Kirkcudbright and Gatehouse Probus Club had a very enjoyable and intriguing monthly lunch at the Selkirk Arms recently.
The November meeting was one of the best attended of the year and it involved much catching up with each other. The meal was, as usual, very well presented and very much appreciated by all.
The monthly talk was courtesy of a local artist and entrepreneur, Kerry Boyes of Fake Foods Workshop and she provided members with a wonderful insight into the workings of a local business.
Kerry shared her journey from a small girl’s creativity in north Yorkshire to art school and experience as a resident artist at Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall. Interestingly, she wished to share some of the credit for an interest in taxidermy with her ferociously deadly (to local wildlife) pet cat. Members were fascinated by a brief outline of some basic taxidermy techniques and amused by her remark that her family saw a trip to the freezer as fraught with danger. Her background in sculpting and conservation began to provide some of the grounding for her next venture.
The acquisition of Mrs Beeton’s famous Book of Household Management allowed her to further develop her creative instincts to create fake and replica food items, often with an animal theme. Since the founding of the Fake Food Workshop she has spent the last four or five years building and extending the product range of the business.
The Kirkcudbright store is popular and the business has many British and international customers. These include museums, galleries, film companies and themed attractions. One of the audience has purchased a fake savoury to go into a Christmas Stocking.
One particular favourite with the audience was the fake ice cream cone. We were able to study the creative processes, including the very necessary study of the real thing from the Mr Whippy Van on the Harbour Square in Kirkcudbright. Without exception, all members rash enough to attempt to distinguish the real food item from the fake were humbled.
Kerry was thanked for a really amusing and entertaining talk and was assured that her relocation to Kirkcudbright was appreciated by the local community. Kerry welcomes visitors to the shop and workshop and it sounded quite magical.