Food Ink: world’s first 3D printing restaurant

Digital Catapult is always on the lookout for new technological innovations, so when we heard that London would be home to Food Ink, the world’s first 3D printing restaurant, we just had to find out more.

Now sold out, Food Ink is a pop up restaurant that spoils its lucky diners with up to 11 different courses (seven of which are 3D printed). Dishes range from 3D printed guacamole flowers, octopus and mashed potato and even a new digital take on the classic fish and chips; a seaweed base covered with a circuit board pattern of kimchi fish mayonnaise and wasabi.

During our visit, we sampled some 3D apple slices infused with lime and vodka and even a coconut water ‘cocktail’, mixed with liquid nitrogen and served on 3D printed Tetris blocks.

It’s not just the food that is 3D printed, but the décor and crockery too. Everything from the chairs, cutlery and porcelain cups are printed, with architect Arthur Mamou-Mani and FabPub being the brains behind the furniture.

The concept came about when byflow, makers of the world’s first food printer, showcased edible samples at last year’s 3D Food Printing Conference. Food Ink’s Co-founders Anthony Dobrzensky and Marcio Barradas were inspired by the way they connected food printing with people, and had the dream of expanding it to a fully interactive and educational fine dining experience, where guests could make their own 3D culinary masterpieces.

Nina Hoff, CEO of byflow, explained the process of making 3D printed food: “First, the ingredients we use need to be a paste, like guacamole or hummus. We then feed this into a syringe, and inject it into the printer. The printer’s SD card has files of each dish design, so guests can select their meal from a single press of a button.” Quick dishes, like the guacamole flowers, can be made in seconds, while more complex dishes can take 30–40 minutes to complete.

3D printing technology is still in its infancy and therefore expensive; a high-end printer can cost around £2,500. However, Nina hopes that Food Ink could signal the start of something huge for the food and design industries. “Our printer can print up to 20 different materials, from biorubber to silicon. There’s lots of potential to explore new ways of resourcing materials and food with this technology.”

Educating diners about 3D printing is a key element to Food Ink too. “There are lots of misconceptions about printed food — we’re not ‘eating plastic’ as some believe!”, says Nina. “I don’t feel that 3D printing could threaten jobs; we want our printers to be seen as an ordinary kitchen appliance. In that sense, you still need humans to provide the fun, creative element behind the 3D designs.”

Before heading off to taste more Food Ink delicacies, we asked Nina what the future has in store. “Food Ink is planning to showcase in other cities worldwide soon. It’s in a real experimental phase at the moment, and we’re looking to improve our recipes by collaborating with customers, chefs and food manufacturers. With their help, last week we printed chicken for the first time.”

“We also hope to build new partnerships in healthcare too; if we can get nutritionists and doctors on board to help us make informed decisions about healthy, 3D printed foods, it could save the health sector millions.”

Do you think 3D printed food is a sign of the future? Let us know in the comments below.

*Images reused with permission from Food Ink

Find out more about FoodInk, the world’s first 3D printed restaurant, by visiting their website and following them on Twitter @FoodInk3D. Don’t forget to follow us too @DigiCatapult.