Breads and cakes freshly served out of the hot oven lure city dwellers to the Boulangerie, Patisserie & Chocolaterie “The Rolling Pin” writes Manoj John
Aditya Gupta, would patiently answer the same question from his customers time after time when he opened a new bakery in R-City Mall in suburban Mumbai nine months ago. That question did not pertain to the menu or service that the swanky The Rolling Pin was offering. What the customers wanted to know was whether the eatery was a franchisee of some famed European boulangerie or patisserie.
Legitimately so, because the items served at the bakery, for instance the choc brioche or the cottage cheese burgers in barbeque sauce, is so authentically native that it has caught the imagination of the people. Rolling Pin has a time-table displayed at its counter, which spells out the exact time the products will roll out from the oven. At 1.00 pm, baguettes and one hour later spicy paneer buns and Cheesy Sticks will reach the shelves. Those who love bagel need to hit the shop at 4.00 pm and croissant buffs can arrive by 5.00 pm.
“Freshness is our USP. We prepare only such quantity as we sell,” says Gupta, whose family-owned Samrat restaurant is an age-old household name in South Mumbai. On the day this writer visited the place, the chefs were busy estimating the projected sales during a long weekend that comes after the Indian Independence Day. Gupta’s penchant for serving fresh also helps the kitchen plan its workflow efficaciously.
The oven-fresh breads are a runaway hit with the expatriates in Mumbai. With a flourishing economy, though on a downswing recently with stock market crashes and currency devaluation, has attracted a huge number of Western professionals to live in India over the years. They find everything from the unsliced whole-wheat bread for breakfast to New York style French fries for evening snacks cut and dry at The Rolling Pin. “There are several foreigners working in Mumbai who regularly order from us,” says Gupta.
The Rolling Pin has a ravishing ambience to offer those who want to enjoy patisseries at the bakery itself. The boulangerie is located at the inner circle of the mall on the ground floor. There are a few tables just outside the bakery, overlooking the inner courtyard where visitors take a short stop and children play. Inside the bakery, one can see chefs at work in the kitchen across a look-through glass. Almost half the total 1,000-square feet space is allotted to kitchen.
The bakery lays particular thrust on hygiene. “Highest level of hygienic standard is maintained at every stage of preparation,” says Gupta. Most of the ingredients are imported from their natural source places in order to give the final product an authentic feel. Rolling Pin uses only France’s Elle & Vire brand butter and Belgium’s Barry Callebaut chocolate in their products. Every piece of equipment also is imported. Dough sheeters are made by Rondo, and even the display trays are imported from highend manufacturers abroad. The branding of the exterior has a peculiar European tenor.
“The concept and presentation of The Rolling Pin has really worked,” says Dhimant Bhatt who discovered the bakery while casually strolling at R-City all in suburban Ghatkopar with his family. Ever since, he has been blown over by the opera and red velvet pastry served at the bakery. Bhatt is one among the increasing lot of customers who are searching for high-quality bakery and patisserie items. “More people are travelling to the West today unlike in the long past. They are developing a fine palate for food products hitherto unknown in India,” says Gupta, who had tasted success with the Italian-Mexican restaurant Quattro that he had set up before opening The Rolling Pin in another locality.
Indians’ predilection for Italian and Mexican food, among all the diets in the world, may have helped Quattro clench their hearts but The Rolling Pin is a tougher proposition by all means. And Aditya Gupta is a tough man who is determined to sail the boulangerie into newer terrains. “We undertook research for two years before opening The Rolling Pin,” says Gupta. He is confident that the effort will pay off sooner rather than later, and he is already cherishing plans to open four more The Rolling Pin outlets in the city soon.
