One of the oldest bakeries in Coimbatore, Balaji & Company Bakes varieties of Butter Cream Cake, Plum Cake and Tea Cake. Photo credit: Siva Saravanan
“We sold fruit plum cakes 24/7 without a break during Christmas,” recalls S Humesh, owner of Shree Balaji & Co. Bakers on Big Bazaar Street. The bakery has been attracting devoted customers for six decades. Established in 1958 by S Balakrishnan Lal, this family-run enterprise is particularly known for its butter cream cakes, tea cakes, Japanese cakes, cookies and rusks. “In those days, there were no restrictions on timings and people thronged our bakery, especially after midnight to attend mass at the iconic St. Michael’s Church, which is just a stone’s throw away,” they say.
Plum Cake made with dry fruits and fruit sauce is the specialty of Balaji & Co. Bakes, one of the oldest bakeries in Coimbatore. , Photo Credit: Shiv Saravanan S
Rich, dark, plum cake made without alcohol is a specialty here with flush raisins, nuts, candied fruits and spices. “We soak candied fruits and nuts in fruit sauce as was traditionally done in bakeries in the region. Most of our customers are like family. People who used to visit us as kids now bring their kids to enjoy the same taste. So, we stick to the same recipe handed down by our founders,” explains Humesh, adding that the cakes come with a shelf life of three months and cost Rs 700 for a kilogram.
While the quality standards set by the founders are still meticulously followed, the younger generation at the helm is setting SOPs in place. Humesh’s son Karan SH says, “The taste of our cakes, which have been made since my grandfather’s time, is a big draw.” “While our best-selling tea cakes, coconut rolls, butter biscuits, onam-flavored biscuits and Japanese cakes are also popular. We’ve been experimenting with molasses (instead of white sugar), grated coconut for coconut buns, wheat rusks and zero-sugar brown bread. However, we stick to our tagline – Taste of Heritage.’