Bakeries of Dhaka

Dhaka has a long-cherished history of baked delicacies, from handmade bakarkhani and fresh loaves to cream rolls and chicken patties found at every corner bakery.
The concept of modern bakery started in the capital some time back, with the pastry shop at Hotel Purbani, along with Yousuf, French and Modern bakeries taking the lead. But the ones that managed to maintain their standards over the years, some for decades, are still running the show, even with all sorts of international franchises opening up.
Local bakeries, namely Swiss, Ananda and Shumi’s Hotcake, and joint-ventures like Cooper’s and Sausly’s, still live up to their reputations, catering to generations of satisfied, loyal customers. Then there are franchises like King’s Confectionery and Hot Breads, popular among young crowds.
The Weekend Independent takes a look at the mouth-watering items on offer at these beloved places, and hear from today’s food lovers about their favourites.

Ananda

A family business that started more than a century ago _ around 1914 or 1915 _ when there weren’t any food markets and their biscuits were sold at ‘haat’ (weekly bazaar) that would take place in different locations of the capital.
The bakery has been producing delicious cakes and biscuits for as long as one can remember and the secret behind their consistent quality is that the owners themselves are always there to ensure everything goes smoothly.
 “We buy the raw materials ourselves and since it is a family business, one brother or other is always there during the whole production process to oversee quality. One must be unswerving when it comes to quality control,” says Abdul Hashem, one of the present owners.
Hashem gives credit to his late brother, Abdul Wajed Babul, saying the business prospered under his supervision: “The recipes of our cakes and biscuits are mostly his and we grew into something bigger under his supervision, we owe him a lot.”
About profit in the bakery business, Hashem explains: “Fast food business is more profitable, I think, since they earn more in a short time. For example, a packet of toast biscuit takes a total of eight hours from start to finish and is only priced at Tk100, whereas a burger that takes about 10 minutes to prepare is sold at Tk250 _ that is a much higher profit margin. We price our goods so that customers from all walks of life can afford to buy them and we also maintain product quality, therefore, our profit margin is lower. But we are happy with whatever we are making and it is a good business.”
For upcoming businesspeople interested in this line of work, Hashem advises: “Plan ahead, and do not compromise on the quality of products.”
Khadeja Begum, a long-time customer, couldn’t agree more.
 “Their Danish biscuits are like a staple in my household and when I shop for monthly food supplies for my household, I always get loads of it,” the 55-year-old homemaker told this writer.
And it’s still a go-to place for traditional bakarkhani, meat patties and freshly baked fruit cakes or sweet and salted cookies.

Swiss

If you take a walk down Bailey Road of the capital, you will surely pass one of the oldest bakeries in town. Swiss has been in the same location for almost 30 years now and is still going strong. With nearly 30 sweet and savoury items, including swiss rolls and lemon pastry,  on sale, the bakery hardly knows a lean day.
The Weekend caught up with the owner of Swiss, Ulfath Quader, a perceptive philanthropist and a brilliant entrepreneur when it comes to introducing new business norms, to learn the history of the bakery.
“I know this business inside out and it runs in our blood. My father owned Capital Confectionary back in 1949, and it was expected that I will take over the reign of his business. I opened Swiss in 1985, but I left the country due to a family dispute and my brothers took care of the business in my absence. When I came back, it was running at a loss and in March 1987, my brothers handed it back to me and here I am today,” Ulfat Quader said.
“When I started, French Bakery and Purbani were my main competitors. I started small but maintained the quality of my products and kept it consistent throughout. I believe in customer satisfaction, rather than making it big in a short time. A while ago, due to electricity problems, a large amount of chicken went bad. I threw the lot out, so people could see and understand that I would rather dump  an ingredient gone bad than incorporate it into my food items for profit. Word of mouth is a powerful tool for building goodwill and I am a strong contender for that,” he added.
About having only one outlet, Quader said: “Our food is superb as it is served fresh since our factory is right across the street, and that is one of our biggest selling point. I had opened another branch a long time back but shut it down without a day’s notice as customers complained that the food didn’t taste as good as the Bailey Road outlet. In future, I might open another branch, provided I get space for a factory just beside the outlet.”
About profit margin of the business, Quader said: “I am happy with whatever I am making and it is definitely a good business, but there are risks involved.”
For young entrepreneurs willing to go down the same line, he said: “Success is yours when you yourself rise to the top and take others with you. I never took my struggles for what they were, I just breezed through obstacles and seldom worried about bad times. Meet challenges head on, and you must also have long-term vision.”

