HYDERABAD: The last one year has been a harrowing time for most people but has changed the lives of some. While many have been suffering pay cuts and job losses, home bakers are making hay while the sun shines. They’ve been doing brisk business amid the pandemic as most people now prefer homemade treats for hygiene reasons over buying these from a confectionery store or eating out.
Dorcas Rishika, who whips up spongy cupcakes and decadent brownies under the brand name ‘Crumbs and Sprinks’, says: “I’ve always been fascinated with TV shows such as Cake Boss and Cupcake Wars but could never get myself to bake. When the lockdown was clamped last year, I started to bake a dessert a day for my family. And, they all loved it. I also started sharing these treats with my extended family and friends. With all the encouragement I was getting, I wanted to see if a baking business would do me good.
I created an Instagram page in September 2020 and there was no turning back ever since. My weekends are packed and sometimes I take orders on weekdays too. It took me 24 years to realise that baking is my passion and there is actually something that I love doing. The chocolate cupcakes are a hit with all my customers.”Now, Rishika wants to make this a full-time career and would like to open a “cute little store” in Hyderabad.
For all the brownie lovers out there, sister duo Beulah and Hephzibah got you covered. “We love to experiment with cooking and that’s how we started baking brownies. Now, it is something we specialise in. We experimented with different flavours and after a lot of trials, we decided to take it online, on Instagram (@happybrownies.hyd) and Facebook(@happybrownies). As we had guessed, people were missing their outings to cafés /restaurants during lockdown and this worked in our favour. We’ve been online for almost a year now,” the sisters, who bake a variety of brownies -- nutella-filled, double chocolate, walnut, hazelnut, almond, peanut butter, Oreo, coffee and white chocolate blondies -- said. Their bakes were selling like hot cakes and, after the lockdown, they opened a hole-in-the-wall outlet in Sainikpuri. “We opened this outlet in March year and now plan to expand our menu. We also bake vegan, eggless, whole wheat and sugar-free brownies,”they say.
Nishita Francis, who has been baking for two years now, says it was during the lockdown that she realised her true potential. “Earlier, I used to bake only for myself. But as people started trying out my dishes, I received a lot of appreciation and encouragement. I started selling cakes during the lockdown as more and more people wanted home-baked stuff.
Orders just began pouring in,” she says. Now, Nishita wants to practise harder and equip herself with the best of skills in order to open a store five years from now. “I actually wanted to be an air hostess but because of my height could not make the cut. So I decided to pursue my hobby. Look where it’s got me today,” she says.