Whatever your schedule is like when you come to Ahmedabad, make it a point to drop in at the Imperial Bakery. You will never be too far from one; for there are six of them at  prime locations all over the city.

Nankhatai, coconut macaroons, milk toast and baby toast, fruit and cream cakes. Have them hot and fresh or packed to take home with you. Judging by the crowd of office-goers, children on their way to school, housewives and tourists, Imperial is one popular bakery. And Farook Sheikh, the owner of Imperial is a proud man. He is the second generation to run it, Imperial was built by his grandfather, Abdul Razak way back in 1936. “We are pioneers in the business here”, Farook says with a smile. He refers to the fact that there are now almost 3,000 bakeries in the city. Which must mean Ahmedabadis love their toast and khari. And if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then Imperial's sales of 500 cream rolls a day is the best indication of their success.

Try their biscuits, there are over 25 varieties. From til macaroons at Rs. 100 a kilo, to Pineapple-Badam and Chocolate-Chip biscuits at Rs. 120, nankhatais, kaju and pista biscuits, to the popular Chocolate Cream variety, Imperial has expanded in a big way over time. The cakes are rich and sell like, well... hot cakes! A sandwich loaf of bread is priced at Rs. 25 for the 800 gm and there is a healthy brown bread loaf option too. “We also do pizza base and chicken and vegetarian puffs,” says Farook, “but the greatest demand is for the butter khari and milk toast.” That would be obvious, for most people have them with breakfast; they make a tasty accompaniment to a hot cup of chai.

Like any other bakery, Imperial starts a little after sunrise, by 7:00 am. The bread is prepared early morning so that the first customers can have it fresh, a policy that has been followed through the years. And Farook and his younger brother Akhtar arrive early enough to supervise the flow of things. Among themselves they divide their day between each of the six branches.

Will Imperial be handed down to the third generation, to Farook's son and daughter? That, he says will happen in time. “I want them to get a full education first,” he stresses, “after that if my son wants to take up the business he can, but I am sure by then he will be more hi-tech than I am.”

Imperial Bakery
H.Q.: Opposite Jansatta Press,
Mirzapur Road, Ahmedabad.
Tel: 079 25506342.