Shumi’s Hotcake

If you are on a budget but would like to have a yummy dessert, Shumi’s Delight can be quite a treat. It is delish without being too heavy. Though over the years the size of this brownie-like pastry has shrunk, the taste remains the same. And many a birthday party would be incomplete without a custom-made black forest or chocolate cake from Shumi’s.
Shumi’s Hotcake started business almost 25 years ago and its chocolate cakes are still one of the best in town. It all began with a handful of flavours and designs and gradually expanded.
Mubeen Imran Shaikh, a chef trained from the world famous Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, works towards developing new flavours and varities. He also happens to be the son of owner Farzana Shaikh Shumi, and is involved in the production phase as well.
Shumi’s also has savoury items like beef patties, mini pizzas and burgers that taste great and are very reasonably priced. With 23 outlets around the capital and three in Chittagong, the bakery’s success speaks for itself.
“I always buy cakes from here. It has been over 15 years since I got hooked,” said Shompa Rahim, a 35-year-old teacher. “Whenever there is a birthday in my family, I run off to Shumi’s to get a black forest cake. My son also likes their chocolate cake and I remember, five years ago, on his 9th birthday, I ordered a car-shaped cake and it was an instant hit among his friends,” she added.
Furthermore, about market competition, Imran said: “Actually the (confectionery) market is becoming bigger worldwide and the same goes for Bangladesh. We are sharing the market with our competitors and we are all doing pretty well. We are happy in terms of our gross profit and we are able to maintain our quality as well.”
Cooper’s is also an oldie in this business, popular for its variety of buns, breads and fruit tarts. Savoury puff pastries, pies and cheese twisters are still mouth-watering at Sausly’s.
Other bakeries and confectioneries that are doing well currently include Olympia, Decent, Lavender, Mr Baker, California Pastry Shop, Well Food, Tasty Treat and Club Gelato, to name a few.
One bakery that stands out from the rest is Glazed, a doughnut shop. Customers who have tried brands like Dunkin Doughnuts swear by the quality and taste of the doughnuts made by Glazed, which opened a few years ago in Gulshan and already has a branch in Dhanmondi.
“Go there in the afternoon and you will hardly find anything left to buy,” said Rahat, 19.
 It seems like our local bakeries are still holding strong against international franchises that are opening up everywhere now-a-days. That is sweet for us, since they are more affordable and the items they make are better suited to our tastes.

