
In discussing culture and food, this research investigates East London’s culinary scene as a representation of economic and cultural diversity. Data from the Indices of Multiple Deprivation shows that many of its neighbourhoods fall within the top 10–20% most deprived areas in England, while adjacent districts have experienced rapid gentrification and rising property values (London Datastore, 2021). Such close proximity of wealth disparity intensifies the distinctions of consumption in retail and food environments (Trust for London, 2021). The correlation between East London’s socio-economic classes and ethnic makeup is notable due to its historical roots; the site has been a primary settlement zone for migrant communities since the nineteenth century—including Jewish, Caribbean, South Asian, African, Eastern European (Panayi, 2010), and more recently, East and South East Asian populations (Hackney Council News, 2025). This makes East London especially suitable for investigating graphic design’s functions past decoration and as a mechanism through which classed taste and cultural meaning are negotiated. A total of 56 locales were analysed across East London—of which, the primary food served is Western cuisine in 31 locales and migrant* cuisines in 25 locales.

*Migrant is used relative to the European continent with reference to the post-colonial concept of othering that was popularised in the 20th century by cultural critics such as Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Edward Said. White—typically consisting of cuisine from parts of Europe and North America—food is the cultural norm while other cuisines are considered relatively foreign.

Figure 1. Map of East London—site areas highlighted in black: Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Angel, and Hackney.
Graphic Design Frameworks
In analysing storefronts through a graphic design lens, the dominating emphasis on European and North American visual sensibilities in the canon (Toppins, 2025) cannot go unacknowledged. Even amongst those of non-Western background, this lens is largely adopted in the perception of design quality due to the historically global intrusion of colonialism; historical analyses of graphic design in settler colonial contexts like South Africa reveal colonial power dynamics shaping what is recognised as ‘high design’ (Pretorius, 2015). This research acknowledges Eurocentric frameworks in analysing according to the adherence to canonical graphic design principles and usage of elements—including colour, typography, space and hierarchy.