Cassandre Morris, our Head Pastry Chef

We have a wonderfully talented team here at Gimlet - we're taking some extra time to learn more about who they are, their favourite drinks and dishes, as well as what they do when a day off coincides with a visit to Cavendish House.

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Cassandre ‘Cass’ Morris is our Head Pastry Chef. She joined our team just over a year ago and it’s been a pleasure to work with her ever since.

A skilled chef, Cass has gathered experience across the country and in all parts of the kitchen. After starting her career in Queensland, Cass worked her way through top restaurants in Sydney and London, before landing in Melbourne. She was a member of Bennelong’s opening team, and spent two years as Chef de Partie at Notting Hill’s The Ledbury. Curiosity recently got the better of Cass, she was “always peering over from the hot line, asking the pastry chefs what they were doing” and she migrated away from the savoury and into the sweet.

With its endless genres and styles, pastry has a myriad of temptations for a skilled chef. It’s the section where art meets science - the precision of pâtisserie to ensure cakes rise tall; chocolate is tempered exactly; butter faultlessly laminates into flour and the sweetness of seasonal fruit is carefully balanced.

For a Head Pastry Chef like Cass, there’s always more to learn as techniques are refined and shared through the delicious creations her team brings to the table.

A Favourite Dessert?

Her favourite is the gelato of the day - it’s always changing as Cass works through seasonal fruits to make the most colourful flavours. At the moment, there’s a Cabernet grape and Fromage Blanc gelato on the menu. It’s made with grapes from a local vineyard and fresh curd from cheesemakers, Long Paddock, in Castlemaine. Autumn is Cass’ ideal time of the year for gelato making; when a bounteous fruit harvest is suspended in varying flavours of gelato, ready to be scooped and savoured.

Cass’ Ideal Gimlet Hour

When asked how she likes to spend the time she’s not working at Gimlet her answer was short and sweet: ‘always visit in the late afternoon after a show, movie or gig when the light is bright, the people watching absorbing and the right moment presents itself for a strong cocktail and a snack.’