Has any one tried the C K high ratio shortening and how does it stack up to the other brands?
thanks
I have to make some buttercream to night and that is all they have at my local cake supply store.

If their smaller portions are the same kind as the 50lb cubes CK sells, it's essentially BakeMark brand and it's adequate. In order, I prefer Alpine, Sweetex, BakeMark because of the density levels of them (Alpine seems most dense to me).

I live in dublin ireland...anyone knows a substitute for this kind of shortening that's available here or even in the UK?

IMO, since I beat the icing for an extended period of time, the mixture tends to become almost a liquid state. The denser the shortening, the longer it can be beaten before it gets to that fluid state making the final product is smoother. (I can just about pour the icing into my buckets...allow it to rest overnight and it is perfectly smooth and not at all greasy(not that the beating process removes the greasiness)).

This is not to say that this is the best process, just that it produces the best resulting buttercream for my liking.