Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has recreated real and replica versions of recognisable treats from the Harry Potter film series; challenging fans to see if they can tell the difference between prop fakes and real bakes.
In celebration of Sweets and Treats opening at the Studio Tour for the first time this summer, expert cake maker Mary Luther, who worked behind the scenes on the Harry Potter film series, has remade edible versions of the prop sweets which were used during production.
Set against the backdrop of the iconic Great Hall, memorable for its mountainous feasts enjoyed by the students of Hogwarts, the sweets include dainty meringue swans, a mouth-watering strawberry and chocolate fudge cake, a sumptuous apple pie, miniature fruit tartlets and even some shiny red apples.
While all of the food items used during production looked delicious, they weren’t all as edible as they may have seemed! The Prop Department were often asked to recreate replica versions of some of the food which Mary’s team had baked, as the edible versions melted or spoiled under the hot studio lights (the real versions were saved for scenes where actors were shown eating).
Until Sunday 6th September, film fans are invited to spot the difference between real bakes and prop fakes at the Studio Tour as they get up close to original artefacts and see edible delights being created during Sweets and Treats.
Visitors will get to discover how the Prop Department moulded jelly snakes, decorated sugar skulls and piped ice-cream sundaes during production. Expert cake and prop makers, including Mary, will be based in the Ministry Munchies kiosk, running demonstrations, answering questions and revealing closely-guarded behind-the-scenes secrets.
To discover more about filmmaking food, book tickets to visit the Studio Tour during Sweets and Treats (running from now until Sunday 6th September) at
www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or by calling 0845 084 0900. Tickets must be pre-booked and all extra activities are included in the ticket price.
Fun food facts:
• The strawberry and chocolate fudge cake used in Great Hall scenes was in fact bought from a wholesaler and then beautifully decorated by Mary’s team. Prop versions were made using a heavy plaster base which was hand-painted to look like real chocolate. The incredibly realistic strawberries are actually made of plastic.
• The Apple Pies were pre-bought ‘real’ pies which were decorated with an edible pastry flower constructed by Mary before filming commenced. The replica versions were plaster casts and are extremely heavy.
• The Apple props were created using a transparent fast-cast with multiple layers of paint finishes (one layer a day for about 12 days). This meant one apple would take just under two weeks to complete with the final stage seeing spots and blemishes being added with pin pricks – real stalks were attached as they would last long enough for the scene to be shot.
• The Ministry Munchies kiosk was built and has been restored by Bryn Court, a sculptor who worked on the Harry Potter film series, especially for Sweets and Treats. The roof is actually made of polystyrene and the cast loved it as it contained real food during filming!
• Although the floating pudding scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was shot in one take (where Dobby drops the cream cake on the Dursleys’ guests), filmmakers practised dropping the messy meringue on a body double quite a few times beforehand!