Chefs and customers share their warmest recollections of the frozen dessert firm, which went into voluntary administration this week
The frozen dessert brand Sara Lee originated in Chicago in 1949 when a bakery owner named a creamy cheesecake after his daughter, and hit the Australian market in 1971.The frozen dessert brand Sara Lee originated in Chicago in 1949 when a bakery owner named a creamy cheesecake after his daughter, and hit the Australian market in 1971.Crack the door of an Australian freezer and it’s likely you’ll be greeted by the words “Sara Lee”.
Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Plenty of chefs, too, count themselves among the Sara Lee evangelists. Louis Couttoupes of Canberra’s Onzieme cites the classic blueberry pie with a scoop of Sara Lee vanilla ice-cream as his “go-to dessert as a kid,” while Nicholas Hill of Porcine suggests “eating the chocolate mud cake par-frozen for maximum enjoyment”.
“I’ve done my best to recreate it,” the chef admits, also counting the nostalgic sticky date pudding, and even the frustratingly prevalent chocolate Bavarian of his youth, among the desserts that have inspired his own creations. “Sara Lee is such an iconic part of my childhood and it’s a real bummer that they are no more. I feel like all my childhood food memories are all slowly vanishing.”