What if you could give edible flowers as a gift? The mother-daughter team behind Baked Bouquets, Shreenal and Rupal Badiani, combine mouthwatering cupcakes with gorgeous floral arrangements. Stars like Sonam Kapoor have taken notice of their edible art. Wondering how they’re altering the gift-giving landscape?
Have you ever pondered what eating a rose would be like? A tasty, edible rose, not just any rose? Now picture a present that blends the sweetness of dessert with the beauty of flowers. In a world when gifts are often expected, some people go above and beyond to create experiences that make every occasion genuinely unforgettable.
In their attempt to provide a genuinely unforgettable present, Mumbai-based mother-daughter team Shreenal and Rupal Badiani created a gorgeous combination of flowers and desserts that has won over many people’s hearts, including celebrities.
“I didn’t want to merely give flowers. Adding food seemed like the ideal approach to do something unique because flowers may occasionally feel a little cliched, adds Shreenal.
According to Rupal, 58, who has over thirty years of experience managing an event decor production company, “it started as a playful activity between a mother and daughter.” The idea, which started off as a small creative project in their home kitchen, swiftly grew into Baked Bouquets, a successful business that is attracting more and more customers from all around the vibrant city.
After earning a master’s degree in pharmacy from the UK, Shreenal went on to earn an MBA. Additionally, she developed a fresh artistic direction during her time in the UK. She started to ponder how gifting could be recreated in India after being inspired by the distinctive gifting culture she encountered outside.
“The idea of baked bouquets used to captivate me when I saw it in the UK. I was particularly struck by the notion of fusing the beauty of flowers with edible art. Why don’t I bring something similar to my hometown, I thought? I told my mother about this concept when I got back, and she was just as intrigued,” she remembers.
Entering the world of entrepreneurship
Shreenal began looking for methods to combine her love of delectable delights and aesthetic elegance, drawing on her mother’s creative spirit.
The 31-year-old says, “My mother and I didn’t have any baking experience, but we learned a lot through research and trials.” To promote their distinctive cupcake bouquets, the mother-daughter team first set up an Instagram presence. At first, handling everything by ourselves—baking, packing, and delivery—was really challenging. However, it was enjoyable, so we did it with joy,” she continues.
In 2019, Baked Bouquets began selling cupcake bouquets to loved ones. The two began by working on the baking process in their home kitchen, taking turns.
Rupal oversaw the essential back-end duties, such as gathering fresh flowers and handling packaging and delivery, while Shreenal was in charge of social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram to spread the word about their innovative endeavor.
Through trial and error, we mastered the buttercream piping method, Shreenal explains. We continued to experiment until we were able to make cupcakes that resembled actual flowers, such as roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums, even though we weren’t immediately aware of it.
In order to ensure that the cupcakes not only tasted delicious but also appeared as though they would look lovely in a bouquet, the approach was all about honing the method. Once we got it just perfect, it formed the core of our operations after much testing and fine-tuning.
They were inspired and more confident to forward their idea as a result of the favorable reaction they got.
Converting obstacles into chances
But the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a major blow. We were compelled to suspend operations in 2020 due to constraints. But we managed to persevere instead of giving up.
We entirely redesigned our company by 2022. To accommodate an increasing number of clients and grow our business, we relocated from our home kitchen to a tiny area in my father’s office,” says Shreenal.
“We don’t trust third-party delivery services with delicate items, so we deliver all over Mumbai on our own,” she continues.
“We realized it was time to grow in 2023 when our business began to receive a lot of attention,” Shreenal adds. In order to construct a larger kitchen that could accommodate the increasing demand, we relocated to a larger location in Santacruz East.
In order to guarantee that every item is meticulously prepared and arrived in ideal shape, we also established a specialized team that manages every aspect, from packaging to doorstep delivery. In order to expand our audience and expedite the purchase procedure, we also started organizing the launch of our e-commerce website.
Their efforts were rewarded, as Baked Bouquets gained popularity among clients seeking out exceptional gifts. Their works have been ordered by celebrities including Sonam Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Neha Dhupia, and Nushrratt Bharuccha, which has increased brand awareness. “Celebrities have given us positive feedback,” the young business owner said.
Growing business Today, their distinctive gifting business has gone beyond cupcake bouquets to provide a variety of treats to meet various needs. From macarons and cookie bouquets to tarts and fruit bouquets, each item is expertly made to go well with the flowers in a visually stunning arrangement.
Overcoming obstacles
It was difficult to grow the company, and the two faced many obstacles in their path. Our application for a loan to buy a delivery vehicle was one of the most difficult challenges we encountered. To get the loan granted, I had to enlist my husband and father as guarantors,” Shreenal says.
They encountered a big setback with one of their vendors in the early going, which presented another substantial challenge. “We had a packing problem where we ordered from a vendor that screwed up manufacturing and then vanished, not returning our calls.
“This was a huge blow for a small business that was just getting started,” she continues. For us, it was a true learning curve. We came to the conclusion that in order to stop this from happening again, we needed to have stringent vendor contracts in place.
