PRIDE AND PASTRIES

world baking day

Baking does not really look like hard work at first glance. It feels soft, calm, almost effortless. A cake in the oven, a tray of cookies cooling down, a neat counter with measured ingredients. But that is only the surface. Behind every bakery counter is repetition. Long hours. Failed batches. Orders that go wrong. Days when nothing sells. And then showing up again the next morning and starting over. Baking does not allow shortcuts. Ingredients need time. Dough needs rest. Flavours need balance. The same applies to building a business. On World Baking Day, held annually on the third Sunday of May, it helps to look beyond the finished product and focus on the women who built something steady out of something simple. Not overnight success. Not luck. Just work, patience and a clear sense of what they wanted to create. These women took that route. Each one started small. Each one built something that lasted…

Built one cake at a time

- Naila Naqvi

Naila Naqvi did not begin with plans of running a large bakery business. She is the founder of ‘Pie in the Sky’, a bakery brand that grew from a small home-based operation into a widely recognised name. Her entry into the food industry came through formal training in hotel management, where she gained experience across different areas of kitchen and service operations. That exposure shaped her understanding of quality, cost and consistency. She began by baking desserts at home and supplying them to restaurants. What started on a small scale gradually grew as more people responded to her products. In 2001, she launched ‘Pie in the Sky’. It began as a modest setup, built on recipes she had developed and refined over time. Growth was gradual. The business expanded as customers returned, drawn by consistent quality and reliable taste. Over the years, it developed into a recognised bakery brand with multiple outlets. Even with expansion, the focus remained on maintaining standards while keeping products accessible. Like many entrepreneurs, her journey involved long working hours and balancing professional and personal responsibilities. She has acknowledged the effort behind building the business and how much of that work often goes unseen. What stands out is the pace at which the brand grew, steady, measured and built on consistency rather than rapid expansion.

A kitchen that became a brand

- Rina Mohsin

Rina Mohsin is the force behind ‘Rina’s Kitchenette’, a homegrown baking venture that developed into a recognised café and hospitality business. She began her baking journey from home, preparing cakes for friends, family and a growing circle of customers. What started in a home kitchen, without a formal commercial setup, gradually built momentum through word of mouth. As demand increased, her work evolved into a more structured business. ‘Rina’s Kitchenette’ grew from a home-based operation into a recognised name, eventually expanding into a café space and, over time, into a broader hospitality presence. That transition, from small-scale baking to running an organised business, required adapting to new demands, including managing operations, maintaining consistency and scaling production. Family has also remained part of that journey. In later years, the next generation became involved in the business, contributing to its growth and direction. What stands out is how the brand developed, steadily, through customer trust and repeat demand. It began with small orders and built into something far more established over time.

Precision and creativity in every bite - Lal Majid

Some enter baking through circumstance. Others begin with a clear sense of direction. Lal Majid had a long-standing interest in chocolate and desserts, which led her to establish ‘Lals Patisserie’ in 2006. At the time, the market was largely centred on traditional mithai and introducing European-style patisserie and premium chocolates meant building a different kind of customer base. That shift did not happen quickly. Her work focused on quality and attention to detail, with an emphasis on technique as much as flavour. The range included both classic offerings and newer variations, developed while maintaining consistent standards. Over the years, the brand built recognition beyond its immediate market. In 2024, Lals was included in La Liste’s Pastry Discovery Gems, a global selection that highlights notable pastry destinations. Recognition at that level reflects sustained effort, refining products, maintaining quality and adapting carefully as tastes evolve. Her journey shows that this level of baking relies on both creativity and technical precision. It requires consistency, control and a clear understanding of the craft.