[attach id=348310 size="medium"]Mark McBride’s winning chocolate sculpture.[/attach]
Pastry chef and chocolate sculptor Mark McBride has won a silver medal at the International Salon Culinaire at Hotelympia Excel in London, one of the world’s leading competitions for hand-crafted works in fat, chocolate marzipan and other foodstuffs.
His sculpture is on display at the hotel as part of the recently-launched bakery range of delicious cakes, cookies and other treats.
Asked about what inspires his work, McBride said: “Sleepless nights! After a 16-hour shift in the kitchen, I get home feeling wide awake – so I lie there dreaming up designs for the competition. I guess it turned out to be worthwhile in the end.”
The work of art, made of white chocolate couvertoure, took six months to complete. The process involved tempering the chocolate with a clear shape in mind and then cutting it to make separate pieces for the final model. It was built using a reverse mold with chocolate poured into it layer by layer, and colours added individually.
It’s somewhat hard to believe but that is all crafted from a single block of chocolate
“It’s somewhat hard to believe but that is all crafted from a single block of chocolate,” McBride says, relieved the sculpture made it both to and from the UK in one piece.
“I knew what I wanted to end up with before I started. I was also inspired by ‘reversed seashells’. I started with a nautilus shell-shape and it developed from there. The result is very symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing.”
McBride terms himself as something of a “late-bloomer” when it comes to chocolate carving. He previously competed in static plate displays and live cooking, but coming across a display of chocolate sculptures six years ago, he was instantly intrigued.
“I saw what had been made and knew I could do something different.”
One of the judges remarked on how unusual his work was. “The head of the judging panel actually said he hopes my techniques will inspire a new generation of pastry chefs to create chocolate sculptures in innovative ways. His words have certainly given me the drive to craft more sculptures in the future.”
Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa executive chef Stefan Hogan said these competitions were an important part of any chef’s development within the industry.
“Contests such as this one help to showcase artistic ability, and we are of course very keen to encourage our chefs in this respect.”
The Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa’s Hand-Crafted Bakery is now open. Cakes are for sale by the slice at the Orange Grove, while whole cakes can be ordered 24 hours in advance. Complimentary consultations with the hotel’s pastry team is also possible.