Baking was Tarun Kumar’s childhood passion. A Guinness World Record holder, Kumar has rolled out a patisserie chain to showcase his innovations. A report by Manoj John.

There is nothing better than feeding people with baked stuff and getting compliments.” This is the philosophy that motivated Tarun Kumar to take up baking. A philosophy that won him gold medals, a Guinness World Record entry and, not the least, several loyal customers. For Kumar, who bakes every day, innovation is key to success. Style Bakes, his pastry shop venture, displays his innovations as they take shape.

Since his childhood, Kumar had a passion for cooking and baking. “I wanted to do it every day,” says Kumar. The first cake he tried baking at home fetched him a lot of compliments. That was the turning point where he decided to become a bakery chef.

“People said they liked the bread I baked. It was a motivation for me to take up baking,” said Kumar. He says baking everyday is not only a passion but  also is a sort of continuous training that he gives himself. He keeps himself updated with the latest trends and tastes that hit the Indian market.

Kumar started his career with The Park New Delhi and worked with prestigious brands such as Le Meridien, The Trident Hotel and Resorts, Radisson Blu, The Galbiati Gourmet Singapore and Hans Plaza.

He represented his hotels at various contests by Indian Culinary Forum and has won gold, silver and bronze medals around nine times.

His moment of pride was when he baked a 400 ft cake that weighed 4500 kg for Bollywood actor Salman Khan in 2015. His name was entered into the  Guinness Book of World Records for baking a 3750 kg cake that was 7 ft high in pyramid shape for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2016.

Kumar finally quit his job at a multinational company to pursue things that are closer to his heart. He set up a chain of pastry shops in Delhi under the brand Style & Bake.

“I started my venture to establish my innovations in the market. Style & Bake was a dream that I always wanted to happen,” he says. The shops deal in bakery and patisserie products which include bread, cookies, cakes, pastries, and pies. It also provides a wide range of cake designs such as sheet cakes, layer cakes, tiered cakes and wedding cakes.

Style & Bake specialises in handmade breads made with locally milled flour, without flour bleaching agents or flour treatment agents. “We make what is referred to as artisan bread,” says Kumar.

Style and Bake uses flavours such as butter and vanilla for masking the off-notes in the raw materials. It uses butter, creamy vanilla, milk, condensed milk, fresh milk for cream, nut and chocolate flavours. Fruit flavours are used for cream with option of juicy notes. Composite flavours give wholesome notes to biscuits, cakes and pastries.

Kumar ensures that the prices at his shops are in line with the market. “It is affordable for middle class to upper class category. The customers profile is a cross section of middle class to upper class. Preferences vary from person to person. We provide our services by keeping in mind all their preferences,” says Kumar.

The major challenge he faces is the availability of raw materials. “The skill and passion you rely on to make delicious baked goods are just the start of building a successful bakery. Getting people at your door to taste and buy your products is the next step. You also want them to return again, making branding an important part of your marketing strategy. The goal of your branding efforts should focus on becoming known for something unique. Branding takes time, but eventually people who see your name and logo or hear about your bakery will associate it with tasty goods worth buying,” he says.

Kumar believes that social media can play a vital role in marketing your products. “Without a doubt, social media is a good tool to boost your business. Social media is a booming sector and there’s a lot it has to offer for aspiring chefs. It helps them promote their venture,” he says.

Style and Bake imparts regular training to its staff. Kumar is working on more innovations which can add flavour to his brand. He also plans to expand his venture soon. “There will be some things that will surely be a surprise for buyers,” he concludes.