Knitted Italian food is coming to London — but no, you can't eat it
Fuzzy spaghetti
A very different kind of Italian restaurant is coming to Soho, one where all the “food” is knitted.
Kate’s Knitalian is taking over Soho’s Air Contemporary Gallery later this year, featuring croched and knitted creations inspired by Italian food. No, you can’t eat them, but you can buy them.
Kate Jenkins’s exhibition opens on 30th October and as a commercial gallery, it’s free to visit. Kate’s Knitalian will be on display until 5th December.
Jenkins’s work is not all food-related, but her pieces typically have a funny, characterful bent. And in this latest exhibition, the Air Gallery will effectively be turned into a deli.
“She turns her attention to the flavours of Italy, building a mouth-watering world of pasta, pantry staples, plates piled high, and details you’ll catch on the second look,” reads the gallery’s blurb on the exhibition.
“Think lasagne with a basil flourish, tangled spaghetti, ravioli, farfalle, tins and treats.”
The price of a plate
Her larger-scale works sell for a few thousand pounds, but plenty smaller ones go for under £100, while she also produces a series of keyrings at £12.50 a pop. It’s not clear if they’ll be part of Kate’s Knitalian, though.
Air Contemporary sits in Ham Yard, nearby Piccaddilly Circus. It’s open 10-6pm Tuesdays to Fridays, and from 10am to 5pm on Saturdays.
The gallery is currently hosting Summer Hang, which features the work of an array of works “chosen to reflect the energy, warmth and optimism of the season.” It’s on until 29th August.
It’s not Jenkins’s first exhibition in the space either. In 2025 she had another called Fishy Business, which featured a display made up like a fishmonger’s.
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