Bob VENABLES

Lapsang Souchong Tea Smoked Salmon. Persian Christmas Pudding. Burgundy Braised Beef Pie. Like the celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal himself, the flavours in his range of speciality foods for Waitrose are eccentric and full of fun. And so when it came to creating the packaging for them, the supermarket wanted something equally quirky, quintessentially British, and which reflected the rich character of the food. The company turned to illustrator Bob Venables, who painted over 60 intriguing pieces for the packaging, which features unusual characters like a shrimp in tweed, a cow munching on a pickle, and a bulldog in a cravat daintily sipping a cup of tea. Each classic-style portrait depicts key ingredients in the dish, but in a richly comedic way, making people want to buy the products as much for the paintings as for the delectable treats inside. The main challenge was making sure each piece had its own sense of character. The more anthropomorphic animals like pigs, cows and even chickens were easier to illustrate, but it’s a lot trickier to give a mackerel or a shrimp an expressive quality. And yet Waitrose shoppers have warmed to all of them - even the fish!