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

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.

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!

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!