Renowned Chef and food writer Mark Hix invited artist Nettie Wakefield to illustrate his self-published coffee-table book Fishy Tales. Hix’s recipes and Wakefield’s illustrations were bought to life during a unique immersive culinary experience at Hotel Café Royal on 5th February, inspired by Britain’s coastline, storytelling, and Hix’s recipes.
Created by Hotel Café Royal’s Culinary Director Kevin Gratton, a long-serving right-hand to Hix across his celebrated restaurants including HIX Soho and HIX Oyster & Chop House, the menu draws directly was inspired by the themes and illustrations of Fishy Tales. Rooted in seasonality and British waters, the dinner showcases refined yet soulful seafood cooking, reflecting Hix’s signature style and lifelong connection to coastal cuisine.
The menu unfolded with smoked salmon cured to Hix’s own recipe and paired with horseradish, followed by a delicate crab tart layered with crisp Granny Smith apple and chives. A baked Lyme Bay scallop with Peter Gott’s black pudding brings depth and richness, before a fillet of silver mullet served with pumpkin relish and coastal greens highlights a lesser-celebrated fish. Red gurnard with whipped potatoes and bone sauce continued the journey, along the British coastline, which culminated in a Kingston Black buttermilk pudding with Yorkshire rhubarb — a fittingly nostalgic and comforting finale.
Fishy Tales is a beautifully produced 60-page coffee-table book published in a limited edition of 300. The book brings together Mark Hix and Nettie Wakefield’s shared love of art and food, weaving original artwork, recipes and storytelling to be enjoyed by food lovers and art enthusiasts alike. Inspired by Andy Warhol’s Wild Raspberries, the project has also been developed into a series of 28 limited-edition artworks, printed at London’s Jealous Print Studio.
Fishy Tales is available to purchase here at £90 plus postage and packaging.
Limited edition prints are available to buy online from Jealous Gallery and are signed by Hix and Wakefield. Order online here.
