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!  With new challenges presenting themselves in light of the current economic crisis in the country, we talk to home bakers who are navigating through these difficult times and bringing the sweet and savoury to your very own doorstep!

A preschool teacher with a passion for baking, Humairah Husni used to bake cakes for friends, family, and colleagues at work as a hobby. At their encouragement, she started a social media page showing her bakes and after she quit teaching, she started baking full time. “Making chocolate-based desserts is something I was always passionate about and I started my business with smash hearts!”. 

What do you offer?
We specialize in making smash hearts, cakes, cookies, treat boxes, coated strawberries, cake pops, cakesicles and chocolate slabs. Our best sellers are the smash hearts, cookies, cakesicles, cakepops, treat boxes and coated strawberries.   Personally, I feel that our signature item and something our customers love the most are my cookies. 

When did you start operations?
We started operations in the year 2020. During the pandemic when people were unable to celebrate their loved one’s special occasions, they were looking for different alternatives to do so from home. That’s when I introduced the treat boxes and strawberry bouquets because there was a high demand for it. We’ve been in operation since! 

What is it like running your operations in times like these? 
It was challenging during the lockdown because we were unable to deliver the goods to the customers or even just purchase the materials. We had to switch delivery partners as my usual delivery person didn’t have a curfew pass to travel during the lockdown. Now we are facing a different challenge in our operations with the price hike and the unavailability of the materials it’s so tough to quote the price for the goods.

How are you ensuring the proper hygiene measures are taken in preparation and delivery?
We firmly believe in quality over quantity so I make sure quality ingredients are used and proper care is taken while making and packing them. Goods are packed in suitable packaging so that it’s safe and fresh.

What do you enjoy about baking and operating your own home baking business?
I love detailing my desserts and cakes. When I get different themes or designs, I put all my effort into making them look beautiful. My mom supports me a lot in this. I like to work with different designs and colours and I feel so satisfied looking at the end result. It’s challenging at times but it’s fun working with those little details. And I feel so happy when I hear good feedback from my customers.

How can home bakers navigate these difficult times? 
I think it’s important to remember that it is not always how it looks. We may fail but we will also rise. The only way to navigate through these difficult times is to not give up! 

What’s next for your brand?
I’d like to introduce some new desserts to our menu which I’m currently working on.

What’s something in baking you’ve learned and perfected? 
Practice makes you perfect. I am a self-learned baker. Working with chocolate isn’t an easy thing so you should know the right temperature for melting and storing. It was all messy at the beginning. I watched many YouTube videos and hack on how to melt the chocolates and that’s how I learned. 

Any advice to anyone who wants to start their own business?
Know what you are passionate about and never think twice to take a step forward. It takes a very long time to gain followers and reach an audience but it’s worth it. Never give up on what you are interested in, keep trying until you reach that point where you feel satisfied and happy with what you are doing.