Baking for kids: How this finance graduate turned chef and is now teaching kids how to bake

With the festive season upon us, it is time to loosen our belts and indulge to our heart’s content, and Delhi-based Bakez by Daizy, helmed by pastry chef Daizy Sangla, is here to help. Began from Chef Daizy’s kitchen in 2011, the patisserie has grown – both in terms of clientele and the services offered.

“I believe what sets me apart is the fact that I handle all the baking. This means I only take limited orders as I need to do justice to each one. My motto is to ensure quality over quantity. Everything is baked fresh and new flavours are added every few weeks because I love to experiment!” explains Daizy in a candid chat with YSWeekender.

ALSO READ

Chef Sanjyot Keer shares his recipe of creating delicious content for audience

The USP

Daizy pursued a bachelor’s degree in Finance from IILM in Delhi before studying stock markets at the London School of Economics. An interest in jewellery led her to the Gemological Institute of America in London. Afterwards, she decided to turn her childhood passion for baking into a business, and pursued a Diplôme de Pâtisserie from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu institute in London.

“Baking as a business happened purely by chance! I began by baking for my friends and family, and they pushed me to do what made me happy. The biggest reward for me was whenever a client shared how delighted their kids were after eating my cakes – my heart would do a little happy dance! I just love kids and their feedback has always been most important to me,” she shares with a smile.

Specialising in non-fondant cakes, Bakez by Daizy is best known for its innovative use of Nutella. To date, her most popular dishes include the Nutella Classic Cake and Nutella Teacakes, which have been on the menu since she began the business 10 years ago.

She highlights, “We use no preservatives; everything is prepared in-house from scratch using the best ingredients and it’s all done by me. There are a lot of substitutes of Nutella on the market, but we don’t use anything except the original.”

Since children are her most willing customers, in 2018, she ventured into teaching baking to kids aged four to 12. Addressing the attendees as ‘Little Chefs’, Daizy enjoys incorporating their requests into her menus, and ensures that everything taught is child friendly and customisable as per individual wishes.

Another aspect of her business is the focus on environmentally-friendly practices. Having reduced the use of plastic to a minimum by relying on recyclable paper and aluminium foil, Daizy says they have also initiated a project called ‘Recycle Reuse’. As part of this, they re-use empty Nutella jars to grow low maintenance plants, which are handed out as complimentary gifts to clients (as per availability). Daizy says, “This is our little way to thank Mother Earth!”

ALSO READ

These foodpreneurs are converting your favourite restaurants into cloud kitchens to serve you better

The growth story

According to expertmarketresearch.com, the Indian bakery market stood at a value of nearly $7.60 billion in 2020. The market is further estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.5 percent between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of $12.39 billion by 2026, making players like Bakez by Daizy well-placed to cash in.

Daizy began from her kitchen with an initial investment of roughly Rs 20,000 and has witnessed exponential growth. By keeping her prices reasonable, her product selection wide-ranging, and improvisation constant, Daizy says she has made her presence felt in an overly saturated market.

When asked about her competitors, she responds, “I feel I don’t have many direct competitors because everyone else in the business makes mostly fondant and buttercream cakes that are very rich. I enjoy being creative and healthy, by using no fondant and relying on white chocolate instead.”

After making a name for herself locally, Daizy decided to take her brand to the next level and launched her website in June this year. Through bakezbydaizy.in, she retails baked goods such as biscotti, cookies, pre-made baking kits for kids, granolas, and nut mixes throughout India. She also sells merchandise including specially designed doodle mugs, whisks, and hand-poured luxury candles made with exotic food essences.

Since its launch, Daizy says her presence is growing in several Tier-I and II cities.

What’s on offer

Bakez by Daizy offers non-fondant cakes, healthy desserts, and customised services catering to several health issues. Baked donuts, wholewheat flavoured buns named ‘Abundants’, banoffee cakes, bombolonis or baked Italian doughnuts, cheesecakes, classic cakes, and cookies are a few choice offerings from their extensive menu. Prices begin from Rs 200 for their premade mug cake mix and go up to Rs 2,800.

Apart from the baking workshops for kids, held both physically and virtually, Daizy also conducts baking sessions for birthday parties and for schools such as the Aardee School and Wonderland School in Delhi.

She explains, “I feel the entire process teaches children how to work in groups. They learn the art of teamwork and the concept of responsibility. It’s also a stress buster and the perfect way to utilise their energy positively.”

Pre-pandemic, she conducted personalised classes in her kitchen, which were restricted to five children per session. Describing it as being closer to a play date than class, Daizy shares that the children would bake, take a break for ice cream and snacks prepared by her, and then will be awarded a certificate and a box of goodies they had baked themselves.

When the pandemic put a stop to physical workshops, parents began requesting her to conduct them virtually.

“That’s when we started ‘By Kids…For Kids’ where the classes were held by my 14-year-old niece Simar Sangla, who has fabulous baking skills. She taught kids under my guidance, and to instil the concept of sharing amongst them, the proceeds from these workshops were shared with NGO Spread a Smile India, which supports kids,” she shares.

Bakez by Daizy has recently launched a selection of products keeping the festive season in mind. The first of these is pure soy wax fragrant candles that come in a variety of scents, priced at Rs 475 each; gluten-free and eggless chocolate balls made with jaggery, priced at Rs 800, and varying sizes of gift baskets that include tea cakes, cookies and candles. The bakery ships pan-India and delivers in a span of five to 10 days.

A festive-themed virtual baking workshop is also planned for Saturday, October 16.

YourStory’s flagship startup-tech and leadership conference will return virtually for its 13th edition on October 25-30, 2021. Sign up for updates on TechSparks or to express your interest in partnerships and speaker opportunities here.

For more on TechSparks 2021, click here.