SEPTEMBER

These brownies created by the mother – daughter duo, Priyani and Sashani Piyasena, were a comfort food many indulged on during curfew. They offer diverse brownie flavours including the Red Velvet, Raspberry, Liquor Infused and the Classic Chocolate.

Q WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BRAND?

September offers artisan homemade brownies. We are a mother-daughter duo passionate about catering to a niche market in the Sri Lankan baking industry. All our brownies are handmade and freshly baked to order, using the finest locally sourced ingredients. We promise a crisp, crackly top with a super fudgy center, that is overwhelmingly chocolaty and gooey in all the right places. The unconventional brand name is a reflection of its vision as we strive to experiment with unique flavour combinations and September just also so happens to be the birth month of both its co-owners!

Q WHEN DID YOU START OPERATIONS?

We began our journey before lockdown, sometime in mid-january 2020. Continuing our operations during curfew meant facing many unprecedented challenges. Overcoming hurdles, creative adaptation, and open communication are few of the key things we were fortunate enough to learn during this time.

Q WHAT WAS IT LIKE RUNNING YOUR OPERATIONS DURING CURFEW?

Since its inception, September has been a learning curve for us. The response we received for continuing our operations during curfew was positively overwhelming! What prompted us to continue our operations were our loyal customers who reached out to us to have us deliver to them something they were familiar with and found comforting during such a strange and uncertain time. Whilst we faced a plethora of challenges, it has allowed us to continue to do what we love, and has given us an opportunity to lift up the spirits of our community.

Q WAS IT DIFFICULT TO SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS?

Yes! Sourcing ingredients were one of the biggest challenges we faced, but it also drove us to think outside of the box and challenged us to find new suppliers. In support and solidarity of small local businesses that were facing the brunt of the lockdown, we made it a point to purchase our ingredients from small local corner shops.

Q HOW ARE YOU ENSURING THAT PROPER HYGIENE MEASURES ARE TAKEN IN PREPARATION AND DELIVERY?

While we follow strict health and safety procedures even on a regular day, we made sure to amp these measures up to make safety our number one priority. We followed the guidelines offered by the WHO on food safety for food businesses. All supplies were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before entering our kitchen, and all surfaces, equipment and touch points were deep cleaned and disinfected before and after preparation and production. As advised, frequent hand washing and use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers were utilised. As for delivery, we encouraged all consumers to opt for payment via bank transfers as a precautionary measure and carried out contactless deliveries whenever possible. Our delivery staff is always dressed and equipped with safety gear including face masks and gloves as advised by the WHO and the local health department.

Q WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART ABOUT OPERATING DURING CURFEW?

One of the most challenging parts was the difficulty in sourcing supplies. The influx of orders during curfew also meant putting in longer hours. As a home bakery that started up only four months ago, solely run by mum and I, meeting demand meant working nearly 12+ hours every single day. In order to ensure that we didn’t compromise our highquality standards or take on more than we could realistically manage, we also began imposing a strict order limit per day. At one point we had to completely stop taking any orders as we didn’t have enough supplies to keep going forward. We took a step back to strategise, and hence decided to introduce a waiting list to buy ourselves some time to source ingredients and to gauge the demand for our product going forward. In addition to this we ran out of our standard packaging, which played a vital role in our branding. While the situation wasn’t ideal the one thing we can proudly admit is that we never skimped on the quality of our products and ensured that our high standards were always lived up to.

Q HOW DO YOU SEE HOME BAKERS GOING FORWARD POST COVID?

COVID-19 has negatively impacted most businesses and has taken a toll on the mental health of many business owners. Whilst uncertainty is at an all-time high with the prevailing situation, it has also become an eye-opener in many ways. It has been refreshing to see brands come together in support of each other, and strive to innovate and challenge themselves in the face of adversity. In our opinion, home bakers should continue to adhere to the same hygiene measures and ensure their products are of high quality. There has also been an evident ‘boom’ in the home baking industry with new businesses having started up even over the past few weeks. This may mean an increase in competition going forward, and existing home bakers should focus on staying true to their brand, while paying special attention to marketing and product innovation in order to differentiate and stand out in this already saturated market.

*September operates only on a preorder basis and orders need to be placed at least two days in advance. Orders can be placed via Instagram (@september_sl). Payment methods include cash on delivery and bank transfers. Delivery is available in all areas within the Colombo district.