Reinventing Baking

She started with baking cakes for friends and relatives to satisfy her creative yearnings. A home science graduate, Farah Tanki now aims to add color and variety to Kashmir’s once famed bakery. Saima Bhat reports

When 23 year old Farah Tanki started baking cakes for a hobby in early 2008, little did she know that some five years down the line she would be pursuing this hobby as a full-time business!

While Farah feels uncomfortable to share the details of her business turnover, she maintains that the orders are pouring in and she is making good money.

Farah was on vacations in New Delhi in early 2009, soon after finishing her 10+2 examination, when her cousin suggested her to attend cake baking classes to kill her time.

After that short course in Delhi, Farah joined the MA Road Women’s college in Srinagar to pursue her graduation in Home Sciences. Meanwhile she started baking cakes for her friends on request.

Farah says that for some time baking cakes remained limited to a hobby and an occasional cake for one friend or the other.

As the word, about her baking skills, spread Farah started getting orders for parties and functions as well.

Today, one more baking course and dozens of orders later, Farah is content with her business going the way she wanted it to be.

While accolades have been pouring in for Farah, she maintains that a recent cake she made for the Indian Air Force in Kashmir was a high in her short career.

“I was told that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who was a guest at the Air Force function, appreciated and enquired about the cake,” said Farah.

For Farah, who belongs to a very well to do business family, earning money has not been on the priority list. Her father runs a handicraft business with his younger son, while his elder son is a pilot.

“All I know is that I love baking cakes. Money just followed,” says Farah.

The cost of Farah’s fresh pastry cakes depends upon the size, type and the designs. Usually her orders cost between Rs 400 to 1200 a kg. She bakes chocolate cake, truffle, German cake, fresh fruit and cheese cakes.

For Farah, the family support has been tremendous; however at the same time her family also encouraged her to go for higher studies after she finished her graduation. She is currently pursuing her masters in dietetics and nutritional sciences from Kashmir University.

“My mom and dad have been very supportive throughout,” says Farah, who was provided money by her family to acquire machinery for her business venture.

After two years of business Farah thinks she has been successful so far. She accepts initially she used to make some minor mistakes while baking cakes. She has given many complimentary cakes to such customers as well to maintain her customer base and reputation.

“But today if I make better cakes credit goes to my earlier mistakes. I learnt baking better cakes while doing it and with time my work got polished. Business is in my genes so I could have never failed.”

These days, Farah generally bakes cakes on order and the customers provide her the pictures of cakes they want to get baked. She however maintains that she is happier whenever she gets a chance to showcase her creativity and gets to bake a cake according to her own will.

The flourishing business has not stopped Farah from experimenting on the designs of the cakes she bakes.

“From logos of football teams to different cartoon designs, I have baked cakes in a number of designs,” said Farah, “I keep experimenting to get better.”

One of her customer says, “She has given us (customers) a break from the traditional pastry cakes available in the markets. In addition to that all Farah’s cakes come with varieties and flavors.”

Presently Farah gets orders on different occasions including Eid, marriages and other functions. Usually she takes orders one by one but during last Eid she recalls she baked 25 cakes in just two days.

“No matter how many orders I have, I never refused any order nor have I delayed any,” says Farah.

With her feet already firm in the business, Farah says her next step will be to get some more exposure in cake baking. She wants to move abroad and pursue a professional course in this field.

While she is still in the University, Farah has her plans carved out neat and clear. She says that after her course abroad, she wants to establish a café somewhere in Srinagar.

“A cousin, who is no more in the world, wanted me to open a café,” says Farah, “So I want to do this for him.”