Treat your sweet tooth
Combination of happy colours, variety of pastries, muffins, mousses etc, a rack of books in one corner, few frames with quotes about desserts, an open kitchen to peak in how and what they are doing would perfectly define this sweet shop that has all this enclosed in ‘The Brown Box’, Yes! That’s the name of this recently inaugurated bakery shop situated in Panchsheel Park’s DDA market of S block, New Delhi. Definitely a great place to be with your friends and family.
The inaugural event was attended by a flurry of celebrities which included Shivani Wazir Pasricha, Vinod Dua, Meenakshi Dutt, Shehnaz Hussain, Anjana Kuthiala etc. The chief guest of the occasion was the owner of Red Chillies Entertainment and wife of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan with her kids, Suhana and Aryan.
A.Kameshwari from One World News had an opportunity to attend this event-cum-celebration party and had a brief interview with Priyanka Tiwari (Gauri’s cousin), the owner of ‘The Brown Box’.
How are you feeling?
It’s my first shop and event. So, I am stressed but also very happy.
So, how much of a sweet tooth are you?
Majorly, I am a sweet tooth. I love sweets and enjoy baking. I have a sugar rush. Sweet is like therapeutic for me.
Tell me something about your career journey?
As a kid my mom taught me how to bake, and then in summer breaks, I would work in small bakeries to learn. So, that is how I have learnt my basics. Then, I studied in London and further in a small school in Canada to study cake designing. After my studies I worked at the Oberoi’s for three years, then set-up a kitchen and now a bakery so, it’s been a while baking, but then it’s my first step of running something like this.
What would be the difference between your shop and other shops?
My shop would be more personalized. I will always be in the kitchen. It’s not very commercial, we are artisan-cum-chef who try to make everything customized as opposed to putting everything on rack where people would come and just buy. I would like to speak to people and know about their likes and dislikes and improve accordingly. And that’s what makes me and the bakery different.When people come and appreciate you and your work or even give suggestions then it’s for your positive growth.
But, why a store in Panchsheel? You could have chosen the huge malls in Delhi, they would have catered to larger audience?
I have chosen this area because firstly it’s near to my place. Thus, an easy accessibility, though I’ll be in the kitchen of the shop mostly. And secondly, it’s a quiet place with good parking area. I didn’t want to be packed rather wanted it to be a small yet open space.
Have you decided on the prices?
We have kept a good reasonable price to make sure it does not pinch anyone’s pocket.
How supportive has your family been?
My family and friends have been extremely supportive. If they wouldn’t have supported me then I wouldn’t have been here.
How is’ Priyanka’ as a person?
As a person I am a short tempered-crazy chef, who loves to bake. But I don’t know, probably I am sweet with a pinch of salt as I am very short tempered especially in kitchen that too because I am a perfectionist.
So, you don’t compromise in terms of your work?
I like perfection. My staff, a lot of times have a tough job because I do not allow them to take it easy. We deal with something which is perishable so, we always have to be perfect as I don’t want any complaints from my client and customers.
Any message to our readers?
Please come, eat and suggest us where can we improve. And, have a happy reading too.
Further in a conversation, Shivani Wazir expressed how much she loves Priyanka’s cooking, “I love her cooking because she doesn’t just cook. People cook to make something but she cooks because every cell in her body is mad about the kitchen. That doesn’t mean she is mad about cakes, but also for the oven, the way tiles are placed, the way the ingredients are procured, she goes to China to buy her ingredients. I think she spends more than she earns from the cakes. So, I just hope she makes commercial sense of the shop but as far as the popularity of what she does, goes, I am sure she will rock. Her cakes are awesome. She once bought a cake to my home and when I saw it I was amazed because it was so pretty. I think looks also matter. Plus, my daughter is a real foodie, thus very particular about her taste and when she ate Priyanka’s cake she said, ‘This is it!’ So Priyanka is really is one of those who can do it.”
She added a little more from Gauri Khan’s side that though she is a sweet tooth, but like all of us she is careful, “We have grown up trying Priyanka’s food. We have always tried whatever she has made.” When she was questioned that how she has maintained herself even after being a sweet lover, Shivani says that it’s because of her fast metabolism and also because she doesn’t hang out much with Priyanka (Followed by a laughter).
Ending the conversation, Gauri Khan said that she was in the event to bless Priyanka and wish her good luck for future. “I hope everybody enjoys this place and I love whatever she bakes. This was her biggest dream to open a store so, I wish her all the success.”
Photo Courtesy : A. Kameshwari, One World News
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