Christmas cakes by Thane jail inmates rake in ₹5.22 lakh

The Thane bakery unit this year had sold 28,122 cup cakes earning ₹2,10,840 and 1,917 sponge cakes earning ₹3,11,991. The jail earned a total revenue of ₹5,22,831 on Christmas goodies

Lockdown may have affected many small businesses and eateries. However, it has not affected the sales of Christmas cakes and goodies baked by the inmates of the Thane Central Jail.

The shop that sells Christmas goodies and cakes made by Thane Central Jail inmates. (Praful Gangurde/HT photo)

The jail authorities have sold cakes worth ₹5.22 lakh in the last seven days of December, which is more than the sales of the last two years. The goodies were baked by 15 inmates with the help of nutritionists and sold to different jails, government offices and organisations across the state.

The Thane Central Jail has a bakery unit operated with the help of Nisha Naik, a nutritionist and bakery instructor. The Thane bakery unit this year had sold 28,122 cup cakes earning ₹2,10,840 and 1,917 sponge cakes earning ₹3,11,991. The jail earned a total revenue of ₹5,22,831 on Christmas goodies.

Harshad Ahirrao, superintendent of police, Thane Central Jail, said, “We started getting orders from December 1. As we had to deliver the products on Christmas, the work for making them started on December 18 and till December 25 we completed all the orders. The earning of ₹5.22 lakh was in seven days. Also, the sale was better than the last few years as we maintain good quality and taste, as per the review of those who buy the goodies regularly. The sale has improved only through word-of-mouth,” added Ahirrao.

The cakes were sent as per order to Arthur Road jail, Taloja Jail, Thane Central Jail, Byculla women and men jail and Kalyan Aadharwadi jail. The cakes were also sent to government offices across Thane, Mumbai and Raigad including Thane mental hospital, Mantralaya and other offices. Different NGOs also gave orders.

In 2019, the bakery unit earned ₹4.80 lakh while in 2018 and 2017, the jail had earned ₹4.91 lakh and ₹4.77 lakh, respectively.

“Apart from the weeklong Christmas sale, every month, the sale from the bakery is around ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh, depending upon the order. Due to the lockdown, the bakery products were only sold inside the jail in 2020,” said jail sources.