The Imperial Iranis

"Fresh hot bread.” Three words that can instantly draw customers to a bakery. More so, if it is offered with butter. "Fresh broon with butter would be a common breakfast for most of our morning customers,” recounts Sorab Khuda­bux Irani who joined the Imperial bakery as a partner around the year 1966.

Imperial has an average of 2,000-3,000 customers visiting them daily. When the customers demanded that the bakery sell eggs and milk so as to give them a one stop solution to all their breakfast needs, this too was incorporated. "We believe in the policy that customer is king, and follow all the likes and dislikes of our customers. For example for all our health conscious customers we have started brown bread and whole wheat biscuits. We also make sure that all our ingredients are bought from reputed companies like Hindustan Lever and our puffs are made from zero percent transfat manufactured by HLL,” adds Sorab.

Imperial has seen a major change in products in the past 15 years. It was in the early ’90s that Sorab’s sons Farokh and Rohinton decided to cash in. From selling two varieties of biscuits and cakes each they started manufacturing 24 varieties of biscuits and four varieties of cake. It paid off well as their customers trust the brand.

"Our customer is an average middle class family with at least two children... The point to note is that 75-80 percent of our customers are repeat customers,” declares Sorab. Though the bakery started off by being popular for its hot laddi pav (batches of small loaves), today it is well known for its sliced bread. Other popular items are the chocolate walnut cake and the chocolate brownies. "Our customers say that we have the best choco walnut cake in town. The brownie is one item that never skips the menu of any of our customers who party, and is always picked up in large quantities as a dessert,” mentions Farokh proudly. Besides the above specialties, a must try from Imperial is the special rum soaked rich plum cake that is baked for Christmas. While their cashew nut and pista biscuits with coconut macaroons sell like hot cookies, their vegetarian, egg and chicken puffs are the perfect snack for any midday meal.

In between the interview, the Iranis attend to their steady stream of customers, some of whom ask which product they should try out this time. Imperial is successful today because of the hard work of the trio. Sorab, even at 70, still reports for work, his smile indelible. Farokh and Rohinton also share long hours of duty.

"We are a family of two brothers and two sisters and helped my dad in making biscuits and cakes. I remember very distinctly, while my elder brother and sisters molded the biscuits my job was to glaze them. The response even then was good and we had customers who praised every product we manufactured,” recounts Farokh.

Imperial started off as a family run business and faces the same challenges it did in its earlier days. Labor dependency has always been a challenging task. The family has been involved in the running of the bakery from the early ’70s. The founders were a group of four Zoroastrians, who later sold their share part by part to Sorab’s dad Khodabux. Besides bread, there were just two varieties each of cakes and biscuits at that time. The bakery has an outlet on Dastur Meher Road in Poona camp and there are plans to launch other outlets so as to serve their customers who have shifted to areas like Wanowrie, Fatima Nagar and Lullanagar.

Burger buns and rolls

"We come from a highly religious family. Besides inculcating good thoughts, good words and good deeds in us my father always insisted that we respect all religions. He says that as Zoroastrians we have an identity of our own and we should always protect and respect that identity. He made sure that all his children married within the community,” adds Rohinton.

The word Imperial as an adjective means "of special or superior size or quality.” And it seems to be an apt name for the bakery which has completed more than 55 years of service.

Imperial is open all days of the week from 6 a.m. to 11p.m. It is located at NPS Lines, end of East Street, Poona Camp, Poona 411001; tel: 020-26362463.