With Ramzan underway, professional and home bakers, along with established bakeries, are enticing customers with their best offers on baked items and specially curated Iftar boxes, both for home consumption and distribution.
Box of love!
According to Arvinder Singh Kohli, Founder-owner of JJ Bakers, demand is soaring. “For distribution purposes, especially dry cake and fruit cake trays along with small add-ons like cookies, sum up the deal. Also, the cost is mainly centered on the entire hamper or box. For a small box, the cost starts from hundreds and goes to thousands, depending on the items and sizes,” he says.
Khajoor (dates) still remain a Ramzan favourite for Lucknowites. Tanushree Gupta from Danbro by Mr Brown shares, “Starting at ₹100 per piece, the Khajoor pastries are our biggest winner. Also, stuffed dates are the new entrants that set the Iftar box perfectly. We have a box comprising one juice small, custard, muffin, doughnut, tomato puff, and a 40g khajoor pack, priced at ₹315 while the small box is for ₹205.
Home bakers innovate
Home bakers bring their own creative flair. Aashi Rizvi, owner of Eat and Treat Bakers, notes a significant change in consumer taste. “The taste of consumers in the city has evolved, especially when it comes to baked items. It’s no longer restricted to the original patties and pastries; the shift from last year to this year is visible. The Iftar box we offer includes pizza slices, sandwiches, nut muffins, and small fruit cake jars. For distribution, consumers are opting for customised boxes and picking their choice of items.”
{{/usCountry}}Home bakers bring their own creative flair. Aashi Rizvi, owner of Eat and Treat Bakers, notes a significant change in consumer taste. “The taste of consumers in the city has evolved, especially when it comes to baked items. It’s no longer restricted to the original patties and pastries; the shift from last year to this year is visible. The Iftar box we offer includes pizza slices, sandwiches, nut muffins, and small fruit cake jars. For distribution, consumers are opting for customised boxes and picking their choice of items.”
{{/usCountry}}The fun twist this year? “The demand for bakery boxes along with a small separate biryani or sheermal-kebab box is a new entrant, but Lucknow’s love for Mughlai food is no surprise,” she adds.
Shaifali Bhargava, a professional home baker, observes the trend toward healthier options. “Today’s Lucknow, like any other city, believes in healthy eating, so our bakery items have to reflect that. The rozedar (one who fasts), for both home consumption or distribution, checks for sugar-free cakes, muffins, and cookies. I try to make cakes more fulfilling for the day. Dates, fruit jelly, and banana walnut cakes are the best picks. Date cakes in different sizes, including muffins, are completely sugar-free, as are whole wheat flour cakes. The cost for half a kilo of date cake is over ₹800.”
Win win for all
Buyers are making the most of the deals. Afshan Zaidi, an HR professional and homemaker, confirms the shift: “Till last year, we customised distribution boxes at home and used very few bakery items, but this year we opted for bakery Iftar boxes. The reason is clear: the boxes are amazingly packed and have all the best food items that are healthy and filling at the same time. Many of our acquaintances followed us and got the same boxes packed for bulk distribution for Masjids and homes.”