Sweet Success: A Patisserie Showcase to Remember  

Chichester College patisserie and confectionery students impressed guests with a stunning showcase of skill, creativity, and flavour as part of their final course project.  

The event, which took place on Tuesday 10 June in 64 Restaurant, featured a spectacular range of hand-crafted patisserie pieces, from delicate apple and cream donuts to artistic chocolate sculptures, including a bonsai tree and even a chocolate handbag.

The showcase formed part of the students’ assessment and was a chance for them to present their technical skills and creativity to staff, family, and invited guests.

The students also received support from industry professionals, including Kerry Witt, a world-class chocolatier, teacher, and demonstrator, from ‘Chocolate by Miss Witt’.

Kerry kindly donated professional cocoa butter colours – cocoa butter which is designed to add colour to the chocolate. She visited the college to demonstrate how to use them, sharing expert techniques that students then applied in their final pieces.

One standout piece was a detailed chocolate bonsai tree, created by Ethan Alarilla. He talked through his design, saying:

“So originally, I had the idea to do a bonsai tree, but I had no idea how I was going to execute it. It was sort of easy building the pot and the trunk but when it came to the branches and the leaves that’s when I struggled a lot. A lot of my time was spent developing different ways to make the leave look as realistic as possible.

“I chose a bonsai tree because there is this person who makes a bunch of chocolate sculptures on TikTok and Instagram. Also, my mum loves bonsai trees so I just thought I would do a bonsai tree.”

Nathan dreams of one day working in London, creating what he describes as “cutesy little sweet treats” in a restaurant or patisserie.

Guests were quick to praise the students’ efforts, describing the showcase as ‘worthy of a 5-star hotel.’ One visitor said ‘looking at the menu, it all looks really impressive,’ while another joked that the students deserved ‘105%’ for their work.

The apple and cream donuts proved especially popular, with guests requesting to shake the head chef’s hand in appreciation after tasting them.