Gifting a bouquet is elegant but their beauty lives for a couple of hours. Soon, poor flowers die and are thrown away. But what if there is a bouquet that can last longer and taste better than the traditional bouquet?
No, don’t eat your old bouquet, and nada, I haven’t either eaten my bouquet. Duh! A mother-daughter duo runs Baked Bouquets florist bakery. Shreenal and Rupal Badiani create beautiful floral designs made from delicious cupcakes. Their edible creations have attracted stars’ attention and Sonam Kapoor our foodie bubbly star one of them.
The mother-daughter team from Mumbai, combined flowers and desserts to create a unique and memorable gift that has gained popularity, including among celebrities. Shreenal wanted to offer something special beyond flowers, as they can feel redundant. Adding food seemed like the perfect solution.
When Experience Comes in Handy
Rupal (58) has over 30 years of experience in event décor and this proved helpful in their initiative. Eventually, the entire concept started in their kitchen as a small experiment.
Shreenal (31) earned her master’s in pharmacy in the UK, followed by an MBA. Her time there inspired her to rethink gifting in India, influenced by the unique gifting culture she encountered. Shreenal came across the concept of baked bouquets in the United Kingdom and was inspired by the unique approach of blending edible art with flowers.
Inspired by her mother’s creativity, Shreenal began combining her love for beauty with her passion for delicious treats. Even though they do not have a background in baking, but they learned through practice and research.
Finally, Baked Bouquets came into existence in 2019, creating cupcake bouquets for friends and family. The duo operated from their home kitchen, taking turns with baking. Shreenal focused on social media marketing on Instagram and Facebook, while Rupal handled logistics, including sourcing fresh flowers and managing packaging and deliveries.
Challenges and Solutions
They created an Instagram page to promote their unique cupcake bouquets. However, during the starting days of the business things were challenging as they had to manage everything by themselves: baking, packing, and delivering.
Shreenal explains that they mastered the buttercream piping technique through trial and error. They experimented until they could create cupcakes resembling real flowers like roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums. The focus was on perfecting the technique to ensure the cupcakes were both visually appealing and tasty. After much testing, it became the essence of their work. The positive feedback boosted their confidence to advance their idea.
COVID-19 Pandemic and a Major Setback
That phase was very difficult for everyone and new startups suffered a major setback. Similarly, Baked Bouquets’s operations came to a halt in 2020 but Rupal and Shreenal didn’t give up. Eventually, their dedication paid off and by 2022 the duo shifted their startup from a home kitchen to a small space in Shreenal’s father’s office.
Another challenge was the delivery of these delicate bouquets. Obviously, apko bhi pata hi hoga ki aksar jab cake order kiye jate hain to God knows what condition me deliver hote hain through the third party services. To avoid damage to the products, the founders took the responsibility of delivering them in the city.
But taking the responsibility of delivering came with another challenge—getting a loan to buy a delivery van.
Obviously, they weren’t willing to carry such delicate things on a scooty and ruin their hard work.
Eventually, the male head, Shreenal’s father and Rupal’s husband (yes, the same man) became the guarantor and they got the loan.
A Step Further
In 2023, Baked Bouquets attracted a lot of customers, and their operations expanded. The team moved to a larger facility in Santacruz East to build a bigger kitchen to meet increased demand.
Gradually, a dedicated team was formed to handle packaging and delivery to ensure every order is prepared and delivered accurately. Moreover, the founders started developing e-commerce website to reach more customers and streamline ordering.
Asli cherry on the top to baqi hai!
Baked Bouquets gained popularity as a unique gift option, attracting customers and celebrities like Neha Dhupia, Sonam Kapoor, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Aditi Rao Hydari. And this earned them positive feedback from celebrities too.
Today, their gifting venture has grown beyond cupcake bouquets to include a variety of treats. They offer macarons, cookie bouquets, tarts, and fruit bouquets, all designed to beautifully complement the flowers.
Strategical Management
Despite trying to manage and make decisions together in the beginning, Rupal realized it was becoming difficult as the company grew. With increased orders, they understood the need to split responsibilities. With a background in botany and a passion for flowers, Rupal finds joy in merging her love for both with their work.
Rupal manages flower procurement, overseeing a team of 12, and ensures timely order dispatches. Meanwhile, Shreenal handles research, finances, and digital marketing. Together, their complementary skills have driven Baked Bouquets’ success.
The strong bond between the mother and daughter has been key to their business success. The entrepreneurs aim to slowly and steadily expand Baked Bouquets beyond Mumbai. And eventually, they are planning to franchise the business.
Shop your next gift @bakedbouquets
Follow their journey @bakedbouquets
