This baker did not let the lockdown bite him

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 17

Having spent nearly two decades as a chef, Amit Mehta (37) ventured into opening his own bakery during the lockdown. He was earning about Rs 20,000 per month when the lockdown was imposed. “Like everyone else, even I waited for the situation to turn normal. During this time, neighbours contacted him for cakes which he delivered efficiently without going out of home.”

Evaluating the response, he decided to give it a shot full time. He took the help of his grandfather in utilising his shop for extending the bakery business. He had learnt the basics of bakery from a Chandigarh-based bakery shop in Sector 13 (Mani Majra). “I learnt to bake over 50 varieties of cakes.” After returning to his native city, he worked at a leading bakery shop of the city for nearly a decade.

Amit, a father of two kids, said after the lockdown, sales were not quite encouraging. Before the festive season, there was an encouraging upswing. He hoped that the trend would continue.

Sharing his experience of having served different strata of people, he said choices vary, depending upon age and paying capacity. He said grown-ups prefer butter scotch, pineapple and fruit cakes. Others prefer German truffle and black current. On the scope of bakery as a profession, he stated that it was immense. One can bake round the clock but still cannot complete all items. At present, he is preparing only 25 varieties of biscuits which include butter biscuit, almond, custard, dry fruit, egg based and without eggs.

He also added patties to the menu, offering veg, cheese, mushroom, and also non-vegetarian.