Drop dead gorgeous pastry? Yes. But it’s more.
With a million odds stacked against us, we started Ode to Gaia in 2019, riding on a little garage space and a whole lot of conviction. The idea was never to serve delicious pastry — even though that’s exactly what reaches you in our exquisite boxes. It was always to reshape the way pastry was being looked at. So, we took the placid out of the plant-based, and with the help of technique and imagination, began building a business that would celebrate the earth (it’s in the name!), our people, the craft of patisserie and most importantly, an unbending outlook — towards sourcing and culture — that we knew would ultimately hold us in good stead.
It has taken us a couple of years to grow into a leading plant-based patisserie that can dish out fetching, good-looking creations without ‘normal’ ingredients, like eggs and dairy. But when has normal ever been fun?
Magicians behind the magic — meet the Ode To Gaia team
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Of eggless macarons, dairy-free entremets and not taking no for an answer
Before Ode to Gaia could become a business — mired in the world of Excel sheets, ops-related conundrums, delivery disasters, packaging woes, vendor quandary and marketing mishaps — it was just a simple inquest into the world of pastry. A world where dairy and eggs ruled the roost, but I wondered if there was scope to reimagine classic recipes through a plant-based lens. Could macarons be eggless? Could entremets, with all the trimmings of an exquisite dessert, be made without dairy or gelatin?
These questions led me down a path, and along the way, my passion blossomed into the full blown, women-led, patisserie you see today. In my head, my goal was simple — to harness the magic of pastry and make room for everyone, no matter their dietary restrictions. Basically, people like me. But in reality, it was a taller order than I had imagined. It meant travelling to corners far and wide for chocolate and lavender, painstakingly explaining to customers why our products are priced the way they are, and in general signing up for a lifetime of ‘What did I sign up for?’ It’s an uphill task, to be sure. But each time I hear the words, ‘I can’t believe this is plant-based,’ it makes everything worth it. And with that, I welcome you into our world!
- Naimita Jagasia
From being able to provide a lactose-intolerant child their first taste of a cheesecake to building a women-led team that is surely redefining the Indian pastry scene, Ode To Gaia has become the abode of all my dreams and aspirations. It started with the simple idea of making quality, luxurious and cutting-edge pastry for everyone.
And in no small way, it has been an uphill task. It required me to constantly upskill on my techniques as a chef and business acumen as an entrepreneur and team lead. But I knew, in my heart, that the fruits of my labour will be sweeter than I could have imagined. They are a lot sweet, and a little sassy… kind of like me.
- Naimita Jagasia
News that made us almost famous
The Chosen Ones — handpicked for you, by Chef Naimita
