Welcome to The Inspiring Chapters, where we bring you the stories of passionate individuals making their mark in unique fields. Today, we have the pleasure of introducing Shromona Paul, the co-founder of Mummy’s Pastry, a delightful bakery in Asansol that has been winning hearts since its inception.
Founded in 2019 by a dynamic Mother and daughter duo, Mummy’s Pastry has quickly become a local favorite. It began its journey as a modest home baking venture, armed with only a table and an OTG oven. Shromona Paul and her mom, Sunanda Paul, had a simple yet profound goal – to offer high-quality cakes and snacks at prices accessible to everyone. Their dedication, combined with the love of their growing customer base, transformed this home bakery into a thriving cake shop.
At the heart of Mummy’s Pastry is a commitment to excellence. They take pride in crafting non-alcoholic, preservative-free cakes and are on a mission to create employment opportunities for women in their community.
Hi Shromona, we welcome you on The Inspiring Chapters today. To begin this interview session, we would first request you to tell us a few lines about yourself.
Hello! This is Shromona Paul from Mummy’s Pastry. Here is my part of story. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. With this desire, I completed my Master’s in Commerce. At the time of completing my degree, I literally had no idea that I would run a cake shop one day!
When did you first realize your love for baking? Who is your inspiration in this field?
Truly speaking my Mom is my inspiration in this field. Still, I remember, when I was a little kid she used to design amazing buttercream cakes at home on my every birthday. Her designed cakes amazed me and I wanted to bake and design cakes just like her. Maybe the inner artist knocked me that time.
How was your first baking experience?
It was good. I baked a very simple vanilla cake for my Dad on his birthday at a very young age.
Shromona, please tell us about Mummy’s Pastry.
We always say Mummy’s Pastry serves with Mum’s care and love. I and my Mom started this journey in 2018 as home bakers with a table and an OTG and with an aim to serve good quality cakes and snacks at very pocket-friendly prices that anyone can afford.
You won’t believe we didn’t have a professional turntable at that time. It’s only people’s love that in 2019 our home bakery turned into a cake shop where seven women are currently working.
Even after being a shop Mummy’s Pastry always serves cakes that are non-alcoholic, free from preservatives. We strongly believe that if we maintain our quality, customers will maintain their loyalty and shall come back as returning customers. Mummy’s Pastry aims to create more employment opportunities for women as well.
Could you walk us through the pivotal moment when you decided to turn your passion for baking into a full-fledged profession?
I participated in a social food exhibition with my homemade cakes and of course, the recipe was my Mom’s. Within an hour all my cakes and muffins were sold. I was standing there with an empty table which amazed me and made me realize our cakes can earn money too!
Baking is often considered a blend of science and art. How do you balance the technical aspects of baking with your creative expression when designing new treats or cakes?
Baking is all about accuracy in timing, measurements, temperature, etc. You can say it is a pure calculation blend with creativity. You have to have technical knowledge with a creative mindset and cannot avoid any of them. The sense of balance between knowledge and creativity only comes with experience.
Many people see the delicious end results, but they might not know about the hard work behind the scenes. Could you shed light on the effort that goes into perfecting a baked product before it reaches your display shelves or customers?
A well-decorated cake needs skill, time, concentration, and lots of patience. Sometimes it could take a whole day or two to finish a designer cake. But when we see the happiness in the eyes of our customers, it feels like all the efforts are worthwhile.
How is the craze for customized designer cakes in Asansol?
Before stepping into the profession, I didn’t have any idea that people don’t even think about money if the results are satisfactory. People are enthusiastically embracing customized cakes everywhere these days.
What are some of the signature items of Mummy’s Pastry?
We make the best Nolengur Fruit Cake that I can assure you. Other than this our Belgium Chocolate Cake, Swiss Vanilla Cake, Rabri Cake are loved by people a lot. People reach us for our theme cakes.
Shromona, how has been the journey so far for you as a professional baker?
It’s like a roller coaster ride.
Every journey has its ups and downs. Could you tell us about the present challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
The main challenge is to keep yourself updated about the new trends. Sometimes craziness for trending cakes is huge. You have to keep yourself updated, as there might be occasions when you find yourself unsure of how to bake and create the cake your customers desire.
What advice would you give to young, aspiring bakers in Asansol who are looking to pursue baking as a profession?
I would suggest them to learn first, and then earn. Sometimes you may not even get the end result you want. Only practice can help you achieve perfection. Practice and practice more.
What are your future aspirations for your bakery in Asansol? Any exciting projects or new directions you’re looking to explore for Mummy’s Pastry?
Yes, we will open our café soon. Hope people will shower their love as they are showering now on Mummy’s Pastry.
Anything else you want to share with us?
Currently, we have taken the initiative to provide free food to needy people once a week from our profit portions. We call this initiation 3F i.e. “food for food”. It’s like people purchase cakes from us and indirectly they also contribute to those foods to the people who genuinely need them.
And, one last question of this session Shromona, if you have had one wish, what would it be?
I wish Mummy’s Pastry will earn more people’s love and continue to create more employment opportunities in society!
