Shubhabrata Dutta
Directed by Marco Deufemia, ‘Hearts Around the Table: Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient’ is the fourth and final installment in Hallmark’s ‘Hearts Around the Table’ collection, the other three being ‘Jenna’s First Love,’ ‘Shari’s Second Act,’ and ‘Josh’s Third Serving.’ It centers on Kiki, one of the four adults living with their foster parent, Angie. Her sister Jenna is getting married, and she is catering the wedding. Though she owns a food truck, she hasn’t catered to so many people before and starts doubting herself. However, she soon meets Clay, the owner of a fancy restaurant and the groom’s best man.
Upon their meeting, Clay is quite impressed by Kiki’s attitude and willingness to take risks. His involvement in the catering makes Kiki believe that she can pull off the assignment. As they work together, their partnership sparks a natural chemistry that sows the seed for a burgeoning romance, garnishing the wedding with an added layer of newfound love. While the sense of community is the backbone of the movie, it also tracks Kiki’s journey as she develops into a self-sustaining person with more belief in herself. This steady shift is highlighted using various settings throughout the movie, underscoring its heartwarming aesthetic.
Where Was Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient Filmed?
Filming of ‘Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient’ took place extensively in Ontario. Principal photography seemingly took place over a few weeks in November 2024. Just as the process of shooting, the cast had a great time exploring the various locations as well, all of which the production team took great care to opt for. Ontario is known for its beautiful locales, be it the natural landscapes or the cityscapes, and the crew scooped out suitable environments that reflect the charm of the setting of Kathryn’s world.
Newmarket, Ontario
One of the primary shooting locations of ‘Hearts Around the Table: Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient’ is the town of Newmarket in southern Ontario. Interestingly, the town also hosted the filming of the previous installments of the Hallmark movie series. To complement the lighthearted narrative of the movie, the crew chose backgrounds that enhanced the visuals of various indoor and outdoor scenes. This included filming on the streets with the local shops and the buildings in the backdrop, further magnifying the aesthetic. The production team managed to bring out the warmth that the movie carries by lighting up the various indoor sets, emphasizing the homely vibe of the movie.
Main Street, one of the most popular locations in Newmarket, was also used to film various outdoor scenes. Winner of the 2016 People’s Choice Great Street Award, it is a go-to spot for film and TV productions alike. The beauty it carries becomes gorgeous garnishing for the movie, including the area around the renowned Postmark Hotel, located at 180 Main Street S. Many Holiday romances have been filmed in Newmarket, the most popular ones being ‘The Wedding Planners,’ ‘Love Alaska,’ ‘Christmas Wedding Planner,’ and ‘Christmas with a Prince.’
Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient Cast
Kathryn Davis and Torrance Coombs lead the cast of ‘Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient.’ Both Davis and Coombs pull off their characters with warmth. While Davis successfully balances the helplessness and risk-taking aspects of her character, Coomb ushers in support, incorporating strength and understanding in equal measure. Both the actors have worked together in Hallmark’s ‘Unwrapping Christmas: Mia’s Prince’ as well as ‘Reign.’ A multi-faceted personality, Davis is also a skilled mezzo-soprano singer, dancer, and horseback rider. She also appears in other parts of the ‘Hearts Around the Table’ collection. On the other hand, this Hallmark production marks Coombs debut in the movie series. However, he is a Hallmark regular and has a handful of projects to his credit.
Kathryn Davis as Kiki Mercer
Kathryn Davis plays Kiki Mercer, the titular character in the movie. She came into the spotlight with her performance as Vera/Phaseout in ‘Jupter’s Legacy’ in 2021. This was followed by a long list of performances in Christmas-themed romance dramas, like Eva Jordan in ‘Christmas on 5th Avenue,’ Harper McNevin in ‘Planes, Trains, and Christmas Trees,’ and Madison Jacobs in ‘Santa’s Got Style.’ Since 2023, she has been a part of many Hallmark movies, including ‘Welcome to Valentine,’ where she plays Olivia Lafferty, ‘Everything Puppies,’ where we see her as Gina, and the ‘Unwrapping Christmas’ collection, where she portrays Mia Parker. Popular TV shows to her credit include ‘The Wedding Planners,’ ‘Departure,’ and ‘Taken.’ She is also a voice actor and has lent her voice to many popular video games like ‘Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora,’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate.’
Torrance Coombs as Clay Rutherford
Torrance Coombs plays Clay Rutherford, Kiki’s counterpart in the movie. He is a common face on television, having showcased his acting talents in performances like Mitch in ‘Supernatural,’ Milo in ‘Polaris,’ Sebastian “Bash” de Poitiers in ‘Reign,’ and Thomas Culpepper in ‘The Tudors.’ Known for his onscreen charm, Coombs plays the leading man in romantic movies like ‘Romance in the Air,’ ‘Much Ado About Christmas,’ and ‘Royally Ever After.’
The other core cast members of ‘Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient’ are Ashley Newbrough as Jenna Whitaker, Jake Epstein as Josh Adler, and Mishael Morgan as Shari Adams. Together with Kathryn Davis’ Kiki, they form the titular siblings of the four-part Hallmark collection. Mindy Cohn plays the role of Angie, the foster parent.
The extended cast of ‘Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient’ includes Stephanie Bennett as Ella Hawthorne, Steve Lund as Andrew Clarington, Brendan Morgan as Evan James, Eve Crawford as Margaret Clarington, Rick Amsbury as Theo Whitaker, Shohana Sharmin as Crystal, Millie Davis as Gina Taylor, Jarred Bronstein as Sous Chef, Christine Donato as Michaela, Lanette Ware as Cynthia, Toni Ellwand as Martha, and Sergio Di Zio as Michael.
Read More: Hearts Around the Table Josh’s Third Serving: Filming Locations and Cast Details
