Scotland fake food art gets a taste of Barbie movie success

An artist who creates fake food has been „overwhelmed” by the response since her work was featured in hit movie Barbie last year.

Kerry Samantha Boyce takes a peek at the opening beach scenes of her „Raspberry Ripple Ice Creams” Hollywood hit.

He creates high-quality and realistic food sculptures for a variety of applications, from historic homes and museums to movies and television shows.

Since starting his fake food workshop business six years ago as a kitchen table start-up, it has grown rapidly.

The mother-of-three now owns her own fake food shop and studio set-up in the South West of Scotland, with an ever-growing list of renowned clients from around the world.

Ms Boyce describes her work as „a blend of artistry, culinary innovation and sculptural finesse”.

The unique creations stem from a lifelong passion for creative arts and crafts, inspired by his father.

He said: „I’m always experimenting with different materials, how to create different works of art, and that’s what it’s all about in the end.

„My inspiration came from my dad. Growing up in the North Pennines, I would spend a lot of time with him when he was working. He was a joiner, but very creative.

„I always test my work. After many tests the end result you see.”

Ms. Boyce has a background as a stonemason and taxidermist, and reflection has been her forte.

She bought a copy of Mrs Beaton’s book on household management and was inspired by the lithographs, which led her to recreate those dishes in a different way.

Based in Kirkcudbrightshire, the business started as a hobby with creations sold at makers markets or online through Etsy.

The recipe and process for the artist’s fake food is a closely guarded secret but the resins he paints with are just one of the many materials used.

She said: “When I started I had four jobs so I only had time to make fake meals one day a week.

„But Covid changed that and I had a lot of time on my hands and I had to make some money. It just evolved from there.”

From working at the kitchen table or in a spare room, he has recently set up in an idyllic spot overlooking the River Dee near Solway Beach.

Miss Boyce sought to „create a vintage store with a whimsical combination of Willy Wonka’s magic and Mrs Beaton’s vintage charm”.

At the back of the store is a work station where the fake food is prepared on different days.

These range from centerpieces for a museum to life-size roast duck, salmon-en-groud and pork pies, to dozens of party-style strawberry and chocolate deserts that will be shipped all over the world to New Zealand.

Between a growing client base in more than 25 countries, moving to a new location and creating fake food specifically for its storefront, it’s been a busy time for the company.

She said: “Previously we didn’t have room to stock our fake food products, it was just making the product, photographing it on the work table and removing it for the next order.

„Now that we have space to display our work in the storefront, it’s kept us very busy, especially building up to the Spring Fling event at the end of May”.

Sitting among the delicious food sculptures on site is a banana, made of wood in his youth, exemplifying a lifelong passion.

As well as featuring in last year’s Barbie blockbuster, her work has been featured on the Hobbiton movie set in New Zealand – where Lord of the Rings was filmed – and at New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Closer to home, they have been exhibited in Selfridges, several West End theaters and many National Trust properties.

Ms Boyes „didn’t always know what was planned for the fake food, or where it was going”, but was „flabbergasted” by the reaction after it appeared on Barbie.

The fake food workshop will be one of 104 studios open to the public for the Spring Fling art event across Dumfries and Galloway at the end of May.

Speaking about the Barbie promotion, she said: “It led to people asking how to learn how to make fake food and if they could come and see our work.

„It surprised me, we don’t usually have the public, so we’ll see how the spring fling goes first.”

Mrs Boyce’s daughter Primrose helps out and takes a keen interest in what the works are used for.

The 18-year-old said: „I love how it’s unusual, not many people make fake food and I love finding out where it goes and if it appears in a film or on TV, it makes us all proud.”