*Cake D’or opened on 14th October, 2018. This episode was recorded in June 2019, before covid. There has been some exciting changes and new advancement in Cake D’or for which we will be doing a part 2 edition with Manya. If you have any questions that you would like us to cover in her next podcast, write to us at Bakebetterpodcast@gmail.com. Meanwhile, enjoy this conversation. We are sure, you’re going to love it.
Manya Sharma is an award winning baker chef who lives & runs a French concept bakery in the heart of Agra. She is the head chef and the founder of Cake D’or Patisserie.
Manya did not have an early inclination towards baking and had never thought of opening up a bakery any time in near future. However, destiny had different plans for her. She was an arts graduate, preparing for IAS while pursuing masters alongside. But due to some health issues she had to take a break. Meantime, she tried her hands at cooking & baking and really enjoyed the process. It was at this point that she thought of changing her path and seriously consider Baking as a vocation.
With taking her parents into confidence, Manya first self-funded a crash course in baking to understand its basic concepts; worked as a home baker for two years and then went to Le Cordon Bleu, London to master in French Pastry Arts. Returning to her homeland, she opened up her cafe/patisserie named Cake D’or which has now become one of the most popular bakeries of Agra.
“It is very okay to not have a plan and be clueless. You can start clueless and find your calling”.
Chef Manya
In this episode, she talks about how she became a baker and opened up the cafe with no prior plan or blueprint. How she did the market research and made a trusted clientele. She also talks about the recipes, products, pricing and customer service among other important things.
Some Topics We Discussed:
- How she discovered her true calling – Baking
- Training & mastering your skills as a baker
- Process of opening a bakery in a city like Agra
- How to do your market research
- Procurement, hiring and other early challenges
- Experimenting with the menu and recipes
- How to price your product on the higher side & still get sales
- Organic brand promotions
- Future plans for Cake D’or
Find her on: Facebook | Instagram |Zomato | Linkedin
- Reference & Links Mentioned:
1. Le Cordon Bleu, London:
2. Fondant Extruder
3. The Secret [Book]
4. Disaku Ikade
