Female Founder In Focus — Nikita Manihar — Founder of Tesoro Patisserie
Welcome to the Female Founder In Focus series!
This series on my blog celebrates women blazing trails in different areas of business, tech, art, entrepreneurship, fashion, beauty, dining and more etc.
I hope by sharing the stories and journeys of other women, you are inspired to chase your dreams, work hard and never give up.
Today’s Female Founder In Focus is Nikita Manihar, the founder and pastry chef of Tesoro Patisserie, a Bangkok-based bakery focusing on 100% eggless pastries.
I met Nikita at a local event where she had a stall of her delicious baked goods and my eye caught her interesting and unique breads — the Pane Bianco and Pesto Babka — so I took some home to try…and, well, I am hooked. Nikita is incredibly talented and her products are a true testament of her talent and unique vision. Read on:
Tell us a little about yourself and your background
I was born in Mumbai, India where I spent the early few years of my life. I moved to Bangkok at the age of 5 when my dad decided to start a new business here. I was raised in Bangkok, did my higher education here, and now I’m working here. Bangkok is where I call home.
I completed my Bachelor’s degree in technology with a major in computer media and graphic design; from my third year I started freelancing to figure out if a career in this field was something I really wanted to be doing all my life. It turns out it wasn’t for me.
Baking used to be a comfort activity for me; it helped me calm down and bring me happiness. So I decided to take a leap of faith and change careers completely.
I applied for a diploma in baking science and pastry arts from the Lavonne Academy — one of the best pastry arts schools in India. It has been the best decision of my life to drop everything and move to Bangalore for 6 months of intensive classes. By the end of it, I knew this was it; I wouldn’t mind baking and creating magic for the rest of my life.
Tell us about your business(es). How did you get the idea(s) and how did you start?
I returned to Bangkok in January 2020 after my diploma and started looking for internships in French pastry cafes and hotels but due to COVID, no one was willing to hire an intern. And, if they were, then being a foreigner was an issue for them.
Meanwhile, I started making cakes for family and friends, trying new and old recipes for other types of baked products. Then suddenly the global lockdown happened.
I started distributing my menu and with the help of my family and friends was able to advertise and spread the news of my new venture. I branded my little venture as Tesoro Patisserie. ‘Tesoro’ in Italian means treasure and I chose Italian because I think the language is beautiful. The name came to me when I thought about what I treasure the most and it’s the feeling of satisfaction and the calmness I experience when I’m alone in the kitchen and baking for myself.
Why did you choose to make 100% eggless pastries?
There is a high demand for pure vegetarian and eggless cakes in Bangkok. And growing up here I noticed that everyone ordered cake from this one shop because no other place would serve eggless cakes. So I decided to make all my products 100% eggless to serve the demands of the market. Another big reason for choosing to bake 100% eggless is because my mom doesn’t consume eggs so if I am baking from home then I need to figure out a way to do without eggs.
What challenges did you face when starting your business and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was not having professional equipment and an oven for me to make big batches of anything. I just had a small OTG (oven toaster griller) that fit only one bread loaf. If I had to make multiples of anything, then I would have to make several batches and bake them all separately which was extremely time consuming.
As the demand for my small business increased, I decided it was time to invest in a bigger oven.
Another challenge I face is to constantly create new menu offerings and stay innovative. I enjoy introducing something new that no one in Bangkok is offering so I’m able to present goods that are exclusive. However, nothing stays exclusive for a long time when you have a lot of competition.
What are the 3 most useful skills you have learned or adapted to for your business?
Managing my time and being disciplined
This one is something I’ve always struggled with. But I have learned that in this business there is no room for procrastination. Everything will take time and has to be completed timely. I cannot start preparing for a bread order at 10am that has to be delivered at 12pm. It’s just not going to work. If I’ve learned anything from my diploma, it is that I need to have discipline in order to be successful. I need to make sure I follow proper hygiene, I’m not late, I’m in proper attire. Being a chef means all the little things matter.
Food photography and editing
I took this class in college as an extra class because it seemed fun. Turns out it was one of the most useful classes I took. My graphic designing skills have also helped me to touch up photos to make them look good and post on social media.
Accounting
I learned quickly after a month or two of working that I will really need to focus on accounting and keep a track of my expenses — equipment, groceries, and other expenses — and income.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me starts with having breakfast with my family. Showering and getting ready for work once everyone leaves for their work. Since I work from my home kitchen, it’s easier to work when everyone is gone.
The first thing I do when I enter the work space is figuring out what all has to be prepared for the day and then I make a workflow of tasks in the order they should be done.
When I’m waiting for something to finish baking, or for bread dough to rest before I can work with them, I try to respond to every work-related message or query.
Throughout the day, my main focus is on making sure nothing goes wrong and everything is delivered to the right person at the right time.
Most of my days look like this but there are some days when I don’t have orders to complete, I sort out my ingredients and list down what items I’m running out of and what needs to be restocked. After that, I go for grocery runs, spend the rest of the day resting and keeping my accounts up to date, or try out a new recipe that I think people would love.
Sometimes I struggle with finishing up my day on time, especially when I have orders to go out early the next morning. So I don’t have a fixed work schedule. There are days I’m working from 8 in the morning to 2 in the night, and other days when I’m done with everything around lunch.
How has the global coronavirus pandemic affected you and your business?
Surprisingly, the pandemic has affected me in a positive way because with companies not hiring and the global shutdown, I had no choice really and decided to to launch Tesoro Patisserie. Otherwise, I might have been at an internship or a job thinking that I need to polish my skills when I truly am capable of running my own business.
I also believe that customers feel safer during the coronavirus pandemic to buy baked goods from home bakers rather than big stores where there are a lot of people working.
What precautions / measures are you taking?
I’m taking all the necessary precautions such as maintaining proper hygiene like sanitizing my hands, and washing them regularly. Wearing a mask when working, and making sure the kitchen is clean and no sick person is around me or in the kitchen. I also try not to be in contact with the client as most of my orders are delivered via Grab.
Do you have any advice to share with other business owners who are facing the same challenges as you?
My advice would be to keep innovating and not lose hope in such difficult times. Keep your spirits high and take only the workload you can bear. Do not overwork yourself or stress out too much, take breaks every now and then. Also help the ones that are less privileged or in need.
What can people do to help businesses such as yours in a time like this?
- Order from small and locally-owned businesses.
- Share products and services on social media to bring more awareness
- Leave a review with your words of appreciation
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs and bakers?
My advice for aspiring entrepreneurs or bakers is just go for it. Just dive right in and follow your passion. In Bangkok, we have a beautiful society that supports each other and it’s the best thing that has happened to me and my business. If you think you might not be as good, then take online classes, practice and polish your skills. Do not compare yourself with others out there — the competition and comparison can be cruel. Only strive to be better than yourself and do better than what you had done before.
What’s your favourite dish to bake?
My favorite thing to bake is bread. It calms me down. The science behind bread making boggles my mind and just fascinates me. I love the methods of handling the dough, the variations in the dough. All the little tweaks you make in the recipe gives you a completely different product. And when the bread goes into baking, it rises and then falls back down slightly and really makes you feel like it’s alive and breathing.
Connect with Tesoro Patisserie
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tesoropatisserie
Whatsapp: +66851360691