Stirred up some rich buttery memories

Shrewsbury biscuits at Kayani Bakery, Pune
It is surprising how a biscuit that tastes like a little piece of heaven can be produced by a bunch of surly bakers. But if your shop was overrun at all times of day by desperate buyers, and if your daily production of 200kg of Shrewsbury biscuits was not enough to satisfy them, maybe you would be surly too.
Kayani Bakery in Pune’s Camp area is best known for that buttery golden circle known as the Shrewsbury; but if you’re not lucky enough to get a cardboard boxful of those, try the Walnut Chocolate Cake or the Currant Cake. If you want a savoury option, you can’t do better than the dome-like batasa or Elaichi Butter as they’re called. So the next time you’re in Pune, push through the crowd at Kayani. It’s so worth it.

This was featured on Livemint.com under the 100 things to do in 2008. It brought back memories of my one and only trip to Pune way back in the mid 90’s. I had two reasons to go to Pune. First, to spend some time with my college pal and her family and of course to enjoy some delectable home cooked meals by her mother and second, to buy the famous “Shrewsbury biscuits’ from Kayani’s.

I fulfilled both of them.

I am not an early riser, definitely not then. But I woke up at 5:30 am so that my friend and I and could line up in front of Kayani’s before it opened to its vast clientele and get our quota of biscuits. Being the local that she was, she knew exactly how quickly those biscuits vanished as soon as the bakers opened. Out of the oven, hot, crunchy with their distinct mouth watering flavor, they surely were a hit and they continue to be so (evident in the write up).

I remember buying five packs of them with good intention of bringing back some to a few Delhite friends. But I just couldn’t part with them and ended up eating all of them. No, not at once but over a couple of days. Shameful, nevertheless. But, it was sheer bliss!!

Hmm, hmmm. hmmm….


And oooh, that rich buttery taste, the calories I gained over those few days and of course the short yet unforgettable trip are some of the highlights of the bygone - the good ole' days!