BUTTER ART

Mr Athukorale, 46, picked up two gold medals and a silver at the international Salon Culinaire Awards in London last week. The judges were amazed by the level of detail and Mr Athukorale’s patience. Mr Athukorale, who was born in Sri Lanka, has worked in top-class hotels in Greece, Iraq, Cyprus, Bahrain and England. ‘When I was small, I was very good at drawing. Then someone gave me some clay and I started sculpting,’ he said. ‘I started doing polystyrene sculptures – that’s my favourite – and then moved on to butter and food.’ He was made redundant late last year. Today, he finds himself in the curious position of being one of the best fine detail chefs in the world – but with no job. ‘I am beginning to think that what I do is no longer needed,’ Mr Athukorale said. ‘Good hotels always used to have a kitchen artist. Now, they don’t. I feel like all the things I can do, all the things I feel so proud of, they don’t matter any more. It is very sad, but I want to work.’