Chocolate cigarette butts, merengue ashes, and rotten apples filled with custard - are just some examples of the mind-bending, realistic dessert creations from food illusionist Ben Churchill designed to deceive the senses but delight the stomach. Churchill specializes in creating stunning desserts that look like other everyday foods and objects.

The talented chef has over 10 years of experience in the culinary world but only began to make pastries over the last three years. “I decided to learn the basics,” he explained, “but decided to move into mimetic food, just to see what could be done. This gave me the bug to start teaching myself more and more.” He has quickly become a sensation for his ingenious designs, inspired by the world around him. “Everything inspires me, it could be modern events, the media, online culture. But recently it’s been wanting to see how far I can push human perception and good taste.”Churchill told Bored Panda.

With all the success of his desserts, Ben released his first book, entitled “Food Illusions Vol. 1” in late 2017, available on Amazon.

More info: Instagram | chefbenchurchill.com