Life is a whole lot sweeter with CSR Sugar. I was fortunate enough to be invited to CSR’s brand refresh, where I was treated to the most splendid dessert tables you can imagine and was able to witness Black Star Pastry Chef, Christopher Thé whipping up a wedding cake right before my eyes.
Ever since I was a little girl I remember the countless times I would help my Mum in the kitchen – fond memories of pouring CSR’s sugar into the bowl. Speaking to Jo Ree’s – CSR’s head of sales and marketing – this seemed to be a regular occurrence with everyone, and the reason I know I can always turn to CSR sugar each and every time. CSR was founded in 1855, and was the first sugar refinery in Sydney; it’s a brand that we all know and love.
Avid bakers and dessert enthusiast’s gathered around tables as we watched Christopher work his magic in the kitchen. Beginning as a kitchen hand, and working his way up – you can really see how Chris has a love for all things sweet. Creator of the world’s most instagrammed cake, Chris’s talent is very much apparent as we all watch in awe as he whips egg whites in no time at all.
We take a ‘dessert break’ – I’ve decided these should become a daily event in everyday life. I mean, what’s not to love about taking a break to eat all the cupcakes your heart desires? The dessert tables were next level, filled with a ‘build your own meringue station’ – the toppings were endless. There was a croquembouche, sugared rose petals, lemon meringue tarts, truffles and a cheese trolley filled with caramelized figs and more breads than I could fit on my plate – don’t worry, I tried.
We sat down to watch the next part of the demonstration whilst we indulged ourselves with copious amounts of treats. Chris shared his knowledge on how he caramelises fruit, how to spin sugar and blowtorch a cake. Some of us had the lucky opportunity to join him to show off our cooking skills. I loved how Chris wants every dessert to have it’s own personality, to not be too perfect. He applies this at Black Star Patisserie in Newtown – even when it came to decorating the wedding cake it was all about being creative and seeing what worked. The end result was truly breathtaking. Chris also believes everything should be made not only to look great, but also to be eaten and enjoyed, using only the best ingredients.
Keep a look out for CSR Sugar’s new look packaging featured on their sugars and syrups including Low GI and coconut sugar. They have also launched recipes on the CSR Sugar website so there is no reason why you can’t be inspired to start your own dessert creation.
It was definitely a very sweet event – and as Marie Antoinette says ‘let them eat cake!’ and we certainly did.
-Caitlin
When she’s not globetrotting, Caitlin Martin loves to scope out Sydney’s hidden gems, with a camera and coffee in hand. Follow her adventures @caitlineliseeee
