Baking at birthday parties is the new rage

A cake made by chef Mandlik for a baking birthday party

We have come a long way from birthday parties at everyone's favourite burger joint hosted by a clown. Those were top-tier parties back then. Today, the experiential birthday party has become the cool ‘it' thing for the new generation. Workshops such as painting, pottery, and others have become the new normal for celebrations. Baking birthday parties have been grabbing people's attention for a while now. Three city-based platforms roll out the plans.

Kiddies at the cooking station

At Mahek's Atelier in Lokhandwala, Andheri, baking birthday parties and kids' masterchef parties hosted at the studio give children - aged seven and above - a chance to learn two baked items from a list of brownies, cookies, muffins and cupcakes. With chefs to assist and scaled-up cooking stations, kids can get to work baking and decorating sweet treats.

A baking birthday party in session

Head chef and proprietor, chef Mahek Mandlik, tells us that having hosted these sessions for more than three years, her team has gained an understanding of what kids like, how engaged they can get in an activity, and how long they can stay interested. She tells us, "We've understood how to plan it well and allow kids to learn in a good environment, with easy recipes so that they can get a feel of the equipment and processes, and continue baking at home." The three-hour party is rounded off with games and a meal, too.
Log on to: @maheksatelier

The ultimate party package

There are too many details to cover when it comes to planning a young one's birthday party. That is why the baking birthday party ideas by chef Miera Asrani, founder of Chef's Table Culinary Studio in Vashi, were shaped by her own experiences as a mother.

To cut out stress, chef Asrani combined the many aspects of party planning in a customisable package. All you have to do, as she tells us, is walk into your party and enjoy it. At the two-and-a-half-hour session meant for kids aged four and above, guests can bake and decorate their own birthday cakes that they then carry home as a party favour. To ensure that it remains less of a workshop and more of a party, the session also includes a customised birthday cake, games, prizes, music, decoration, and more.

Chef Miera's baking birthday parties in session

The studio has partnered with 21 restaurants across the city to offer venue options and a customisable menu. Sharing an observation, chef Asrani elaborates, "Love and humour are what kids love the most. We add that to every event so that they go home with memories of the party and talk about it for days."
Log on to: @chefstableculinarystudio or @chefmiera_asrani

No parents allowed

Kids decorating cupcakes by referencing chef Khan's samples

Along with making and decorating cupcakes, brownies or cookies, birthday celebrations at Culinary Craft in Powai also enable children, ages eight and above, to make pizzas and pastas to enjoy.

Sample cupcakes

Founder chef Sajida Khan shares, "Kids enjoy eating something they've created on their own. And since they are cooking themselves, I've noticed that they always make it a point to take some home for their parents to taste, too." This no-fire cooking party is parents'-free; this not only adds to the fun factor but also offers children the independence to learn a new and necessary life skill.

Kids are introduced to the art of cooking, taught the role of different ingredients, and given easy recipes to take home and be a master chef in the kitchen. And of course, the package includes a decorated birthday cake, music, and all the party vibes.
Log on to: @culinarycraft.in