In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during quarantine.   With increased restrictions once more, we talk to home bakers who are operating during these times to bring the sweet and savoury to your very own doorstep!

Having always had a keen interest in baking, Rakshanaa knew she wanted to start her own home baking business – the only question she had was what kind of baked good she would like to offer. “I wanted to do something that was different from what everyone else was doing and somehow, the idea of jar cheesecakes sounded great to me.”  Her home baking business ‘Bubby’s’ is named after the fond nickname her family calls her at home.   We offer no-bake cheesecake jars with a wide range of flavours. Our best-sellers are the Biscoff Cheesecake, Mocha Caramel Cheesecake and the Salted Caramel Cheesecake and they are also my favourite ones of the range we offer. 

When did you start operations?
Bubby’s was started during this very recent lockdown. I have always wanted to do something with cakes and baking but I thought there were already so many online pages promoting cakes, cookies and cupcakes – the market for that was very saturated. So I wanted my venture to be something different and thought of something that is not so popular and then decided – why not cheesecake in a jar? 

What is it like running your operations in times like these? 
Because it is a food business, the demand for our goods was quite good during the lockdown. But of course, the difficulties we have are finding the right ingredients since most of them are imported. 

How are you ensuring the proper hygiene measures are taken in preparation and delivery?
Since everything is homemade, I can assure you that we are taking all the necessary and proper hygiene steps because everything is done by me. We also make sure to sanitise our packages before delivery and delivery is done mainly through our trusted and personal drivers. 

What do you enjoy about baking and operating your own home baking business?
I’ve always been interested in baking but now that I’ve started my own home baking business the most exciting thing about it is experimenting and coming up with all these different flavours. 

How do you see home bakers going forward post-Covid? 
I know the pandemic has been such a difficult time for everyone but it also has bloomed business for a lot of home-based small projects. People just never get tired of ordering delicious food when they are stuck indoors. I think as long as the quality of our products is consistent and people love it, the post covid situation will not be an issue. 

What’s next for your brand?
Hmmm, I have been planning to introduce a few new items using cheesecake into the menu. 

Any advice to anyone who wants to start their own business?
Just do what you want to do and don’t listen to the negative talks!