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By Rachael Thompson Wellness 31.07.2023

Pastry Chef Audrey Allard of Holy Sugar Is Living the Sweet Life Even With 5:30 am Starts

After hitting rock bottom, the queen of desserts has learnt to prioritise self-care.

Being a chef is a notoriously stressful line of work that typically doesn’t leave much room for your personal life. For Audrey Allard, a highly-driven pastry chef and founder of Holy Sugar, self-care has become a priority and she’s implemented strategies into her life to minimise stress and maintain a calm mindset.

Her career journey started around 15 years old when she began working at a sports club. “I was an all-rounder in the kitchen and the chef Eliza had me selling homemade ice cream and meringues on their dessert menu,” she shares with Bed Threads Journal.

The minute she graduated high school she started an apprenticeship at a patisserie in the small town of Mullumbimby just out of Byron Bay. From there she went to Harvest Newrybar in the Byron Hinterland and furthered her skills followed by fine dining restaurant Laura at Pt Leo Estate, Mornington Peninsula

She then ended up at the much-loved Melbourne bakery Lune Croissanterie. “I was 23 and decided to start a side hustle, Holy Sugar. Holy sugar was a weekly dessert box. I worked out of a shared kitchen in Collingwood, it took two years to open up my own shop (something I always said I wouldn’t do) it’s been a year since the shop has opened and I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

From passionfruit and lemon tarts with Italian meringue to boysenberry dulce cookies, the Holy Sugar patisserie in Melbourne’s Heathcote is serving up some seriously irresistible baked goods that are adored by locals and visitors alike. Because the life of a chef requires so much determination and dedication, we wanted to find out how Audrey finds time for herself and how she prepares and unwinds each day.

Hi Audrey! Welcome to Bedtime Stories. Can you walk us through your bedtime routine after a day in the kitchen?

My bedtime routine after a day in the kitchen isn’t very exciting, I usually finish up in the kitchen around 10 pm, hop in the shower and eat something super quick, oats or a light salad (very sad) then jump into bed! I’ll scroll on my phone for about half an hour or watch some trash TV to wind down and then I’m off to sleep!

What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

Eco Tan has an amazing açai exfoliation cream that I can’t go a day without! I put it on before I jump in the shower and then apply their Glory oil before bed to rehydrate. I love all of their products, especially their invisible tan products.

What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

If I find myself struggling to get to sleep I try to ride it out! I used to beat myself up about how many hours it would be until my alarm would go off, it would only make me stress more so I just try to relax and pretend as if my alarm has just gone off and I have to get out of bed (a little reverse psychology). I find that works really well!

What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Can you walk us through your morning routine?

If it’s a Thursday morning I’ll set my alarm to 5:30 am for a 6 am reformer Pilates class. After my class, I’ll walk to the shop where I will meet Libby, one of my kitchen superstars. We’ll sit down for 30 minutes and have our morning coffee together to debrief our week and catch up on life before getting stuck into prep in the kitchen.

What do you typically eat for breakfast?

I will be honest with you, it’s terrible I know but I don’t eat breakfast! I actually had a meeting with a life/business coach where one of my goals is to have microwave oats for breakfast in the mornings… it seems so simple but with a busy schedule I often forget to eat until lunchtime or even later depending on the day.

What does self-care mean to you and how do you practice it?

Self-care has become so important to my weekly/daily routine. These past few months have been the first I have ever taken self-care seriously! I hit rock bottom before realising I had to really look after my mind/body in order to achieve the goals in life I’ve been setting. Lately, I’ve been booking massages and inferred saunas at Mind Body Movement Clifton Hill. I’ve also started reformer Pilates to get my body stretching and moving early in the morning as I find on my days off I don’t even have the energy or mental capacity to leave my bed. It’s a terrible cycle to get into and implementing self-care rituals has been the only way to pull myself together.

Do you have any strategies for managing stress or maintaining a calm mindset?

My strategy to minimise stress and maintain a calm mindset is to just tick jobs off as soon as they pop up. Reply to emails as soon as they come in/ respond to Instagram messages as soon as possible… I find when I’m on top of everything I can really relax. Keeping clear and clean spaces around you also helps me maintain a calm mindset. I’ve also learnt to set boundaries in terms of my commitments, I make sure to always respect myself and think of my stress levels/mental health before committing to certain events as they have a major impact on my stress levels.

How are you able to mentally and physically switch off from work?

The only way I can mentally and physically switch off from work is by knowing that I have done everything I needed to do for that working day. If I’m stressed about future events, I try to tell myself I will be fine and prepared however watching real housewives of Beverly Hills or the office also helps me switch off even though reading a book or meditating is probably the smarter option!

Do you have any specific strategies to help you stay focused and motivated throughout the workday?

I think that passion is my main drive. I always have cravings to make new and special things but tell myself I can’t create them until all my usual work is completed so that gives me the push to finish!

What are your favourite things to do when you have downtime?

My favourite thing to do when I have downtime is to make myself crepes with lemon sugar. I’m not kidding, I eat them three times a week and they are so sacred to me, I can’t explain it. Strange I know… I also like teasing my hair and doing cute self-care routines, but crepes definitely come first.

Can you please share a bit about your career path and current work as a pastry chef?

My career path has been a constant push. I’ve always made decisions based on my career and put my personal life second. I think that’s how I’ve come so far at such a young age, I don’t think it’s 100% healthy or the right thing to do but it’s just been my journey. I never had my heart set on opening a shop in Melbourne I’ve just given everything my best and somehow ended up here. I’m the future I would love to have a lot more freedom to be creative. I have a business where I’m the asset, where the business should BE the asset. Im in the process of flipping things around and I won’t know what to do with myself once I do. Very exciting times ahead!

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