Commercial confectioneries in Kolkata feel the heat from home bakers this Christmas

Traditional fruit cakes are an integral part of Christmas celebrations, and in Kolkata, its history dates back to over a century and lands straight at the heart of the city in Nahoum and Sons. An establishment that became popular among the 5,000-odd Baghdadi Jews during World War II, the iconic Jewish bakery in Kolkata’s New Market area is among the first shops known to sell the traditional fruit and plum cakes in the city, and has stood the test of time to remain a fan-favourite till this day. 

Within a few miles of this age-old bakery lies Flurys, one of the oldest and most renowned joints in Kolkata. Once a dainty tearoom, the eatery which nears its centenary specialises in an assortment of fruit cakes, rum and raisin cakes, and even the traditional Dundee cake. Around this time of the year, a long queue in front of this celebrated establishment in Park Street is a rather familiar sight.

“Bakeries like Flurys, Cakes, Kookie Jar and Nahoum have been some of the oldest traditional bakeries of Kolkata which specialise in the year-old traditional recipes passed down over generations,” said Debarati Ghosh, a home baker and owner of Little Indulgence. “We, as the people of Kolkata, have our emotions attached with them and would go back to them time and again, if given an opportunity,” she added.

However, the lack of alternatives is what allowed these behemoths to run their oligopoly in this city for years. At one point, the traditional fruit cakes from these bakeries and confectioners became exorbitant for the common people. So it is no surprise that a large number of them started venturing to the home bakers who not only provided competitive prices but also accounted for the changing times and the subsequent change in people’s tastes. 

With home bakers offering a myriad of customisable options at affordable ranges, patrons shifting from conventional confectioneries and bakeries to the home bakers was inevitable. (Image Source: Uddipta Banerjee)

Niloy Mukherjee, an avid cake lover, said, “Standard bakeries in Kolkata majorly fall in two categories: the ones catering to the elite population, like Nahoum and Flurrys, and the ones everyone else goes to, the kinds of Monginis, Mio Amore, Bake Club, Kathleen and so on. There really is no middle ground there, for people to get the best of quality at affordable prices. Home bakers really bridge that gap for us and that’s possibly why I hardly remember going back to a standard bakery once I got used to the concept of home bakery.” 

With ample room for customisation, these chefs have truly posed a serious threat to the kingpins of the baking world in this city by spoiling the patrons with choices.

“The possibility of customising the cakes to the utmost level for one’s requirement, in terms of flavour and design, is the main reason that home bakers have gained popularity,” said Vedika Agarwal, owner of The Dessert Box. She added, “Consumers can now directly communicate their ideas, designs and specifications to the baker which makes them more satisfied regarding the final product.”

Agreed Antareepa De, home baker and owner of Scooters Cake: “Nowadays, people want everything to be unique. People reach out to us with specific requirements related to the event or person they wish to celebrate, and we, in turn, try to deliver what they have in mind. You want me to put a man gobbling chowmein on the cake? Sure. You want me to put a p*nis on the cake? Sure. It’s like a blank canvas where you can literally draw as you wish. We are only here to execute the best we can.” 

“My husband is a Potterhead and I wanted a cake with a Quidditch snitch and a scarf on it. While conventional bakeries refuse to customise cakes below 2.5-3 pounds, when I went to a home baker, she instantly agreed and delivered as per my requirement,” said Rhiddhi Saha, who has been buying cakes from home bakers for over a couple of years now.

While tailor-making (or in this case, tailor-baking) a cake may seem like an expensive venture, the truth is far from it. Hot-chocolate with marshmallows priced at Rs 65 each sachet, mini rum-balls priced at Rs 40 each, vanilla pound cakes at Rs 350 per pound, the traditional rich fruit cake at Rs 500 per pound, and walnut brownies with molten chocolate priced at Rs 60 each are some of the Christmas special delectables to be found at Little Indulgence. 

Such wide assortments are to be seen at almost every home baker’s doorstep during Christmas. “For our Christmas menu, we have baked plum cakes (with or without alcohol), strawberry cakes, strawberry Nutella tea cake, walnut brownies, mini cupcakes with Christmas decor, and chocolate tarts,” said Vedika. 

The pandemic did much to bring these home bakers, who operate mostly from their kitchens, into the limelight. Since most of these chefs played an active role in satiating the sweet tooth of the masses who lacked the option of turning to established bakeries and confectioners in those testing two years, they have inadvertently inculcated hygiene protocols in their regime and still adhere to them more than what is expected of the commercial eateries.

“We got our FSSAI certification done. General food hygiene measures are checked regularly. Frequent hand washing with soap and water and use of hand sanitisers have been our topmost priority along with PPE such as face masks, hair nets and disposable gloves. All our delivery executives have been trained based on COVID protocols,” Debarati said. 

Mirroring Debarati’s take on maintaining health and hygiene, Antareepa added, “Since we operate from our home, there are hardly two people who have direct contact with your food. The delivery boys are instructed to use gloves while handling the dispatches.” 

Home bakers have inculcated hygiene protocols in their regime and adhere to them more than what is expected of the commercial eateries. (Image Source: Uddipta Banerjee)

Preeti Kaur, a customer who claims to be addicted to the standard of hygiene home bakers maintain, said, “During the lockdown, I was pretty sceptical about getting cakes from the bakeries near my house. We tried baking on a couple of occasions, and in the meantime, I discovered a couple of home bakers on Instagram. Getting cakes from them seemed safer because literally one or two persons were baking and delivering them to us, ensuring high standards of hygiene. Even after the pandemic, I kept going back to them for the same.”

With this shift in paradigm in terms of more people turning to home bakers, what does a festival like Christmas mean to these chefs?

“Christmas as a business side of the profession primarily means delivering yummy cakes and desserts to our clients, because baking and making occasions joyous is what gives us pleasure,” said Vedika.

Sharing that Christmas is the time of the year where they make the maximum sales, Debarati said, “Since each household in Kolkata looks forward to relishing cakes, especially during winters, we try our best to make the traditional fruit cakes in different price ranges so that everyone can afford them. And nothing tastes better than a fresh home-baked cake!”

“Last two weeks of the year, we see a huge rise in the sale of the dry loaf cakes and cookies which are otherwise dominated by custom cakes. At this time, people tend to lean towards the classic flavours that bring nostalgia and warmth to the otherwise chilly winter,” Antareepa stated.

In keeping with the spirit of giving gifts, such home bakers are nothing short of incarnations of Santa Claus himself. “The general demographic that we cater to are the parents of children aged 0-10 years, because our forte is cakes for children. With the doorstep delivery option available up to 15 km, we cover almost all major areas of the city,” Vedika said.  

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