The Small Chill

摘要

For A Celebrity Blowout Like Elton John's annual White Tie and Tiara charity gala at his mansion near Windsor Castle, ordinary dishes won't do. In June the pop star offered his 450 guests a caviar hors d'oeuvre served on individual trays made of ice. Such ephemeral flourishes, typically chiseled by hand, take an hour per dish. But the $150 million worldwide market for ice-carving is rapidly mechanizing, thanks in large part to Julian Bay-ley, whose Canadian company, Ice Culture, supplied the elaborate plates that were flown in for the party. Using computer-aided machinery they developed, Bayley's staff milled 12 identical three-part dishes out of one sheet of ice in 30 minutes. They wholesaled for a mere $7 apiece.