Chennai friends turn shared love for baking into dessert venture Serh

CHENNAI: What began in a kitchen, with food being made for friends and family, has now turned into Serh, a new food venture by friends Vritti Miranda and Avantica MP.

The duo is bringing together cookies, cheesecakes and cakes, with a menu built around familiar flavours, thoughtful combinations and a little nostalgia.

Serh, pronounced from the Tamil word serkkai, meaning to gather or join, is rooted in the duo’s shared love for food and the memories created around a dining table.

“Food has always been at the centre of both our families. The best memories happened around a table, especially during festivals and special occasions,” they say.

Avantica, fondly known as Akku, has always baked and cooked for friends and family, never imagining she would sell her creations. “A few of us kept telling her she had to share it with more people. She finally agreed, on one condition: I’d handle the business, logistics and numbers, and she’d be free to do what she does best: create. That’s really how Serh was born,” says Vritti.

The cookie menu currently features The OG, Hella Nella, Dark AF, Campfire, Nuttin’ But Toffee, Periya Pista, Ruby Ripple and Golden Hour. The duo says they experimented with more than 60 flavour combinations before narrowing down the final selection.

We sampled The OG, Hella Nella, Ruby Ripple and Golden Hour, and each had its own character. The OG, the first cookie Akku made for Serh, is a classic chocolate chip cookie with crisp edges and a gooey centre. Hella Nella combines Nutella, hazelnut and dark chocolate, while Ruby Ripple pairs raspberry with white chocolate. The standout for us was Golden Hour, which brings together Biscoff, white chocolate and pecans. The pecans add a nutty edge that balances the sweetness of the Biscoff.

The cheesecakes follow the New York style, with berry, salted caramel and Biscoff toppings. Getting the texture right took more than 10 trials, with the duo settling on a dense yet creamy cheesecake with a buttery biscuit crunch. Philadelphia cream cheese is used to achieve the desired richness.

Then comes the Old School cake, available in chocolate and raspberry-strawberry buttercream versions. We tried the chocolate variant, and it immediately brought back memories of school-time bakery cakes and birthday celebrations. Made with a soft yellow cake and semi-sweet chocolate buttercream, it has that familiar homemade quality while being less sweet than traditional versions.

For Serh, the idea is not to be restricted to just desserts. “We don’t really see ourselves as a home bakery or a dessert brand. We’re two friends who want to do food right and keep it simple, uncomplicated and delicious,” says Vritti.

Serh launched at The Vizha Pop-up by Madras Finds on September 5 and 6, selling out on both days. Customer feedback has since led to the addition of Dark AF, a 70 per cent dark chocolate and sea salt cookie.

The duo is currently setting up its cloud kitchen in Chetpet and operates on a pre-order basis, with deliveries on Fridays and Saturdays for now. Once the kitchen is fully functional, they plan to deliver throughout the week. The menu will also gradually expand into savoury offerings.