News and Features
The Art of Cheese Sculpting Susie Watkins polakova meets cheese alchemist Tanys Pullin You would have thought that with a major cheese making operation to support, a husband, and four sons to raise, Tanys Pullin would have enough on her plate . And indeed this 46 year old former Cordon Bleu chef, has taken a cooler approach to life recently. But that’s not because she wanted a less frenetic lifestyle – just that over the last few months she has spent many hours, and whole days, working in Dorset based Ford Farm’s fridges. It took a total of 90 hours for her to produce the pride of place at the Royal Bath and West show – a gigantic show stopping crown that dominated the cheese tent. And smuggled alongside the usual rounds of Cheddar, Wensleydale and Caerphilly.. could that be.. yes, a box of chocolates so appetising looking that some visitors simply couldn’t resist trying one.... only to find that they had bitten off a handmade cheese-olate. Equally inspiring, and time consuming, her amazing ‘Cheese wedding cakes’ made entirely of... yes cheese. Looking at the towering beauty of her creations, it seems hardly possible that all the colours and textures can be made to look so appetising - with just cheese as the staple ingredient. But that’s the case, with port Cheddars , Dorset reds, Sage Derbys and other common cheeses being magically turned into roses, drapes and bows. No artificial colourings or flavourings in sight. So how does this cheese alchemist achieve her stunning results? “It requires a lot of imagination and yes, it’s a lot of stress,” admits the sculptress.” But it’s something completely different.. and I love working out the problems of getting the cheese to look like something other than cheese.” For example her homage to the World Cup was the result of a eureka moment in the middle of the night , when all attempts using icing pens, and cheese rinds had failed. The final solution, a photocopy of the World Cup logo, transposed and then superimposed onto linen and then layered onto the cheese ball with lard. As potential customers queued to speak to her, Tanys admitted that spending whole periods of her life cutting, slicing, turning, rolling, moulding and manipulating cheese, is a slightly unusual occupation.” Yes I think I am mad,” she said.” And after this show I am going on holiday for a week and I will not look at a piece of cheese....that’s the promise I made myself.” You can contact Tanys at her blog http://cheeseweddingcakegoddess.blogspot.com/
Or via Ford Farm at www.fordfarm.com
All images © Susie Watkins Polakova and Tanys Pullin |
