Baking it big with Buttercup Bungalow: Arti Vaid

In a city that is largely governed by the 'log kya kahengey' (what will people say?) attitude, this girl is disrupting those narratives by giving the nawaabi people of Lucknow a taste of their very own, first English tea and breakfast joint. At present, she solely runs this one-woman's show, from baking to managing hospitality and accounts without much help! Buttercup Bungalow is one of those places that ooze of creativity at all ends- from  their display units, to pastry icings and the interiors, every nuance of the place has been tastefully done with a lot of original ideas and real-life adaptations. Being in the space, one might also feel like s/he is inside an Italian version of a pinterest page. With handpicked trinkets, a Van Gogh painting and quotes pasted all over, the place is sure to inspire the creator in you!

Unlike popular belief, her journey hasn't been easy. The only support she got from her parents was the space where she runs the bakery. Everything else, including recruitment of personnel, sourcing raw material suppliers, marketing and selling her product was her job. And at 28, we can easily say that she has come too far. Her biggest challenge so far was a 6 tier cake, an original fondant creation that weighed about 50 kilos. But the challenge was not that. This opportunity came to her when she had just started out and didn't have much help in place. "It took me 1 day to make the cake, which was about 25 kilos, and another day to make around 25 kilos fondant for the icing," she recounts.

She acknowledges the fact that she wouldn't have had the confidence to do what she does had it not been for the inspiration that her mother gave her. She tells SheThePeople, "Even when we were in school, she never pressured us to get good grades or something. Both mom and dad have been very encouraging in my pursuits, which has been my source of strength."

Inspired by her mom's creativity, Arti has come up with some novel sides to the beverages served here, that one might find really interesting. The tea here comes with a dip-dip cookie, while the hot chocolate and coffee has a small chocolate spoon that one could use to dip, stir and eat! Her key to being so awesome? She only bakes what she likes to eat, and with oodles of passion.

Lucknow City Entrepreneurs