Photos: Writer

Bakeries of Dhaka

Dhaka has a long-cherished history of baked delicacies, from handmade bakarkhani and fresh loaves to cream rolls and chicken patties found at every corner bakery. The concept of modern bakery started in the capital some time back, with the pastry shop at Hotel Purbani, along with Yousuf, French and Modern bakeries taking the lead. But the ones that managed to maintain their standards over the years, some for decades, are still running the show, even with all sorts of international franchises opening up. Local bakeries, namely Swiss, Ananda and Shumis Hotcake, and joint-ventures like Coopers and Sauslys, still live up to their reputations, catering to generations of satisfied, loyal customers. Then there are franchises like Kings Confectionery and Hot Breads, popular among young crowds. The Weekend Independent takes a look at the mouth-watering items on offer at these beloved places, and hear from todays food lovers about their favourites. Ananda A family business that started more than a century ago _ around 1914 or 1915 _ when there werent any food markets and their biscuits were sold at haat (weekly bazaar) that would take place in different locations of the capital. The bakery has been producing delicious cakes and biscuits for as long as one can remember and the secret behind their consistent quality is that the owners themselves are always there to ensure everything goes smoothly. We buy the raw materials ourselves and since it is a family business, one brother or other is always there during the whole production process to oversee quality. One must be unswerving when it comes to quality control, says Abdul Hashem, one of the present owners. Hashem gives credit to his late brother, Abdul Wajed Babul, saying the business prospered under his supervision: The recipes of our cakes and biscuits are mostly his and we grew into something bigger under his supervision, we owe him a lot. About profit in the bakery business, Hashem explains: Fast food business is more profitable, I think, since they earn more in a short time. For example, a packet of toast biscuit takes a total of eight hours from start to finish and is only priced at Tk100, whereas a burger that takes about 10 minutes to prepare is sold at Tk250 _ that is a much higher profit margin. We price our goods so that customers from all walks of life can afford to buy them and we also maintain product quality, therefore, our profit margin is lower. But we are happy with whatever we are making and it is a good business. For upcoming businesspeople interested in this line of work, Hashem advises: Plan ahead, and do not compromise on the quality of products. Khadeja Begum, a long-time customer, couldnt agree more. Their Danish biscuits are like a staple in my household and when I shop for monthly food supplies for my household, I always get loads of it, the 55-year-old homemaker told this writer. And its still a go-to place for traditional bakarkhani, meat patties and freshly baked fruit cakes or sweet and salted cookies. Swiss If you take a walk down Bailey Road of the capital, you will surely pass one of the oldest bakeries in town. Swiss has been in the same location for almost 30 years now and is still going strong. With nearly 30 sweet and savoury items, including swiss rolls and lemon pastry, on sale, the bakery hardly knows a lean day. The Weekend caught up with the owner of Swiss, Ulfath Quader, a perceptive philanthropist and a brilliant entrepreneur when it comes to introducing new business norms, to learn the history of the bakery. I know this business inside out and it runs in our blood. My father owned Capital Confectionary back in 1949, and it was expected that I will take over the reign of his business. I opened Swiss in 1985, but I left the country due to a family dispute and my brothers took care of the business in my absence. When I came back, it was running at a loss and in March 1987, my brothers handed it back to me and here I am today, Ulfat Quader said. When I started, French Bakery and Purbani were my main competitors. I started small but maintained the quality of my products and kept it consistent throughout. I believe in customer satisfaction, rather than making it big in a short time. A while ago, due to electricity problems, a large amount of chicken went bad. I threw the lot out, so people could see and understand that I would rather dump an ingredient gone bad than incorporate it into my food items for profit. Word of mouth is a powerful tool for building goodwill and I am a strong contender for that, he added. About having only one outlet, Quader said: Our food is superb as it is served fresh since our factory is right across the street, and that is one of our biggest selling point. I had opened another branch a long time back but shut it down without a days notice as customers complained that the food didnt taste as good as the Bailey Road outlet. In future, I might open another branch, provided I get space for a factory just beside the outlet. About profit margin of the business, Quader said: I am happy with whatever I am making and it is definitely a good business, but there are risks involved. For young entrepreneurs willing to go down the same line, he said: Success is yours when you yourself rise to the top and take others with you. I never took my struggles for what they were, I just breezed through obstacles and seldom worried about bad times. Meet challenges head on, and you must also have long-term vision. Shumis Hotcake If you are on a budget but would like to have a yummy dessert, Shumis Delight can be quite a treat. It is delish without being too heavy. Though over the years the size of this brownie-like pastry has shrunk, the taste remains the same. And many a birthday party would be incomplete without a custom-made black forest or chocolate cake from Shumis. Shumis Hotcake started business almost 25 years ago and its chocolate cakes are still one of the best in town. It all began with a handful of flavours and designs and gradually expanded. Mubeen Imran Shaikh, a chef trained from the world famous Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, works towards developing new flavours and varities. He also happens to be the son of owner Farzana Shaikh Shumi, and is involved in the production phase as well. Shumis also has savoury items like beef patties, mini pizzas and burgers that taste great and are very reasonably priced. With 23 outlets around the capital and three in Chittagong, the bakerys success speaks for itself. I always buy cakes from here. It has been over 15 years since I got hooked, said Shompa Rahim, a 35-year-old teacher. Whenever there is a birthday in my family, I run off to Shumis to get a black forest cake. My son also likes their chocolate cake and I remember, five years ago, on his 9th birthday, I ordered a car-shaped cake and it was an instant hit among his friends, she added. Furthermore, about market competition, Imran said: Actually the (confectionery) market is becoming bigger worldwide and the same goes for Bangladesh. We are sharing the market with our competitors and we are all doing pretty well. We are happy in terms of our gross profit and we are able to maintain our quality as well. Coopers is also an oldie in this business, popular for its variety of buns, breads and fruit tarts. Savoury puff pastries, pies and cheese twisters are still mouth-watering at Sauslys. Other bakeries and confectioneries that are doing well currently include Olympia, Decent, Lavender, Mr Baker, California Pastry Shop, Well Food, Tasty Treat and Club Gelato, to name a few. One bakery that stands out from the rest is Glazed, a doughnut shop. Customers who have tried brands like Dunkin Doughnuts swear by the quality and taste of the doughnuts made by Glazed, which opened a few years ago in Gulshan and already has a branch in Dhanmondi. Go there in the afternoon and you will hardly find anything left to buy, said Rahat, 19. It seems like our local bakeries are still holding strong against international franchises that are opening up everywhere now-a-days. That is sweet for us, since they are more affordable and the items they make are better suited to our tastes. Photos: Writer