Home bakeries have the hits, but the science has to be learnt
There was a time when macaroons were a delicacy of high-end patisseries that charged you Rs 500 for a bite size, and the delicate creme brulee and creamy mille-feuille were only options on the menu of five-star hotels. Now, they are almost as ubiquitous as ‘momos’, with too-many-to-count bakers dotting the town quick to pick up the art from TV-shows and YouTube tutorials.
“People are recognising the potential of patisseries as small businesses that don’t necessarily require too much investment and effort,” says Rupreet Datta, executive director at the International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi. She believes it is often sought out as a secondary career choice that can be pursued from the comfort of one’s home. Aayushi Singhal, a home-baker who is getting ready for a professional course in baking at the Lavonne Academy of Baking Science & Pastry Arts, agrees. “The ability to run bakery businesses from homes often means that it is a great option for passion-driven, on-the-side careers, an in-between to-dos for people looking for other opportunities.”
In fact, social media celebrity bakers like Shivesh Bhatia, Radhika Arora and Deeba Rajpal took to baking out of interest in their spare time, over lessons on laptops.
Just because opening your own home-bakery is easy doesn’t mean they necessarily run well. “There are plenty of bakeries, but good bakeries are still a handful,” says Ashima Arora, who, after completing her diploma in bakery and patisserie, went on to participate in Masterchef India, 2016, and was the first runner-up.
With social media being the best marketer for the small entrepreneur, it is not necessarily the quality of desserts that bring customers, but great photographs that ensure a first flush of business. And with western desserts quickly taking over our traditional sweets, they are a sure seller. We would rather be high on rum-ball than gulab jamuns, and bite into a cheesecake than a rasmalai. Plus, with our limited understanding of desserts, it is hard to tell good from bad.
“But the fact is, word-of-mouth reccos and the excitement of a new bakery opening near your home can only last so long. Patisserie is a science, and must be learnt and perfected over time,” says Sanchita Garg, who is just completing her diploma in the sweetest of arts.
Patience and precision are the qualities key for a successful baker. Experts in the industry believe that professional learning can go a long way. And many seem to be listening. Datta says there has been a 60 per cent jump in applicants for IICA’s diploma in bakery and patisserie. So high is the demand that the institute has also introduced a short-term hobby bakery and patisserie programme. Perhaps it is the reason why Bhatia is looking at a professional course in the West, even though his social media success has ensured him enough business in India.