The world's first 3D printed restaurant is opening a pop-up dining
experience in London
To add to the experience, the tables,
chairs, cutlery and decorations are also 3D printed.
So how does it work? The concept of 3D
printing is pretty much the same as using a 2D inkjet printer. The 'ink' is
squirted out of a nozzle onto a flat surface. The difference with 3D ink is
that it is thicker and raised up off the surface. Then you can add another
layer on top of it to built it up higher. These techniques have actually been
used in food production for a long time. Think about how a cupcake has icing
piped on to the top of it, spiralling around and building up to create a 3D
shape.
This process can be recreated with plenty of foods other than
cupcake frosting but be able to print with food, it needs to be in a paste
form, so most food needs to be pureed, made into a mouse or batter before being
‘printed’. Because of the accuracy and smoothness you can get with a machine,
you can create highly complex shapes that come out the same every time.
The 9-course dining experience at Food Ink’s
pop-up restaurant in Shoreditch would set you back £250 a head and has already
completely sold out. Quite a price tag for reconstituted food paste squeezed
out of a nozzle by a robot! Is this the future of fine dining? Um, we’ll see. It’s
a pretty cool gimmick though!
If you're interested in 3D printing, have a look at our range of 3D printers and accessories available to buy at www.scorpio-uk.com
