By Alex Giles (Digital Assistant at OBX)
Following the success of the 2022 People of Hastings project* where local folk were scanned and reproduced as small-scale 3D models, OBX have been asking ourselves, ‘what’s next for 3D printing? How can we keep people interested and push the boundaries of people’s understanding of what 3D printing can do?’
*The People of Hastings project was led by ZEROH Studio who were commissioned as creative leads/artists to set up the Digital Arts Hub – now known as OBX.
We are all aware that plastic lasts a long time which is great for machine parts, transplants and making People of Hastings miniatures, but the demand for plastic pales in comparison with other life necessities such as food. Realising this, we began to question, what if the 3D models became actual food themselves?!
Creativity in food production has evolved in recent times, with online video trends such as ‘Is it real or is it cake?’ and shows such as School of Chocolate, gaining popularity. All these trends showcase that food really can be art and the only limitation is, not a mould or baking tray, but the limits of your own imagination!
Being able to eat your designs has attracted the attention of 3D print specialists and several companies have started making dedicated extruders that deposit foodstuffs in a similar way to how plastic is printed traditionally, in 3D. Imagine the idea of turning something like insects, a food source rich in protein, into a pâté that looks more appealing than a pile of grubs, or having people of all ages come to a 3D chocolate workshop where they get to design, print, and decorate their own 3D chocolate!
A few benefits of designing food products in ways that make them more appetising include encouraging healthier diets, helping those who struggle with eating disorders such as Dysphagia or ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and opportunities for food and tech workshops. Over the long-term, 3D printed food could utilise novel foodstuffs, reduce energy and water needed to make food, lower transport and storage costs and reduce wastage and is therefore a potential solution to addressing global hunger and food poverty.
These are just some of the reasons that we at OBX have decided to invest in a food extruder: a Wiiboox Luckybot to be exact. By attaching this to a traditional FDM 3D printer (a clean one!), we will test and try a wide range of food products, starting with chocolate. Keep an eye out on our socials @hastings.obx for when we will be announcing our first printing dates… we hope our first pilots will be for Valentines Day and Easter.


OBX is Hastings Commons Creative Technology Hub and is based on the mezzanine floor of the Observer Building.