‘I’ve seen other knitted roast chickens, and I’d like to put my own stamp on one’: No one can resist the charms of Kate Jenkins's culinary creations

Salami with smiley piggie faces; Venetian cicchetti with sequined anchovies; slices of ‘Quattro Stitchioni’. This is a trattoria, but not quite as you know it. ‘The lasagne has layers of machine-knitted pasta sheets and hand-crocheted ragu,’ says Kate Jenkins. ‘Sometimes I’ll add a blowtorch for a burnt finish, as if it’s just come out of the oven.’

The textile artist is talking to me about her current, immersive installation at London’s Air Contemporary gallery — an Italian restaurant where everything is knitted.

There will also be vintage tables, borrowed from Merchant & Found and arranged like a still-life painting, with crochet Chianti bottles and plates of ‘Spaghetti Woolanese’. And a wall of handmade objects, displayed in oak frames, including Mutti tomatoes and Pollastrini sardines.

Brighton-based Jenkins has been the undisputed Queen of Crochet for two decades. Her playful, almost-edible creations, from ice-cream cones to bagels, and prawn platters, are humorous, pretty and playful. ‘I like the challenge of making everything as realistic as possible,’ she says. ‘Whenever I’m abroad, a food market, then a supermarket, are first on my list for inspiration.’ She cites several trips, including a summer cruise with Viking, from Venice to Rome. ‘In Crotone, I saw bunches of Calabrian red onions. I smuggled some home and recreated them for the restaurant.’

Image 1 of 3

Jenkins was taught to knit and crochet by her mother and grandmother, around the age of nine, and quickly realised that she was better at ‘making’ than drawing. A fashion degree with a special focus on textiles led to a career in knitwear, designing prototypes for labels such as Marc Jacobs and Missoni. However, it wasn’t until she made a fried breakfast as research for a foodie knit appliqué, in 2006, that the idea that’s made her famous first percolated in her mind.

‘I kept thinking, would anyone wear a fried breakfast? Of course, they would now, but this was the 1990s, so I put it onto a crochet plate instead.’ To test the public’s appetite for the artform, she put on an exhibition at Brighton Artists Open House, titled ‘Comfort Food’, featuring dishes such as fish and chips, and beans on toast. It sold out. ‘At the time, I was one of the only people doing it, but over the years, food art has become more fashionable.’

Galleries aren’t the only ones hungry for Jenkins. Earlier this year, she received a call from the top dog of luxury fashion, Hermès, who invited her to create an installation for their new, flagship store. She came up with ‘Rocabarn’, spun spa for Hermès’s first client, the horse. ‘I wanted it to look like a stable, so there were Birkin bags stuffed with sugar lumps, crocheted bridles, a ‘hooficure’ bar and a knitted carrot chandelier,’ she explains. ‘My favourite part was the life-size horse’s rear whose lambswool tail was plaited with jewellery (below).

‘Hermès asked for fun and humour, and they really embraced it. They encouraged me to be more over the top.’

So, what’s next on Jenkins’s menu? ‘A roast chicken. I’ve seen other knitted roast chickens, and I’d like to put my own stamp on one.’

Whatever she does, it’s bound to look good enough to eat.

'Knitalian' is at Air Contemporary Gallery from November 1 until 5 December. For more information visit their website.