Carving is the art of creating sophisticated forms using fruit and vegetables, originating from Thailand. To put it short, it is sculpting in fruit and vegetables. This art has been mastered and cultivated by Jarosław Galiśkiewicz, who transformed his passion into a fairly prosperous business almost a year ago.

“Carvingal offers comprehensive carving services”, explains the owner. “My business is based on three main pillars. The first one is the arrangement of fruit displays or preparation of single-fruit carvings at the client’s request. The second consists in training and live shows, and the last one is an online store offering professional materials and equipment necessary for fruit and vegetable carving purposes”.

Fruit carvings and displays may be used as decorations at wedding receptions and other banquets, held both at home and in restaurants, or offered as an unusual gift. Although floral patterns are most frequently used, the fruit carvings may also take the form of decorative names, for example those of the newly married couple, or even portraits (which art is currently being mastered by Jarosław Galiśkiewicz). Training courses are addressed both to representatives of the catering and restaurant industry, and to other people who are simply willing to acquire a new, interesting skill. Finally, the online store offers anything that may come in useful to make fruit carvings in practice.

How has the owner developed an interest in this extraordinary art? “I have always loved cooking, though my professional career focused mainly on sales”, recalls the owner of this unusual business. “At some point in my life I asked myself the question about the activity that I would find the most enjoyable. By chance, I came across a carving show on the Internet. I found it interesting and immediately tried my hand at carving. Needless to say, the results were far from spectacular”, says Jarosław smiling. “I was not discouraged, though, and began to read a lot about this topic. Engrossed, I ended up at a professional workshop in Gdańsk. And this served as a sufficient basis to further develop my skills”.

“I believe that it was also the hand of fate that soon I found a clear answer to the question of what I would like to do for a living”. While thinking about a new job, Jarosław could not forget about his new hobby. The “Golden Pumpkin” festival organized in Morzyczyn with a competition aimed at selecting the most beautiful fruit and vegetable arrangement, won by our entrepreneur, was a real test of his skills. It was then that he realized that it was something he would like to do for a living. He filed an application for a EU grant with the Local Employment Office to start his business and the business plan got a favorable response from the competition commission.

“The grant was used to finance the purchase of computer devices, development of a website and an online store and to buy the tools and equipment necessary for live shows”, explains the owner of Carvingal. “The business was launched seven months ago. Initially, the news was spread through the grapevine. Needless to say, I have also presented the offer to prospective clients, including restaurants, wedding halls or individual customers, along with training courses addressed to professional training companies. The first course will be run in Szczecin on 3 October”.

Today, the online store is displayed first on the search engine results page as regards carving accessories and, according to the owner, without any special positioning efforts. It offers all knives and chisels available on the market, along with very original forms imported directly from Thailand. He also has a group of loyal customers offering his services, including restaurants which organize wedding receptions. The scope of services that he provides to such clients may include design of whole-table arrangements (prices starting at PLN 300) or preparation of a single watermelon carving (approximately PLN 100) – depending on the request. A stunning fruit display may also be accompanied by a chocolate fountain rented by the owner of Carvingal, which goes perfectly with the fruit table, both visually and in terms of flavor. “This weekend, for example, I will have to deliver three carved watermelons to three different places”, explains the entrepreneur. “Depending on the pattern, preparation of a carved watermelon may take from one to even five hours”.

Jarosław is constantly perfecting the art of carving and mastering new techniques. He admits that at the current level of proficiency, he could only learn from Thai carving masters. Although a trip to Asia is one of his greatest dreams, so far he has only been making use of Thai manuals. As it is his intention to be a trainer himself, starting from October he will teach courses addressed to all those who wish to acquire carving skills too. Those interested in seeing Jarosław in action, may attend carving shows – he will demonstrate his skills in the “Cafein” café, for three days in a row, starting from Tuesday, between 12 and 6 p.m. As for the future, he is dreaming of establishing his own catering training center to offer courses dedicated to various aspects of cooking and serving food. “I am happy that my story shows how to make a living from your hobby”, says Jarosław. “After all, it is most satisfying to pursue your passion and make a living on what you love doing”.
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