The Standard

Composition

• No visible board. Coverage is the single strongest signal of abundance. A sparse board reads as cheap regardless of what is on it.
• Odd-number grouping. Three, five, seven. Even groupings read as institutional.
• Height variation. Something folded, something stacked, something in a raised bowl. A flat board photographs flat.
• Five textures minimum: creamy, firm, crunchy, soft-sweet, fresh.
• Wet items in bowls. Olives, honey, jam, anything that migrates. Nothing bleeds into a cracker.
• One focal point. A honeycomb, a cheese wheel, a flower cluster. The eye needs a landing spot.

Floral: odd-numbered focal blooms · three heights minimum · foliage reaching past the vessel line · nothing wilting, ever, at any price · conditioned in water for a minimum of four hours before arranging.

Pastry: uniform sizing within a variety — irregular pieces read as amateur even when they taste better · glazes set before wrapping · nothing stacked that crushes.

Portioning

Per-person guidance. These are conventional catering figures — calibrate against real returns after ten jobs and update this table.

Quote the role, not the headcount alone. "25 people" is not a spec; "25 people, grazing alongside lunch" is. This one clarification prevents most portioning complaints.

Labeling — non-negotiable

Every food delivery ships with a printed item card:

TODO TASTEFUL · [Maker business name]
[Job name] · Made [date]

ON THIS BOARD
  Item — brief description
  ...

CONTAINS: milk, tree nuts (almond, walnut), wheat
[Keep refrigerated. Best within 4 hours of serving.]
[Any wording your jurisdiction requires, verbatim.]

Questions: [maker email] · [maker phone]

Allergens in bold, always, even when the jurisdiction does not require it. A buyer must be able to hand this card to an employee with a nut allergy and have that end the conversation. What You Can Sell §5 has the full requirement.

Packaging & transport

• Cold chain held to the door. TCS items travel in an insulated container with cold packs, not on a back seat. A thermometer goes in the container.
• Covered and sealed for transport, uncovered only at handoff.
• Non-slip base in the vehicle. Most damage happens on the drive, not on the table.
• Arrival condition rule: it must look on the table exactly as it looked when it was photographed. If it does not, it is rebuilt on site or it is not delivered.

Photography — every job, no exceptions

Three minutes of work that compounds into the network's entire marketing library.

• Overhead, square on, filling the frame.
• 45°, from the focal point's side.
• Natural light. No flash, ever. Near a window, mid-morning if possible.
• Neutral surface — wood, stone, linen. Nothing patterned.
• Before wrapping, at its best, before it travels.
• Handoff photo at delivery, in place on the buyer's table.

The maker keeps and may use every image. The network may use them with credit. This is a real part of what a maker gets from joining (The Network §2) — after ten jobs they own a portfolio.

Presentation & handoff

Arrive in the window. Clean, plain clothing. Set up if the quote said so. Leave the space as you found it. Hand the item card to the named contact. Leave a business card. Say thank you and leave — no lingering, no upselling; the network follows up in step 9.

The QC checklist

Run before wrapping. Signed by the maker. On a Guild Job, signed by the Job Lead per lot.

JOB:                                    MAKER:                       DATE:

COMPOSITION
[ ] Board not visible through the arrangement
[ ] Odd-number groupings
[ ] Height variation present
[ ] Five textures present
[ ] Wet items contained
[ ] One clear focal point

ACCURACY
[ ] Every item on the quote is present
[ ] Portioning matches the quoted role and headcount
[ ] Dietary restrictions from the RFQ honored
[ ] No cross-contact with a declared allergen

LABELING
[ ] Item card printed and complete
[ ] Every allergen listed, in bold
[ ] Maker name, address, date made
[ ] Jurisdiction-required wording present

FOOD SAFETY
[ ] TCS items held below 41°F until packing
[ ] Insulated container + cold packs + thermometer loaded
[ ] Nothing has been at room temperature over 2 hours

PHOTOS
[ ] Overhead   [ ] 45°   [ ] Natural light, no flash

Signed:                                  Time wrapped:

A failed line is fixed before wrapping or the job does not go out. There is no version of this where a maker signs the checklist on the drive.