CHENNAI: Birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations are looking a little different these days.
For years, the routine was simple walk into a bakery, pick something off the shelf and bring it home.
Customisation existed, but the personal touch and satisfaction rarely did. That gap is exactly what Chennai’s growing community of home bakers has stepped in to fill.
From custom cakes to brownie tubs and cookie boxes, homemade has become the new go-to.
For the baker behind Cocoa and Crumbs, the journey began even earlier — baking from high school without an oven, purely for family. The business officially launched in March 2025, and social media made all the difference. “Social media is the sole reason I made so many sales recently. My first proper sale came at a college stall at Stella Maris. I was sold out. It made me feel really accomplished,” says Anush Rachel, founder of Cocoa and Crumbs.
Custom cakes and cookie tins remain her bestsellers, though she has noticed a clear trend. “Recently, people prefer ordering bento cakes over bigger cakes. Whatever is trending, people usually go for that.”
People prefer quality over quantity, which, according to her, is why customers are choosing home bakers. “People are ready to spend more money on food for the quality and mostly for the looks. It’s the fact that it’s not made wholesale but with individual time and effort.”
Balancing a part-time degree with a growing business, however, comes with its own challenges. “Some days you have orders and some days you don’t. The back pain that comes with baking is insane.”
For Rossu Kurian of The Messy Apron in Porur, it all started with a WhatsApp Status. “One day, I made some cakes and randomly posted them on WhatsApp status. A friend saw it and ordered a small birthday cake. She told another friend, and that’s how I slowly started getting orders,” says Rossu.
Originally from Kerala, Rossu built her entire customer base through Instagram. “When a customer sees the behind-the-scenes moments and the big fails, they tend to have a personal connection with us. It helps build trust.” Today, her bestsellers are her brownies, and she has noticed a clear shift in what customers want. “One trend I’ve noticed is that customers love everything mini-sized — bento cakes, mini brownie slabs, mini scoop cookies. Maybe because they are cute, easy to share and you can enjoy a sweet treat without committing to a large portion,” she shares.
But running a home bakery around family life is no small feat. “Some days I sleep late after decorating cakes and wake up early because I have to pack my son’s lunch. A lot of multitasking and planning is required.”
Aishwarya, behind the handle The Dessert Tales, came to baking during the lockdown, experimenting with a new oven at home. What started as trial and error eventually found its footing. “When you have a business handle, social media helps you build a trustworthy community. A home baker won’t have a physical outlet, so it is difficult to reach people,” Aishwarya tells us. For her, staying relevant means staying current. “If you want to convert interest into orders, you must be spontaneous enough to try what’s trending or add some uniqueness to your desserts. Customers are drawn to the transparency of homemade products. Some people would like to know what goes into what they eat. They don’t want too much processed food and preservatives,” adds the baker.
The hardest part, she says, is doing everything alone. “Apart from baking, we have to handle sourcing ingredients, cleaning, packing, inventory management, customer service, marketing, social media, content creation, and delivery. There is very little or no manpower.”