‘Horror chocolatier’ crafts gory props for Netflix adaptation

An Essex based food artist who proudly calls herself a horror chocolatier has gained international attention for her unsettling yet entirely edible creations. Sarah Hardy, who runs The Edible Museum from her home in Sible Hedingham near Halstead, has built a career crafting hyper realistic chocolate skulls, hearts, frogs and insects that have found their way into film and television productions, including a recent Netflix adaptation of Frankenstein.

Hardy’s pieces are so convincing that most people struggle to believe they are made of chocolate at all. Her talent stems from a background in sculpting, which she has translated into edible art that sits somewhere between the macabre and the playful. Her workshop is filled with trays of moulds, jars of colourings and rows of disturbingly lifelike anatomical designs. It is, she says, part laboratory, part confectionery studio.

One of her earliest commissions came from a surprising source. Mick Jagger approached her to make a special birthday cake for his daughter, a project she credits with opening doors to more high profile work. Since then her edible specimens have appeared across media, catching the attention of prop designers who need convincingly gruesome items that actors can safely consume on camera.

Netflix’s latest reinterpretation of Frankenstein is the most recent production to feature Hardy’s creations. The film required pieces that appeared visceral and organic without relying on traditional prop materials. Her anatomical chocolates were an ideal fit, offering realism while remaining entirely edible. Hardy says the challenge with her work is that unless someone is told it is chocolate, they often mistake it for a medical model or a Halloween display.

Despite the dark aesthetic, Hardy insists her intention is not to shock but to showcase the possibilities of edible art. She sees her work as a blend of craftsmanship and theatre, where the surprise of discovering the “gory” object is actually chocolate brings joy rather than fear. Her clientele range from film studios and galleries to families looking for unusual gifts, all drawn to her ability to turn confectionery into something dramatically unexpected.

Running The Edible Museum from her home allows Hardy to experiment freely, developing new textures and techniques. She has crafted everything from beetles with glistening shells to hearts complete with veins, paying close attention to anatomical accuracy. Her frogs and insects, in particular, have become favourites among directors who want props that look authentic but remain safe on set.

As her reputation grows, Hardy continues to push the boundaries of what chocolate can represent. She says she hopes her work encourages people to rethink edible art and to see confectionery as a medium capable of storytelling. For now, she remains delighted that something as ordinary as chocolate can be transformed into cinematic spectacle.