KIWI ICONS GO PUBLIC
Iconic Kiwi baking brands Chelsea Sugar and Edmonds are already fans of public access to their
products…the companies have joined forces to create Auckland’s newest visitor attraction the
Chelsea Bay Visitor and Food Education Centre.
Opened last October at
the Chelsea Sugar factory
in Auckland, the centre
gives New Zealanders
and overseas visitors a chance to
rediscover the simple joy of baking,
find out where their food comes
from and how Chelsea Sugar has
flourished for more than 134 years.
The harbour-side refinery previously
hosted around 10,000 tours per
year in the 80s and 90s, before the
health and safety police pulled the
plug. General manager NZ Sugar
Bernard Duignan says Chelsea Bay
will be visited by more than 60,000
people over the next 12 months.
“Chelsea Bay is the culmination of
more than ten years of planning and
development, and we’re very excited
to finally be able to open our doors
to the public. We recognise that as
the only sugar manufacturer in New
Zealand, we are in a unique position
to be able to show people what’s
involved in the production of our
ingredients, and also celebrate the
tradition of baking that has helped
define us as New Zealanders.”
Chelsea is offering weekday (when
the factory is fully operational) and
weekend tours by train, where visitors
should expect to taste syrups,
stand at the foot of a giant sugar
mountain, and witness the journey of
raw sugar as its offloaded from ships
berthed in the Waitemata Harbour.
An interactive education zone uses
state-of-the-art technology to take
a digital baking tour. The Edmonds
Baking School teaches how to bake
in a custom-made kitchen, and
holds adult evening and weekend
classes. “Whether it’s entertainment,
education or simply a spot to relax
and take in the beautiful surrounds
of the Waitemata, Chelsea Bay
has something for everyone – from
families looking to entertain the kids
on a weekend, to cruise ship tourists
wanting to learn something unique
about our city,” Duignan says.
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