Baking from Andheri to Cheshire

Representation pic

A vote of confidence, a push in the right direction or just insane courage can make all the difference in taking a step towards turning a passion into a business. Stephanie Peters, founder of and baker at Pastry Pedaleur had all three. The first of which came in 2012 when a colleague pushed money into Peters' hand for a baked goods order after eating the baker's weekend exploits in the kitchen. Monday mornings were a treat at the magazine Peters worked at, thanks to her oven experiments. The Mumbai-born former advertising and media professional took this as a sign, and over time a side hustle turned into a home business.

Peters on the sets of Aldi's Next Big Thing, where she made spiced apple turnovers, Goan chorizo pithiviers and Kashmiri saffron chai caneles

Later in 2015, moving to Cheshire, England as a newly-wed and leaving behind a small enterprise didn't seem much of a hiccup in her journey but offered new opportunities. It's not every day that the chance to work at a Michelin-star restaurant presents itself, and when Peters landed a job at The Chester Grosvenor, she grabbed it and kept pedaling ahead. Working in some of Chester's best pastry kitchens, and as a stagiaire in high-end bakeries in London trained the baker in the tricks of the trade as well as classic French cooking.

Pistachio custard and rhubarb compote cruffins

While hard work and the offerings of one's service might be the deciding factor that makes or breaks a business, that crucial moment of courage right at the beginning cannot be overlooked in entrepreneurial stories, even with all the passion and skill one may possess. In November 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Peters shares that it was time to give in to that voice in her head and open a space of her own. The Pastry Pedaleur was born, making its home at Chester Market where Peters became the first to introduce and bake the cruffin in the city. But she didn't stop there. Keen to offer her customers something unique and realising the gap in the market for artisan handcrafted pastries as well as fusion bakes, Pastry Pedaleur put innovative flavours like Goan chorizo pithiviers, chai-spiced caneles, mango kulfi macarons and Goan jaggery and cardamom financiers on its shelves; a harmonious marriage of Peters' Indian heritage and love for French cooking. It even caught the attention of the French consul general in the North West, A Auclair, who noted the baker's significant contribution to the quality of living of the sizeable French community in Chester.

Alphonso mango Victoria sponge cake

Recently, Peters was placed second on the UK-based television show Aldi's Next Big Thing, which invites amateur British food suppliers to compete for a chance to stock their winning product in all of Aldi's supermarkets for a year. The episode was aired on October 27; viewers can catch the teaser on the baker's website.

Earlier this week, Pastry Pedaleur's permanent spot in New Chester Market opened on November 8. Apart from a display case full of gourmet and handcrafted palmiers, kouign amann, madeleines, galette des rois, and chaussons aux pommes, a forever-smiling and warm baker, as many customer testimonials note, indeed speaks of the health of a bakery. At the centre of this journey from Mumbai to Chester to television is a love for a flaky, crumbly sweet baked goods. Peters shares, "It is the alchemy of simple ingredients coming together to create something magical that still always has me hooked till today. I get mesmerised and obsessed. It is my true passion." Apart from encouragement, passion and hard work, is there also a divine role or something bigger than ourselves and goals that comes into play to lead us to our destiny? Well, it won't hurt to note that her great-grandfather, Papa Henrique, was a baker to the Maharajah of Peshawar. Baking's in her blood, we guess.

Log on to: pastrypedaleur.co.uk