Home bakeries are facing a setback as patisseries and bakeries are back in business.
During the lockdown, home bakeries were in demand, but post-lockdown their sales have taken a hit, said Haniya, a home-baker and co-owner of ‘The Third course.’
After the lockdown was lifted, there has been a decline in number of orders as people have shifted back to conventional bakeries, said Haniya. One of the reasons was that home-owned bakeries had to reject last minute orders and customers then moved to conventional bakeries, she added. It takes approximately six to eight hours for preparing a cake, said Minu. She added that, home bakers work on order-by-order basis; they do not bake in bulk.
Abhinav Devanand, a customer said, it was more convenient to order from conventional bakeries. He added that, “You don’t have to tell them, you don’t have to explain them a lot. To home bakeries you have to explain them a lot and usually it takes time.”
Minu Radhika S., owner of ‘Sarasus baking love’ said, home-owned bakeries have been around in Bangalore for some time now. However, people acknowledged their existence during Covid, which led to a hike in their businesses. The number of orders increased from five to 10 to 15 cakes a month, Haniya said.
Another issue was delivering the cakes. Minu said, customized cakes had intricate designs which would get spoiled if delivered on a two-wheeler. The customers had to book cabs for the cake to be delivered if they were not being picked up by them, she added. Home bakers do not prefer partnering with food delivery apps, Haniya said. However, conventional bakeries are associated with these delivery services. This makes them more accessible to the customers, said Minu.
Many bakers in Bangalore, either self-taught or trained, started home-owned bakeries during the lockdown. During the lockdown, people felt more comfortable in ordering from home-owned bakeries over conventional bakeries.
Nanda Gowda, the student coordinator at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts said that, “During lockdown a lot of people started baking and learning. They learned baking and started earning. [sic]”
Home-owned bakeries depend on Instagram for marketing and promotion, as their major customer base is on social media, Haniya said. Minu said that, her marketing skills were not great, that’s why she would try to sustain her existing customers. The intricate designs and the customization of the cakes attracted more customers, she added.
Amogh, a regular customer of home bakeries said, the quality of home baked goods was better than the conventional bakeries. He added that, it was more convenient for him to order from them. The packing and the quality of home bakeries is better and gives homely vibes, said Abhinav.
Various third party delivery services emerged specializing in cake deliveries, said Minu. They were cheap and accessible for the home bakers and the customers, she said. The home bakeries have survived before the pandemic and will survive after it as well, she added.
