CHENNAI: As soon as we walk into Casa 9 in Nungambakkam, the aroma of freshly baked bread takes over senses. This is followed by the blissful sight of rows and rows of confectionary and the quiet rumble of my stomach. This was sensory overload at the first retail outlet of Piece of Cake.
In 2009, founder Shalini Padmanabhan decided to make confectionary for her friends and family from her home. Slowly, the brand grew and they established their factory in Anna Nagar soon after. Their 2,000-sq-ft factory produces baked goods for various restaurants and shops across the city, and a few customers even used to buy directly from their factory.
“Consumer tastes are changing. They are now looking for health-conscious products that are preservative-free and fresh. So, we decided to cater to that market with our diverse range of products,” said Dilip Thakurdas, co-owner. They sell sourdough bread, almond bread and oat flour bread. One of their unique items is spinach bread, which is prepared daily using fresh spinach.
Padmanabhan said that she consults with a nutritionist when baking goods for her customers, based on their unique dietary needs. “Everybody is doing cupcakes and although that does take a lot of skill and hard work, the trends are changing now. I really enjoy working on such healthy products, because I will sit over a recipe until it’s perfect before bringing it into the market. Most of the products here are what I have been working on for over a year,” she said.
Some of their healthy bites, which are available in gyms across the city, include protein seed bars, buckwheat seed cakes, chia seed crackers and more. They also sell muffins, cupcakes, dips and dressings, cookies, crackers and cakes. The products range from Rs 25 to Rs 250.
Piece of Cake is located at Casa 9, Bagadishwara Road, Nungambakkam, near Taj Coromandel. For more details, call 9025674035