Home bakers whip up, deliver delights
Even amid the lockdown, the Capital’s home bakers, who either run their businesses from home or brick and mortar stores, are ensuring that quarantine celebrations continue unabated. With gloves and hair nets in the kitchen and contactless delivery, many are going an extra mile to make sure their clients don’t miss out on delicious cakes.
Sakshi Chugh, a home-based baker who specialises in customised indulgent cakes, admits to rise in demand while confessing that challenges of commuting have caused difficulty in supply. “Our cakes are tall with all sorts of fun edible toppings, which make delivery via bikes impossible! So, every order is delivered personally by car, and that’s why the lockdown has affected our sales because committing for every delivery is difficult,’’ says Chugh, who is delivering at the doorstep to eliminate the risk of contagion.
Most home bakers have also been trying their hand at new ways to ensure regular supply of orders. Safdarjung Enclavebased baker Kishneet Sethi has introduced a special lockdown menu. “I thought of this as a learning period and started baking with healthier options. We are not baking elaborate things or desserts,’’ says Sethi, who has managed to stabilise the demand and supply chain.
Nidhi Bahl, who has baked and supplied about a dozen birthday and anniversary cakes since the lockdown, is thankful to have stocked up on the essentials. “I had to still cancel large orders. Thankfully, it’s just me on the workstation so there has been no loss. I have developed innovative recipes due to limited resources,” she shares.
However, not everyone has been this lucky. Aditi Sahdev from Delhi’s Civil Lines rues about her initial inability to source basic items. But she agrees that the situation has certainly improved.
“Slowly, we have been able to procure groceries from our old vendors,’’ says Sahdev, adding that they are now providing contactless deliveries and pickups.