Why Wenger’s remains Delhi’s favourite bakery after nearly a century

Coming from the land of great confectionary, thanks to the bakeries at various country clubs, and Kookie Jar – a bakery far ahead of its time – I might have been the wrong audience. And I was a little underwhelmed. But I realised why Delhi residents flock to Wenger’s, which doesn’t sell the Delhi sacrament of butter chicken, because it’s a slice of memory. Much like Calcutta people still go to Flurys or to Mocambo. It reminds us of a simpler time. These are cakes covered with marzipan decorations and royal icing. Royal Icing is the white hard icing cover for cakes and is made from pasteurised egg whites and icing sugar. They are also one of the few bakeries that make plum cakes with soaked and marinated fruits. And still bake with margarine. This is truly a slice of nostalgia.

Which is why Wenger’s is still around for 100 years! No small achievement in a city in which restaurants open and close within a month or two.

Much like Flurys in Calcutta was established by a Swiss couple in 1927, Wenger’s was also opened in 1926 by a Swiss couple with the same name. In 1945, though, Wenger’s changed hands and was bought by the Tandon family. And there was no turning back after that.

Today, according to reports, the outlet sells about 2,500 plum cakes in the week before Christmas. There are other Christmas goods as well – gingerbread men, fruit mince pies, plum puddings, marzipan sweets. But the charm of Wenger’s for me lies in its history and legacy.

This was the first bakery in Delhi to sell Swiss chocolates and margarine cakes. The restaurant, which was built and designed by British architect Sir Robert Tor Russell, became the place to be seen. There was a tea room and a confectionary with a café called Rendezvous, a ballroom called La Mer and a “party shop” called Green Shop – all spread across two floors. In summer, the Wengers used to shut shop in Delhi and relocate to Shimla.

The clientele was primarily British at that time. And there were no shami kebabs. In the beginning, there were just four flavours of margarine pastries (chocolate, pineapple, vanilla, and strawberry), three types of bread (French, white, and ‘twist’), and a basic sponge cake. Which actually sounds quite lovely to me. Like a simple tea room. Once the bakery caught on in popularity, Swiss chocolates, chocolate cookies, chicken patties, and vegetable patties were added to the mix.

Defining Delhi

The Tandons, who bought Wenger’s, chanced upon owning this bakery, which is a defining part of Delhi. They have no restaurant or bakery experience. It’s just that Brij Mohan Tandon, who was born in Chandni Chowk, was the general manager at Wenger’s. And when they decided to leave the country pre-Independence, he seemed like the perfect person to sell Wenger’s to.

Chicken Patty at Wenger’s (Photo: Wengers.in)

Today, to the Tandon family’s credit, Wenger’s has not been Delhi-fied or Indianised. You still get the same cakes, with the same icing – it’s a very old-school Indian confectionary look that even Flurys, Kathleens and Nahoum’s cakes and pastries have – which you don’t find in fancy bakeries run by Cordon Bleu chefs. But then the Cordon Bleu chefs can’t give you a healthy dosage of sentimentality with their cakes.

My friends still swear by the fat shami kebabs and the Black Forest Cake, cream rolls and new inventions like the fancy-looking Banana and Rum Cream. People are willing to drive from all ends of the National Capital Region to pick up their birthday cake, simply because they always have cake from Wenger’s. The prices are affordable, the taste is familiar, and it’s a testament to why some legacies should be cherished and protected.

Next week, I’ll be writing about Depression Cake and other wonders that have come out of times of exigencies.