- By Times’ Junior Journalist Kingsley Lai
Last week I had the chance to visit the Chelsea Sugar Factory in Birkenhead, Auckland.
It’s a place with a lot of history – it’s been refining sugar for New Zealand since 1884, making it one of the country’s oldest food producers.
Chelsea’s history
The factory started when sugar was still sold in large, solid lumps that had to be broken up at home.
Over time, it grew into the only sugar refinery still operating in New Zealand today.
The raw sugar comes from overseas, mostly from Australia and Fiji, and is processed into the granulated, icing, and brown sugar.
The refining process
Walking through the factory, you notice the warm, sweet smell in the air – like caramel or toffee.
The sugar goes through cleaning, melting, and filtering before being crystallised and dried.
It was interesting to see how something so simple in our kitchens goes through so many steps before it’s ready to use.
They also produce golden syrup here, which has been a staple in Kiwi baking for generations.
Quick taste test
I got to try some liquid sugar straight from the refining process. It was much sweeter and richer than I expected, almost like syrup before it’s fully set.
Did you know?
The factory used to have its own small railway system to move sugar around the site. Some of the old tracks and carts are still there, though they’re not in use anymore.
Did you also know that it takes two tonnes of sugar just to make one bag of sugar? Crazy, right?
Final thoughts
It was a quiet but interesting visit – a good reminder of how much work goes into everyday products.
Next time you stir sugar into your tea or bake something sweet, you might think a little differently about where it comes from.
- Kingsley Lai is in year 7 at Somerville Intermediate School
