Delightful desserts!

Buddhika Marasinghe and Padmini Nagalingam

I first discovered The Stranded Chefs and their delightful desserts when a friend sent over some mud cake. I was hooked not only on the mud cake and the other desserts I tried in the following weeks (scrumptious mango éclairs, exquisite tiramisi and divine carrot cake, followed by a lovely orange loaf, yummy cinnamon rolls and decadent double chocolate éclairs) but also their interesting name, and impressed by their super-friendly and personalised service. Here Padmini Nagalingam, one half of The Stranded Chefs couple, speaks about their pop-up culinary venture:

By Marianne David

Q: First things first, how did the stranded chefs get stranded?

We have lived here for over two years and we ran a bakery in Kotahena for most of that time. We sold our business earlier this year in order to return home to Melbourne, Australia. Our flights got cancelled five days before departure and we have been waiting for a rescheduled flight ever since. 

Q: And this stranding gave birth to The Stranded Chefs operation. How did the idea come about and why did you pick desserts?

We decided to do this pop-up dessert project because we desperately needed a distraction from our situation. My husband, Buddhika Marasinghe, is the pastry chef and baker and has all the skills in making all our delicious desserts. I am also a trained chef, but in savoury foods. He does all the main task while I handle the frostings and fillings as well as the orders, recipe formulations and dealing with suppliers. Our dear friend Anita Eger helps us with our Instagram account and creates all our artwork – she’s amazing!

Last year, during the first lockdown, we had to find a way to keep our bakery going in order to keep our staff employed. We launched a choon paan service called ‘The Choon Paan Man’ and mainly did our delivery in our hometown of Hanwella and also supplied some people in Colombo on a special order basis. We even got featured on a BBC Travel article! (See http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200610-sri-lankas-musical-choon-paan-bread-trucks)

Q: What are the desserts on offer and which have proven to be the most popular since you launched operations?

 We have to plan the menu according to our capacity to produce and store and also items that would hold up well during delivery. On a weekly basis, we have a simple loaf cake, two frosted cake slices, an éclair and something a little fancier and indulgent.

Our Mississippi Mud Cake has definitely been a favourite that we can’t remove from the menu. Our éclairs have also been a hit and I knew it would as they are made the proper way – filled with a flavoured crème patisserie and the pastry shells are baked for over two hours and left to cool in the oven overnight to get the crisp outer and soft inside. We now also get constant request for our cinnamon rolls. 

Q: How has the feedback been?

 Honestly, it’s been great! The first week we had 14 orders and last week, we tripled! It’s definitely been such a great distraction and all the positive feedback has really made us feel so good. It is nice to have a ray of sunshine in these dark times!

Q: Can we look forward to more desserts varieties on the menu any time soon?

 This week, we have included Tiramisu on the menu. Again, this is another dessert made the proper way. We make the Savoiardi fingers ourselves and the main body is not all cream like you find here, it’s made with delicious cheese! We also featured a Malaysian inspired cake last week and next week we are doing a themed menu, which I am sure will be very popular! 

Q: How can people place orders?

 Every Tuesday, we post up the new menu for the week on our Instagram account ‘The Stranded Chefs’ and we also message the menu to all of those on our WhatsApp contact list. Our WhatsApp contact number is 0701784859. Orders close on Thursdays or when all our delivery slots are booked to give us sufficient time to plan our ordering, baking and delivery. 

Q: Will you be continuing with the food biz once you are no longer stranded?

 Once we are back in Melbourne, we will head back to our jobs as pastry chef and culinary chef. But hey, you never know what could come out from our little pop up dessert project!

Q: What have been the key learnings from running the operation, especially during a pandemic?

Online presence has been key to getting things started! I am so thankful to our friend Anita who has done such a great job with our menu, posting artwork and just managing our Instagram account. We have also had to plan everything properly. We close our orders on Thursday to give us sufficient time to place orders with our suppliers and get all we need to start working on Saturday. We need to make sure to get everything right the first time because it’s hard to get anything last minute during the pandemic.

Also, we would not have been able to do this without the help of family. A support system is so important to help with the many issues that arise. My in-laws have been invaluable when it comes to taking care of our adorable one-year-old on the days that we are away from home and busy in the kitchen. 

Q: To close, any words of advice for aspiring home-based food biz owners?

 I think the fact that our menu changes weekly and we have new items to try out each week has been something people look forward to, so I would advise to keep things fresh and relevant with new items. Also, an online presence is so important especially during the pandemic. And lastly, great customer service! Be friendly, talk to your customers, find a balance between what works for you and them and don’t be afraid to admit and rectify mistakes.