Once upon a time, Harshita worked for Google but she left that comfortable job to follow her passion. Today, she owns the successful brand – The Chocolate Haven. We had the luck to have a chat with this talented home baker who is now amongst the best in Delhi city.
1.When did you first realize your passion for baking?
I have always had a creative bent of mind and loved to dabble in arts and crafts, taking up new projects and gifting loved ones with unique creations of my own. When I ventured into this line, I initially focused on just the decorating aspects of dessert – making flowers, piping out new designs, learning new techniques – while a friend of mine supplied the basic sponges. Soon I realized that this was not a very feasible model – as we lived apart and the logistics and communication were taking it all downhill. This ended up with me picking up the tools to bake cakes, cupcakes, pies, puddings and so much more!
2.Why did you choose to be a professional baker instead of going with a regular job?
After completing my MBA, I bagged a very cushy job with everyone’s Dream Company – Google. A few months into the job made me realize that I wasn’t meant to be confined by the rules and regulations inherent to a Job. I wanted to have the freedom to make my own decisions and be my own boss. Experiments in the kitchen led me to discover a talent I didn’t know existed.
3.A lot of people are turning into home bakers especially in metro cities. How do you handle the competition that exists in the market?
I don’t perceive other Home Bakers to be competition. There is a lot of talent out there that I deeply respect. Styles that other Bakers develop are breeding ground for taking inspiration from and all work only encourages me to take my products to a new level and excel further.
4.It is a popular belief that baking requires a lot of investment, do you think it is a good career choice?
Baking requires a lot of investment only to the end that you want to open a bakery and indulge in heavy machinery. Home Bakers have the option of starting small and seeing how it goes before investing right in the beginning. Over time I have built a collection of tools and machines that now qualify to be a solid investment.
5.What has been the best day for the Chocolate Haven till now?
Every day that I get to bake and bring a smile on someone’s face is a good day. Every time a client trusts me to make their occasion memorable with the most important aspect of their party gives me a new high and by God’s grace, I’ve had plentiful ‘best’ days!
6.Where do you see your brand in next five years?
A few years down the line I hope to have my own baking studio where I can conduct classes and workshops to spread whatever little I have learnt on this amazing journey. I plan to keep coming up with new creations, products and designs – always experimenting and thinking out of the box.
7.What do you think are the best things about being your own boss?
The flexibility to choose your own working hours, the freedom to pick up projects of your choice, of not reporting to anyone and taking your own decisions are some of the good bits of being your own boss. That said, it does do come with a ton of responsibility.
8.Any word of advice for the upcoming entrepreneurs.
Baking is a life-long creative process, just like entrepreneurship. There’s something to learn in everything and from everyone around you. It’s not always about making money. If you are passionate about and good at what you do, success will follow.