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For the sweet cookie-toothed

We chit-chat with banker-turned-baker Neha Sethi, monikered Batman of Baking, about the launch of her brand Sweetish House Mafia in a food-car

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Try saying, "Bite off more than you can chew," in front of your mother and a lecture on dining etiquettes is bound to appear on her agenda. But offer her some cookies (not just any cookies, the ones from Sweetish House Mafia) before you utter those words, and we assure you she'd agree to the saying.

Sounded biased? Surely not to those who've been following Sweetish House Mafia's (SHM) 'Sweet Tooth Alerts' on their Twitter page right from when they launched (in a TATA Nano) in April 2013. Yes, to only those who have missed out on SHM's cookies.

Enter the cute (not for the lack of a better word, but that's just what describes it best) SHM store right next to Café Zoe at Lower Parel only to see blue walls decked with illustrations of treats like muffins, cupcakes and more, one that dittos the exterior of the Nano, which is synonymous with the brand. Curious about SHM, we decide on getting a verbatim account from the inceptor of these sweet delights.

The love for baking is not one that allows you to create pure food-poetry; it also leads you to achieve clarity on what you want from life. At least that's the case with Neha Sethi.

A finance degree holder from The Wharton School Of Business, Neha started her career as an investment banker. On realising that "finance wasn't her thing," she dabbled in other sectors until she knew what she wanted to do. Known to have a major sweet tooth and a weakness for cookies, Neha says, "I like trying new things so I started baking, only to feed friends and family (and get a bite myself too). Finally, some friends and my brother-in-law (Aakash Sethi) pushed me to try selling the cookies by informing people via social media. I thought it was an easy idea. I baked a few cookies, put up a message on Twitter mentioning where I'll send them to (only to see if any strangers would buy them). All I did was send my driver (to Carter Road on day one and later, to other parts of SoBo) with the cookies in a Nano. Frankly, I didn't expect it to pick up as quickly as it did. But with the first time, there was so much demand that I had to do another delivery in two days."

A Worli resident, Neha has no formal training in baking. She recounts, "I was introduced to baking when I was young; mom would ask me to help her when she made brownies and cupcakes at home. After a while, I started managing by myself, baking for friends and family on birthdays as well—it just happened. Maybe I was pushing it for the longest time, but yes, I never quit."

Reluctant to disclose her identity until recently, Neha earned the moniker of Batman of Baking by other publications. She says, "I wanted SHM to be associated with the logo, the Nano or the cookies; never with a face. I think it gets very confusing otherwise." She also confesses that owning a store was never on the cards. "I'd say my brother-in-law is my silent mentor. The store was his idea. And now, it is good to go national."

In an industry where a new dessert store opens up around every corner, the challenges are many, especially if you're a first generation businessperson. Aakash agrees, "The biggest challenge is that there's so much competition. But people associate our brand with 'cookies'. And as for the quality of our product, we've been consistent from day one." Neha says, "Luckily for me, I already had one-and-a-half years of research and a fanbase. Also, our delights are centred around cookies...cookies in milk, cookie cakes, cookie milkshake, cookie dough rolls (where you just need to buy the batter and make the cookies at home). So yes, by far there's no direct competition for cookies."

SHM is now looking out for places in Colaba and Bandra to set up their store. And will they send out the Nano again? Says Aakash, "We're planning to start sending out the Nano in about a month's time. We'll now target places like Powai, Lokhandwala and Andheri; we get a lot of positive response from there." So if you're in the mood to bite into one (or more) of their relishes, keep a lookout for the Batman of Baking.

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