Michael Alexander speaks to former Dundee-based comic artist Kenny Hutton who has turned his creative talents to baking.
For 30 years Broughty Ferry-raised Kenny Hutton spent his working life in DC Thomson’s art department, using his artistic skills to colour in comics ranging from the Beano and Dandy to the Twinkle.
Now the 51-year-old has found a new way to hone his creative skills by retraining as a pastry chef – and he has just gone full time with award-winning Jannettas Gelateria in St Andrews.
A former pupil of Forthill Primary School and Grove Academy, Kenny served his time as a sign writer after leaving school, working with former Dundee firm McLean & Stewart.
From there he joined the art department of Dundee-based publishers DC Thomson & Co Ltd at the age of 21, going straight into the colourist department.
In those days everything was done by hand. But gradually computers and then PhotoShop took over.
Kenny enjoyed his work, but two years ago he was made redundant when his department closed.
He took six months off. He travelled to Australia with his daughter Christie to think about what he was going to do next. He even thought about going to art college – something he hadn’t pursued when he left school.
But it was whilst he was away that he decided he’d like to make a career from caking and baking.
“It’s something I had done all my life,” Kenny explains. “Both my grans were great bakers and I had baked with my kids. There had even been a time a few years ago when I thought it would be something worth pursuing. But I’d enjoyed working with DC Thomson. It was secure in those days and I didn’t do anything else about the baking option.”
The father- of-two embarked on a level two professional cookery course with Dundee and Angus and College, and during that course he confirmed it was baking he enjoyed most.
So he applied for the level three patisserie and confectionary course.
He secured a part-time job, morphing into a full-time post, at Janettas when representatives from the gelateria came to the college.
His other big achievement came when he became one of 12 who secured a ‘Patisserie and Sugar Craft’ scholarship with the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland.
Kenny and three of his fellow college students created a chocolate centrepiece for the recent HIT Scotland Discovery Dinner, which was auctioned off for charity at the end of the night, raising £120.
The event, which raised a total of £13,500 for the trust, was held at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews.
Kenny and his three peers, who were awarded the ‘Patisserie and Sugar Craft’ scholarship, attended a pastry masterclass at The Cook School in Kilmarnock, run by previous HIT Scholar Helen Vass.
Kenny says, “It was a brilliant experience, and taught me a lot about pastry, the different processes involved in working with it and preparing it. It’s an experience I won’t forget.”
Kenny adds there are similarities between being an artist and being a baker.
“It’s all about the creativity,” he says. “Creativity is in my blood, I’ve always been artistic and want to keep creativity at the core of everything I do – it’s particularly amazing what you can build with chocolate, and how you can dress food to make it look stunning, and I’m so thrilled to have the chance to explore new processes in my role at Jannettas.”
Owen Hazel, co-owner, Jannettas Gelateria adds: “Kenny has brought a whole new dimension to what we can now offer our customers. The cakes on offer are well admired and Kenny has certainly helped catapult us into a new and exciting realm.”
