Munni Begum / Guwahati

The bakery business is highly competitive. With top cake brands such as Repose, Loyans, et al available in the market, Guwahati is no more for beginners. However, some home-based bakers are challenging these brands and giving them a run for their money.

Sakiba Mohammed of Panjabari in Guwahati has emerged as a baker who sells delicious yet nutritious items from her bakery.

Sakiba has no formal training in preparing delicious food like cakes, bread, cookies, brownies, biryani, etc. for the customers. Sakiba's foods are sold under the brand name ‘Baketree’.

"The bakery market is very competitive. My products have a different market though. I take great pains to cater to my customers by maintaining quality. I put a lot of emphasis on the quality and cleanliness of my cakes, etc. I never serve stale food for petty profit. Whenever I get an order, I make that product and supply it fresh,” Sakiba Mohammed told Awaz – The Voice.

Sakiba in a Food exhibition

Sakiba is a one-woman machine as she cooks everything by herself and has no employees so far. She bakes cupcakes, fruitcakes, muffins, icing cakes, garlic bread, pizza, butter cookies, butter biscuit, Nankata, choco cookies, date cookies, brownies, and cooks custard, biryani, haleem, nihari, Kurma, etc.

These delicacies are a hit among her customers. On the other hand, she also supplies biryani, pulao, kurma, and chicken dishes through Uruka Restaurant’s House Wife Delicacy outlet.

"One thing I am happy about is that a lot of customers who used to prefer cakes of big brands, etc. come to me.”

Explaining why people prefer homemade bakeries to commercially made, Sabika says, “The home-based bakeries supply fresh products using fresh ingredients, while commercial bakeries bake and store most of the products for a long time. Although home-based bakers charge a little more for their products because they are prepared from fresh materials, their stuff is healthier.”

Her 1 kg of tea cake costs ₹800-₹1200, icing cake is ₹1500, butter icing cake is ₹2000, Gunner’s cake is ₹1800, Choco-chips cookies at ₹30-50, date cookies at ₹1,800-2000, butter cookies at ₹250, walnut brownies is ₹90-200.

Sakiba, who was interested in cooking since childhood, spent her childhood with her grandmother in Shillong. She learned cooking from her grandmother.

Sakiba busy in work

"When my grandmother cooked, I used to help her. I loved to learn and cook one or two items by following my grandmother for the people at home. Everyone at home appreciated me. That's how I later got involved with baking," she said.

Sakiba started getting orders for cakes, cookies, etc. right from her early days of launching the business.

She had to wind up her nascent business as she shifted to Dubai in 2000 with her husband. However, as the family returned home after 11 years, she could easily relaunch her business as her clients still remembered and missed her bakery. 

She said that the demand for chocolate chip cookies, palm cookies, nankata, and butter cookies is very high. 

Sakiba said, "I also get orders from customers for small parties in addition to cakes, cookies, etc daily. I have so far taken orders for events for 30-50 people. I get my orders through friends, Instagram page, Facebook page, etc. I always try to improve the quality of products for the customers and I ask for feedback from every customer. I am happy that my family is very supportive towards me in my endeavour."

These days innovations are being attempted in the world of bakery. Stating that it would be nice to be able to do something new on her own, Sakiba said:

"There is a lot of competition in the food business but, all those who are in it with passion would continue and be in demand. However, today there are many pioneers in different fields, be it tailoring, cooking, or other handicrafts. Many of them start an enterprise. Since people like to eat different foods these days, women don't have to go out to do business, they can do business from home.”

Sakiba Mohammad training aspiring cooks

She says family support is needed in case a woman wants to do business.

Sakiba is a responsible mother and wife. She has won many cooking contests and also participated in the television reality show Master Chef Season 3.

Sakiba bagged the third prize in the cake baking competition of 'Dear Friend' and Blue Paradise's cooking contest and finished among the top-3 contestants in Zee Plus's ‘Home Baker’ programme. Sakiba believes that every woman can become self-reliant if she has the talent and desire.

"Women have been given dignity in Islam. Our Prophet Muhammad's wife Khadija Bibi was a businesswoman, and his second wife Ayesha Bibi was a highly educated woman. Islam gives a lot of importance to girls and women to be educated and self-reliant," she said.

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Sakiba’s success has paved the way for many people to become self-sufficient. She also trains many young aspiring bakers at her home. "I train young baking enthusiasts under the aegis of ‘Only Chef’ and ‘Indigenous,” she added.