Pune’s latest bakery outfit speaks about brand loyalty and customer satisfaction, the key ingredients for success. By Ashishwang Godha
A fairytale should always have a happily ever after. And that’s what successful businesses also should be. Launched, toiled and succeeded for a happily ever after – the classic fairytale encore. While it may be too soon to judge, Pune’s Fairytale, a small bakery tucked away into the suburban corner of Wanowrie (off Salunke Vihar Road), has definitely had an enchanted beginning.
The people
Co-owned by equal partners, chef Mehernosh Musa and Aman Bajaj, Fairytale, the latest in Pune, was a dream come true for the childhood friends. “I had intentions of starting my own bakery ever since I started my training at the Radisson, Noida. There, I was fortunate to train and later work for chef Daniel Koshy and his team who taught me most of what I know and practice today,” says Musa was used to be the pastry chef at Hyatt, then Ista, Pune.
Then, came the twist to the fairytale. Musa had to undergo a surgery, after which he was out of action for over four months. But, he used this time wisely. He planned thick and fast and started to get his long-standing business plan implemented. Soon, he was ready to start his dream bakery.
The food
With its brightly lit, multi-coloured and really pretty board and classic small bakery ambience, complete with shelves full of freshly baked breads, sinful desserts and a few savouries such as quiches and sandwiches, Fairytale started business two months ago. Soon, they added bar stools along a sidelong counter to invite people to come in and enjoy their offerings.
Musa bakes all the stuff himself every morning, with just one helper. It’s all out of his oven (the bakery is on the loft upstairs) by 3 pm – obviously, the best time to visit.
On offer the day we decided to call it a review, was a piping hot Potato and Cheese Bun that makes a whole meal by itself – loaded with cubed and herbed potatoes cushioned into the soft dough. Resist the temptation to have the canned Orange Juice and save yourself the calories. The Mutton Mince Bun gratefully makes an unusual bakery debut in the city that doesn’t go beyond the mince roll options. The bun is spiced right, the meat cooked through and with no soft bones and enveloped in a bun that’s soft yet has a light crisp on the edges.
It’s the quiche though that’s the best of the lot. The Chicken Quiche is warm custard of finely julienned meat in what appears to be a Parsi akuri base. Sheer delight. The pie itself was baked to perfection and retained its texture when re-heated. We’ve tried their Mushroom and Bell Pepper quiche as well in the past and it was quite a winner.
Move to the chocolate story:
The Chocolate Chip Cookies are so soft and gooey that they require tender loving care to transport. An indulgent treat for a warm afternoon or a quick, delicious start to the day. Great options to serve up with dessert for entertaining or just munch on as a snack.
The Dark Chocolate Truffle is a mind-blowing dessert. We gave it a 5 minute oven heat and it started melting to gooey perfection. The slight tinge of an over-browned crisp added to the predominant dark chocolate flavour. While the Chocolate Mousse sitting pretty in an edible chocolate cupcake shell, is smooth, creamy and has just the right balance between density and lightness.
We’ve tried their Multi-grain as well as Garlic Bread and found both to be far superior to what is available in the area.
The business
The location: Both partners have been born and raised in Pune and hence the preference for the city to start their business. “We chose Wanowrie as our area of choice for business primarily because the market is cosmopolitan. There is a mix of students, working families and entrepreneurs living here,” says Musa, quickly adding, “Also, the real estate here is still affordable as compared to a Koregaon Park or Kalyani Nagar.”
Establishing market presence: In a volatile market, Fairytale intends to build customer loyalty largely by being consistent. Consistent quality, innovation and a keen understanding of consumer needs is what they believe are their tools to generate loyalty. “While we do not have a lot of crowd as of now but, we do have several repeat customers. Some come for the bread, others for birthday party offers and still others just to grab a quick, affordable bite.”
Customer interaction followed by action based on it, is Fairytale’s classic marketing strategy. “The best way is to listen to our customer and given them what they want.”
Marketing and pricing: The suburb is definitely an extremely price-conscious market. “Since we started, we have reduced our prices,” says Musa. Fairytale has also started Happy Hours which encouragespeople to try their products and “get accustomed to our tastes and variety”.
Expansion plans: Fairytale “most definitely” has expansion plans. “We hope to go ahead with the franchise business model,” smiles Musa.
