Elisha Kesici opens Sucree Dessert and Wine bar in Essendon

The young dessert wiz behind a new Essendon eatery is grieving the fatal shooting of her much-adored brother. See how the savvy business owner turned grief into a delicious sensation.

Head chef and owner of Sucree Dessert and Wine Bar, Elisha Kesici. Picture: Supplied

Behind Essendon’s newest dessert bar is owner Elisha Kesici’s tale of hard work in the face of tragedy after her brother died in a what has proved a whirlwind year for the talented chef.

The 26-year-old opened Sucree, a dessert and wine bar, on Leake St in Essendon in September.

Her first restaurant comes after crafting a resume across Melbourne’s most respected eateries.

Already, the eatery has drawn strong reviews from patrons for its classy desserts and weekend breakfasts.

tragedy struck Ms Kesici’s tight-knit family when her little brother Korey passed away after being shot in Mickleham in May.

“It genuinely has been such a rollercoaster this past seven months and sometimes it’s like I can’t do it mentally, it is exhausting to deal with grief,” she said.

“I just signed the lease when he passed away and I was like ‘holy heck, I don’t know if I can do this’.

“As hard as it was genuinely in that time to be able to deal with the suppliers, tradesmen and choosing things, I needed to do it.

“Sometimes [I feel] I am doing this for him as well but it was so hard to be able to open.”

Elisha Kesici and her team at Sucree Dessert and Wine Bar. Picture: Instagram

The new establishment on Essendon’s high street marks the culmination of a rapid rise for the dessert wiz.

Ms Kesici worked with Christy Tania and at Darren Purchese’s Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio in South Yarra before moving to Shannon Bennett’s Vue de monde.

In the Rialto building, Ms Kesici cooked for the stars including Will Smith and Novak Djokovic in what she attributes as a formative time in her career.

“Places like Vue de monde are old school mentality and being the only girl in the kitchen was hard, genuinely so hard … some days I was like ‘what the hell am I doing?’.

“But I was being challenged.

“I learned so much … and I would say hand on heart, it is the best place I’ve ever worked.

“I am so grateful for all those mentors because as much as they’re celebrity chefs, or whatever you call them, they’re still people and I’ve learned so much from that.”

Sucree Dessert and Wine Bar focuses on high-class desserts which tell a story to customers. Picture: Supplied

Some of those influences, including the chef personally presenting the meal in Vue de monde, have seeped into the customer experience at Sucree.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience from working at the places that I’ve worked at and being able to share that knowledge with other people is very important to me,” she said.

“I think that’s why it is so important to me that my team of chefs are able to come out and mingle and explain the desserts … because no one can explain it better than the person making it.

“There’s genuinely a story behind everything and there’s a reason why the elements are on the plate not just their good looks.”

The Essendon eatery launches its summer menu during the reopening on January 7.

High tea and bottomless brunch options will also be introduced.

“Sometimes I have to kick myself because I am like ‘this is insane’ and sometimes it is scary because I am the one making the decisions,” she said.

“The locals have been fantastic, not even just them but the local businesses as well and they’ve all been so supportive.”