13/06/2025 Chelsea Sugar Factory Tour

Our home educated youth will be treated to a educational and fun experience at the Chelsea Sugar Factory Tour! 

There are three different areas included in this program including a guided tour of the Chelsea Factory, a hands-on experience in the Edmonds Baking School, and exploration of our Interactive Zone.  There will also be time during the Interactive Zone session, to have a 20-30 minute lunch break.

Please arrive at Chelsea Bay no later than 9.45am. 

Students must be over 8 years old for the tour and must have an adult supervisor on the tour. 
Make sure you add the adult supervisor to the same group as the child attending

We will be doing our tour and activities in 3 groups - Pink, Orange and White. 

Schedule for the day as below:

Details of the three different experiences are as follows:

• Factory Tour: Includes a one hour tour with our expert guide, travelling around our factory site via the Chelsea Bay train.  The students will be fully immersed walking through the factory floor, learning how raw sugar comes into our factory and is processed ready for the supermarket.  Students will also gain insights into why our Birkenhead site was chosen to become NZ's only sugar factory.  Please note we passenger weight restrictions for the train, hence the maximum number of people listed above we can accommodate per year group.
  
  
• Edmonds Baking School: Your students will learn about food safety, the different uses of flour and sugar in baking, and have a hands-on baking experience with our qualified instructor for one hour.  The students take their baking home with a recipe book in a handy pack! Please ensure you let us know if any students require the Gluten free & Vegan cookie when booking so we can prepare the ingredients for them. See below for the ingredients list for their appropriate baking class.  Pupils will bake in pairs.
  
  
• Interactive Zone: This takes students into the home of Kiwi Baking with Edmonds and Chelsea.  They will learn how flour is milled and sugar is produced from paddock to plate.  Students can spend time sharing their baking memories and play our fantastic interactive baking game!  Students spend 30 minutes in this area plus a 30 minute food break.
  
  Important Information:
  
• Please ensure you are signed in by no later than 9.45am. Late arrivals will not be able to attend as the tour moves together.
• Any refunds must be made 14 days before your booking. After this time period tickets can only be transferred or gift. 
  
• Tickets that are transferred or gifted must be the same student: supervisor ratio and dietary requirements for the baking school. 
  

Factory Tour Dress Code:

All pupils, teachers and supervisors MUST wear long sleeved top, long trousers and closed-in flat-soled footwear. Other factory safety gear will be provided. You must wear the safety gear provided at all times and in accordance with the instructions for use given by Chelsea Bay staff. Failure to correctly wear and use safety gear could result in injury.


Safety & Risks:

• All visitors must comply with the Chelsea Bay staff instructions
• The Chelsea Sugar Factory is a large industrial food manufacturing site and as such, there are many potential hazards and restricted access areas in the factory. Visitors must not attempt to enter any restricted access areas
• All visitors must stay with the group and on designated walkways at all times
• Children must be fully supervised at all times while on site
• Some areas of the Factory Tour may be noisy or hot – the time spent in these areas is very short and moved through quickly
• There are 80 stairs to walk up and down across the tour therefore, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or the use of crutches.  Students may participate in another activity
• No food or drink is permitted in the factory
• There are no toilet facilities during the one hour tour
• No bags, phones or cameras are permitted on the tour - pupils can store their bags in the under-seat storage and adults may store their belongings in the secure lockers
• There may be bees’ onsite.  If anyone is allergic, we recommend bringing an Epi-Pen, if required. We reserve the right to decline entry to the factory tour to any people with bee allergy should we consider the risk of a bee sting to be unacceptable on any given day
• You agree that Chelsea Bay will not be liable for any sickness, injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may arise, either directly or indirectly, by reason of any defect or any other cause, or through acts of default by Chelsea Bay people or any other people engaged in the school visit
• You accept the risk of possible injury or harm associated with the school visit
• Chelsea Bay may refuse entry to or evict any person it reasonably believes is adversely affected by alcohol or drugs
• Personal property is your responsibility and Chelsea Bay will not be responsible for any loss of or damage to personal property
  
  

Baking class information
Our baking instructors are qualified patisserie chefs and will be able to guide your pupils to create the most delicious baking.  We are currently baking Chocolate Chip Cookies for Primary & Intermediate Schools and Yo-Yo Biscuits for Secondary. The content of the class will be appropriate for your level of pupils. If you would like anything specifically covered in the lesson, we are happy to help, just ask!

The ingredients list is as follows:


• Chocolate Chip Cookies: Butter, Soft Brown Sugar, Caster Sugar, Vanilla Essence, Golden Syrup, Self Raising Flour, Chocolate Chips
• Gluten Free & Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies: Coconut oil, Soft Brown Sugar, Vanilla Essence, Golden Syrup, Desiccated Coconut, Gluten Free Flour, Gluten Free Baking Powder, Chocolate Chips
• Yo-Yo Biscuits: Butter, icing sugar, vanilla essence, flour, custard powder.
  
  
  
  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM LIFE LEARNERS:
  
  Cost includes: a group contribution; this supports the organization of outings/ sessions for the home educated community and online services used for bookings. All events are non profit and volunteer organized to benefit the home education community. 
  
  Check in: This is a self check in event. You will need to sign a check in form when you arrive at the event and sign in everyone under your booking. 
  
  Group Minimums: There is a minimum amount of tickets that need to purchased on most events (set by the venue). In the event this minimum amount of tickets is not sold before the cancellation date (which is also the vendor confirmation date also) the event will be cancelled and refunded. 
  
  If you are unable to attend your booking and it is past the cancellation date please look at the options HERE