Wafts of waffles

"You first have to try my waffles…The way I serve them,” insists Navaz Bharucha, convinced that any discussion on her line of business can only continue after sampling her products. One square waffle, the size of a large bread slice, is offered with a generous helping of butter and jam, the second with honey. Cutting into these hot, tempting anytime snacks we realize that they are crisp yet tender, almost like an aristocratic cousin of the common, humble toast.

"Originally waffles were meant to be eaten with maple syrup. But no one makes maple syrup here in India,” points out Bharucha who has been in this business for the last 20 years. She chose to make a business with waffles because "I was looking out for a product which nobody had started.” Food has always been a source of fascination for Bharucha. Having attended innumerable cookery courses throughout India as also Cordon Bleu workshops in London, she knew that she should venture in the food line where she could marry her hobby with her determination to start a business.

Through trial and error she was able to perfect her recipe for waffles using butter, milk, eggs, flour and essence. She now makes the eggless variety too which are stored in a separate refrigerator. For three-and-a-half hours each morning, a fresh batch of waffles are made at her residence at Napean Sea Road after which they are supplied to the 30 outlets retailing her products. From Foodland to Akbarally’s stores to Bombay Gymkhana, Willingdon Club, Cricket Club of India, her waffles are available at most stores which have cold storage facilities, she states, admitting that she has the capacity to supply to 130 more.

Since production work of waffles is now handled by her team of assistants and she is required to play only a supervisory role, Bharucha is presently concentrating on launching cinnamon rolls which were expected to hit the market under her brand name N Treats in August 2006. The box has two cinnamon rolls which are meant to be devoured sans any accompaniment. For the svelte Navaz or her husband Sarosh who owns a motorcar garage, putting on weight may not be a problem, but those generously endowed are forewarned that a mere interest in sampling her products may result in gorging!

Navaz Bharu­-cha: business oriented

Which aspect of the business does she find most challenging? "Marketing,” prompt comes the response. We understand the reason later when the publicity shy lady is even wary of giving us her photograph, insisting that the posters featuring her nephews and niece eating her waffles are sufficient publicity. Fortunately for her in the last 20 years there have been no competitors in the waffles line, she observes. In fact even the two Waffles eateries that have recently opened in south Bombay she does not consider as eating into her sales because there, hot waffles served with different accompaniments can be best enjoyed on their premises.

N Treat’s waffles on the other hand offer the convenience of being stored in the refrigerator or freezer at home and being eaten as per one’s requirements after heating under the grill or in the toaster, at snacktime or as dessert topped with fruit and cream or ice cream and chocolate sauce, or as a snack with savory topping, recommends the plastic wrapper. If stored in the deep freeze, the waffles must be allowed to thaw, and once thawed this product must be consumed within 24 hours, cautions the manufacturer.

Not only do her patrons consume this product (priced at Rs 30 for a 100g packet containing two waffles) in Bombay but they find these a convenient variety to the regular bread loaves and carry it with them on their weekend sojourns to Alibag or wherever, mentions Bharucha’s younger sister Zarin Wadia revealing how "Navaz has always been business oriented like our father.” Their father, the late Jal Engineer was among the pioneers of molded luggage in India, selling his products under the name of VIP and Aristocrat. Their brother Pheroze, who passed away following cardiac arrest, had pioneered the manufacture of Ceasefire, the convenient firefighting device recommended for domestic use. Besides Zarin, now Navaz’s maternal family includes mother Mehru and eldest sister Sanober Irani.

After her schooling at St Hilda’s in Ooty and BCom from Bombay’s Lala Lajpatrai College, Navaz joined her father in business, always dreaming of starting her own venture some day. Once she perfected her recipe for the waffle, her father specially created a large iron grid for her which could simultaneously deliver 10 waffles, acknowledges Navaz. While cookery courses abroad focus on creating more dishes with your own hands, relying less on machinery, "this approach is not feasible for commercial products,” she has realized.

The Parsi community, according to Navaz is "very enterprising, hardwor­king, honest.” Is she speaking for the males or the females? "I think we are as good and more hardworking than the boys,” she believes. Ask her for her views on controversial issues facing the community like acceptance of children of interfaith marriages and Navaz states, "I don’t have children. I think when you are in a situation… when calamity strikes, you start thinking differently. We are such a small community. We are so nice. Unfortunately everyone just wants to…” she trails off.

Navaz feels the need to regularly visit supermarkets and food shops, "to keep abreast of the latest items in food.” Her waffles being on par with the American or Belgian varieties and her cinnamon roles coming close to cinnabons available in America, as of now she is content that in Bombay she is a pioneer in her chosen field of enterprise.

Navaz Bharucha can be contacted at 141/Ashoka Apt, 68 Napean Sea Road, Bombay 400006, phone: 23641869.