Shahlaa Imran’s forte is dessert jars, and having opened Shahla’s Baked Bliss a few months back, she already has a strong customer base. Today, Daily Mirror Life speaks to the young baker about her home-run baking venture.

Tell us a little bit about how you started baking, and what made you get into it?

I consider myself a massive sweet tooth. Wherever I travel or visit, my most favourite pastime is trying out different desserts especially the chocolaty ones. My initial venture into baking started when I met my neighbour who is a famous cake maker. She lived right across the road and helped me learn the fine art of making a range of my favourite desserts. Initially I used to try out the recipes at various events held at home and got excellent reviews from my family and friends who encouraged me to venture into this business.

When did you start Shahla’s Baked Bliss?

It’s been 3 months since we started this venture and the response has been unbelievable. We solely focused on social media to promote our name and products initially by sharing our page among friends who were grateful enough to spread it around. Through different means of marketing we were able to increase the likes on our page to more than 5000 within a month. We were also happy to be reviewed by some food and entertainment sites who gave us 5 star ratings. Those things helped us to establish ourselves among our customers.

What does the entire menu consist of?

Our menu consists of mainly dessert jars and assorted brownies. The dessert jars come in a range of cheesecakes, brownies and cake jars all of which you can choose to accompany with either cream cheese, ganache or cream frosting. Also we do our own style of biscuit pudding which is a great hit among our customers.

What are the most popular customer favourites for orders?

Our all time favourites are the Strawberry Cheese Float, Brownie Jars with Cream Cheese, Rainbow Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Mousse and assorted brownie pieces.

Where do you source your ingredients from?

Our ingredients are sourced from the best suppliers so as to ensure high quality in all our products. Food hygiene and best food practices are of utmost importance to us so we take extra precaution in preparation of our products.

Do you do deliveries, or is it just takeaway orders?

We deliver within Colombo city limits and areas such as Dehiwela, Mount Lavinia and Nugegoda for a nominal charge. Orders should be placed at least one day prior for delivery or pick up.

How can customers make an order?

Customers can place orders through our hotline 0772488880 or message on WhatsApp or simply inbox through our Facebook page www.facebook.com/shahlasbakedbliss. We also cater for special occasions like wedding favors, office parties, birthdays etc. Its also an ideal gift idea for any occasion.

By Sarah Kellapatha
Photographs courtesy Shahla’s Baked Bliss