Jibbi Little shares her fantastic take on a Roald Dahl classic that’s more cunning than any canine and quirkier than a Wes Anderson movie.
One of my favourite books as a child was Fantastic Mr Fox. Many people are familiar with Wes Anderson’s animated film, but it actually began as a novel by Roald Dahl.
The book tells the story of an intelligent fox that steals food from a wealthy farmer to support his family. As I child, I connected with this story and it taught me the importance of family.
When I began conceptualising the patterns I would use this competition season – from the regional to world stage – I decided early on that I would use the stories I loved as a child as inspiration for my designs. Fantastic Mr Fox was one of the first books that came to mind, both because of its influence on me as a child, and the countless ways it could be brought to life.
At each subsequent competition, I finetuned the design, working in different features, techniques, and levels of detail based on the time constraints and my ability to pour consistently. This pattern is the one I presented at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association Pauls Professional 2019 Australian Latte Art Championship in February at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. For me, it finds a good middle ground between the repeatability of the regional version and complexity of my World Latte Art Championship (WLAC) design. This pattern is perfect for aspiring baristas to attempt to recreate in their own cafés.
Unfortunately, my WLAC journey was cut short in the semi-finals where I placed 11th out of 41 competitors. My experience taught me the value of preparation, knowing the rules and regulations, and – similar to how Fantastic Mr Fox did as a child – the value of my Australian coffee family. Thank you to everyone for their support throughout my WLAC campaign.
This article appears in the August edition of BeanScene Magazine. Subscribe HERE.
Jibbi Little’s Fantastic Mr Fox
Step 1
Build your base with the cup handle positioned at three o’clock.
Step 2
To start the body, pour a C-shape beginning three quarters down the middle of the cup and end near seven o’clock.
Step 3
In one movement, draw a small loop from the end point of the C to the middle and back. Then, drag a line that is parallel to the start point of the C.
Step 4
Drag another line straight down the cup, beginning slightly higher than the C and connecting the two points of the body. Pour a second line forming a narrow V shape.
Step 5
Pour a seven- to eight-leaf rosetta running along the top of the V. Drag up along the side of the rosetta, forming the neck.
Step 6
From the mid-curve of the C, pour a 10-leaf rosetta up along the edge of the cup until 11 o’clock then drag through alongside the rosetta until you touch the C again, forming the tail.
Step 7
From the top of the neck rosetta, drag a straight line up then diagonally down towards the point of the neck drag, stopping halfway. Drag back to meet the first line, forming the ear.
Step 8
Drop a slight amount of foam then pull through along the last drag with a heavier volume of foam, forming the snout. A thin gap should be left between the snout and the ear to form the eye.