PRNewswire
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 12: Deliciae by Bunty Mahajan, Mumbai's pioneering patisserie, has marked an incredible 20-year journey in 2024, celebrating a legacy of crafting exceptional cakes & desserts that have become synonymous with all kinds of celebrations throughout Mumbai. The brand is known to cater to the Ambanis, Godrejs, Hindujas, bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Esha Deol and has become a favourite among the creme de la creme while being a beloved household name as well. The brand has celebrated a huge milestone of completing 20 years in the industry and clocked 3.8 lakh orders last year. From humble beginnings baking at home, Deliciae has grown into a city-wide sensation with 10 outlets in Mumbai & a favourite among Bollywood and industrialist families.
Over the years, Bunty Mahajan has catered to several high-profile weddings, birthdays, corporate events and all kinds of celebrations.
Founded in 2004 by visionary pastry chef Bunty Mahajan, Deliciae started as a dessert cafe atOut of the Blue in Bandra and quickly became the go-to cake & dessert cafe in Mumbai. The journey began with an investment funded entirely by Bunty Mahajan's husband, Sunil. Over the years, additional investments were made to sustain the business during challenging times. Despite the hurdles, the brand remained a family-run enterprise, with all three partners--Bunty, Sunil, and Suchit Mahajan--owning 100% of the company.
Since 2016, the brand has seen a rapid growth trajectory- starting small with 5% in 2016, then jumped to 17% in 2017, followed by 37% in 2020, in 2023 the brand clocked 57% growth and has recorded 67% growth in 2024. The operating profits are reinvested into the business to fund expansions and innovations. Around 6-8% of revenue is churned into marketing and advertising costs to acquire new customers. The brand is estimated to grow by 200% as per its 3-year estimate and expansion plan.
Super-speeding the business expansion is Suchit Mahajan, Managing Partner, Deliciae, commented saying, "We launched our first flagship store in 2016, after 12 foundational years at Out of the Blue. This was the rebirth of the Deliciae brand, and the start of Deliciae's growth journey both as a brand, and as a business. Today, the brand operates in Mumbai and Bangalore through a network of 14 kitchens and 2 flagship stores and averages over 30,000 orders per month. Deliciae prides itself to be a made-to-order brand, serving fresh cakes & desserts with quick delivery. In Mumbai, we scaled for over 2 years strategically and we were extremely particular about maintaining product quality. We made sure that production systems were set effectively so as to deliver a consistently fresh product each time with short delivery timelines. Once we were able to achieve 100% coverage of Mumbai within 5-6 km of any of our kitchens, we decided to explore another city. We are very new in Bangalore and are currently working on establishing the brand through Swiggy & Zomato. We picked Bangalore as we received indications of overall demand in the city. Bangalore is alongside Delhi NCR & Mumbai, so we picked it. Now our focus is to plan to open more delivery kitchens in Mumbai and Bengaluru while eyeing new cities for future growth namely Delhi, Pune and Hyderabad in the next 5 years till 2029. I owe our success to technology and digital solutions, a significant chunk of Deliciae's revenue comes from these delivery platforms, a significant jump from when we started platform deliveries in 2021, we developed an in-house software to support our backend operations and effectively leveraged Swiggy and Zomato for distribution to expand its reach."
Wedding and custom cakes have become a cornerstone of Deliciae's brand identity. Though a niche segment, these bespoke creations not only elevate the brand's prestige but also allow Deliciae to craft unforgettable moments. Having done Ritika & Rohit Sharma's daughter's cake for all her 5 birthday celebrations, is one such example and crafting Anant Ambani's engagement cake is another example of exemplary work by the company. Deliciae has always prioritized quality over fleeting trends, focusing on delivering a consistent, high-quality product. While gourmet cakes remain the brand's forte, custom cakes reflect its commitment to personalization. This balance between quality and scalability has been instrumental in building customer loyalty. Bunty Mahajan's expertise in understanding the unique Indian dessert palate, and focusing on the use of fresh, seasonal fruits & generous fillings has set Deliciae apart. Bunty Mahajan's personal involvement and touch ensure that her passion for baking shines through in every cake Deliciae offers.
Bunty Mahajan leads the creative side of the brand. Commenting on the 20th Anniversay of Deliciae, she said, "What I began as a passion for baking 50 years ago in 1974, soon evolved into a homegrown kitchen business and then Deliciae was born in 2004. We have come a long way, I remember we launched a Wedding Cake Collection in 2011, when wedding cakes in India were unheard of. Ever since, we have created multiple cakes for the Ambani Family & have been a part of many more such prestigious occasions. I am grateful for Deliciae's journey and what it has become today. A few things that really worked in our favor was that we didn't jump into trends - we stayed away from cupcakes, macarons, pull up cakes, etc. but we stuck to our cornerstones for growth and maintained quality. Something that we'll actively be working on over the next few years is to develop a health segment, not because it would be trending, but because it is the way forward a few years down the line."
With signature creations like the Rich Chocolate Strawberry Cake, Mango Gateau, and the viral Biscoff Cheesecake, the brand has bagged the Times food Awards consecutively for 5 years from 2020-2024. Over the last 20 years, Bunty Mahajan has created some iconic cakes for the brand.
Some of these are:
Death by Chocolate (2004): This was Bunty Mahajan's first cake that had a fan following for many years to follow.
Mars Haven (2007): During the peak Out of the Blue days, Mars Haven was a cake that Deliciae loyalists ordered and spoke about the most.
Mango Gateau (2011): The Mango Gateau displays Bunty Mahajan's simplicity in cake making. Nothing complicated, but delicious, generously using the best Fresh Alphonso Mangoes, and most importantly, getting the balance right.
Rich Chocolate Strawberry (2016): This cake was launched when Deliciae opened its first flagship store, and was a key factor in establishing Deliciae's cake & dessert authority.
Biscoff Cheesecake (2020): Launched in 2020, Bunty Mahajan's Biscoff Cheesecake is one of the highest selling desserts by volume in Mumbai.
The brand also introduced The Bandra Cakery in 2023, catering to a wider audience with nostalgic flavors like the Pineapple Gateau, Black Forest, Dutch Truffle, Chocolate Buttercream at competitive prices. The Bandra Cakery was launched to target an audience which is different from Deliciae to cater to a market of people who are looking for value with quality in classic cakes & desserts. Within 16 months, this sub-brand has achieved over 6,000 orders monthly, targeting 70-100% growth annually over the next five years. Today, The Bandra Cakery is an online only brand, serviced from all the 14 kitchens and the intent is to open physical stores at a later stage.
About Deliciae
Founded in 2004 by Bunty Mahajan, Deliciae is a pioneering patisserie renowned for its wide range of fresh, handcrafted cakes & desserts, the 'Indian Patisserie' way. With a legacy of catering to Mumbai's elite and creating bespoke cakes for every occasion, Deliciae combines artistry, quality, and passion in every creation. Known for iconic treats like the Rich Chocolate Strawberry Cake and Biscoff Cheesecake, the brand continues to set benchmarks in the dessert industry, delivering cakes & desserts to thousands of patrons.
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