At Home With Chef and culinary artist Imogen Kwok

Her edible creations dazzle the worlds of art and fashion alike — here, the food visionary takes us behind the scenes at her quirky duplex in Notting Hill.

- By Olivia Lidbury

Imogen Kwok is a chef and food stylist who spins sugar into clouds for the art world and translates scents into edible installations for the coolest perfume brands. Her playful and compelling way with ingredients sees her jet from Hong Kong (for Art Basel) to Paris to do much more than just cater; with Kwok in the kitchen, the food becomes an art form.

Her flat in Notting Hill moonlights as a laboratory. She has rented in W2 since 2019 and was drawn to the duplex apartment on an elegant, stucco-lined street not just for its roof terrace but for its gas cooker. "That's kind of a deal-breaker for me," she says, laughing. "I don't love induction. I'm very tactile in that I like to see the flame as it helps me concentrate and understand the heat. I much prefer the old-school way," she adds.

The simple domestic kitchen on the lower floor is regularly put through its paces by Kwok. Trestle tables will be put up for extra counter space and portable hobs — induction this time, for plugin practicality — will be laid out. "It transforms a lot and it can get messy," she says. Always within close reach is her Vitamix blender — "you can't get that silky, restaurant-quality purée without it" - and a selection of the sharpest knives from Victorinox and Japan.

When we meet, she is about to use the space to crystallise 300 locally-grown snapdragons, dahlias, calendulas and roses for an event at Christie's auction house.

The process involves brushing each petal with meringue powder whisked with water, then dusting with a fine sugar. Still attached to their stems, the edible flowers will be displayed Ikebana-style in a dining room surrounded by paintings by Old Masters commanding seven-figure sums.