Follow your dreams and fly high!. Akshatha Nagendra, a young foodpreneur follows this mantra. For Akshatha, constant efforts and determination is what keeps her going on. If one’s inclination is to bake and cook, it is usually sparked off by nostalgic childhood instances of tailing mummy in the kitchen, watching her artistic hands with awe as she fills the kitchen with a combination of delicious aromas. Soon enough, you help her bottle jars of homemade jam, become her official stirrer of sauces and, the next thing you know, you’ve mastered the art of cooking food for people and are now passing on the secrets of the trade to your own child. This is how cooking evolves for many and the same happened for this Foodpreneur but she decided to turn her childhood feel good memories into something very successful. Let’s embark on her journey
I think the competition is definitely one of the harder aspects, especially considering there are so many home bakers out there. A lot of the time people don’t take me seriously because of how young I am, but I hope that changes.
1) Akshatha tell us something about your background and education.
I am Akshatha Nagendra, a 21 year old graduate in marketing from Mount Carmel College. I got a diploma in patisserie from Lavonne Academy and then trained with The Oberoi Group for 3 months.Since childhood I have always been fascinated towards cooking as I watched my mom cook in the kitchen for my family. She is a brilliant cook and she has taught me so much about cooking and this art of cooking.
2) What is UpCake ? The name surely sounds very unique and interesting though.
UpCake is a brand that delivers not just cake but experiences. I believe that life is what you bake of it and that’s why I chose to bake. I make cakes based on 10-15 min conversation I have with the client. The idea behind this was that no one’s too old to be surprised and this is what UpCake is about. Also a little twist to the usual, why only drink cocktail when you can also eat it. I make cocktail cupcakes that are alcohol infused. For people who don’t prefer alcohol, I make cupcakes to suit their needs as well.
3) How did you develop interest towards baking?
When I was in school, I got myself an oven. I didn’t had a history of baking therefore I thought of giving it a shot and started pulling out recipes. Gradually I developed interest towards it as I loved the idea that I can add a personal touch to everything I make and the best part was to see the smile on the people’s face when they ate what I baked. And now baking is my passion and I ma surely going to make a career out of it.
4) Highlight on 350 cupcakes you baked for a birthday party.
It was a 60th birthday party which was casino themed. I made three different flavours of cupcakes- Jack Daniels cupcakes, brandy and red velvet cupcakes. I started preparing for it a week before. I made customised cake toppers and got the packaging ready. It was the first time I got such a big order and was hardly a week since I had started. I had a great learning experience and of course fun. I had to design the packaging in such a way that the it wouldn’t get ruined during transportation. It was possible with the help and support of my family.
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5) How do you manage to work in a one-woman army?
Since it’s just the beginning, I work hard and manage to meet the orders myself. There have been times where I’ve stayed up all the night to meet up with the deadlines. Since I am passionate towards baking and love it, I don’t feel bad doing that. Going forward, I would like to hire underprivileged ladies to help me out. I intend on giving back to society and helping someone to lead a better life.
6) What kind of challenges do you face being a newbie in the industry?
Akshatha says, “The biggest challenge is to get recognized. This industry definitely has a lot of experienced people that are patrons and for someone that’s 21, proving myself among these people is a challenge”.But this is what I want to do; this is a different route which requires channeling my passion into something so seemingly ordinary into something truly extraordinary. Presenting myself in the new age of foodpreneurs who transfer the magic conceived in their kitchens to the real world and are now giving professional bakeries a run for their money is very exciting and worth it.
