Former BJP corporator urges Chief Minister Fadnavis to grant heritage status to city’s old bakeries
Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery uses a wood-fired oven
Irani Bakers Association (IBA) has appealed to the state government to make an exemption for wood-fired ovens at Irani bakeries as they are part of Mumbai’s identity. Former BJP corporator Makarand Navrvekar wrote a letter to CM Devendra Fadavis and demanded that heritage status be awarded to these bakeries, most of which have existed for over 60 years.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had issued a notice to all bakeries to convert their oven to electric, LNG or LPG-fired ovens. The civic body set a July 7, 2025, deadline for the change. Perzon Zend, owner of the Yazdani Restaurant & Bakery near Flora Fountain (Fort), said, “We are using hardwood, not plywood or scrap wood. We have a chimney that is more than 30 feet tall. These are traditional firewood bakeries that are part of Mumbai’s identity.”
A traditional wood-fired oven
According to Zend, wood-fired ovens give a unique and distinctive taste to the ‘pav’. “Our demand is that the government gives heritage status to Irani bakeries,” he added. Farokh Shokri, owner of Kayani and Co bakery, said, “Irani bakers are an institution. We are honoured by the state government, as the state government added our bakery to the heritage walk. We are expecting the government to recognise us by giving heritage status.” Kayani bakery is one of the oldest Irani bakeries in Mumbai, running for 120 years. On December 25, 2024, mid-day reported on the BMC issuing notices to bakeries to stop using wood in their ovens.
Makarand Narwekar, former BJP corporator from Colaba, in his letter, highlighted that the iconic Irani cafes in south Mumbai, which have long been vital to the city’s food culture and history, will be most affected by the ban. “Some of these cafes have been in existence for over a century, and the wood-fired ovens they use are an integral part of their legacy. In places like New York, historic restaurants are exempted from regulations to protect traditional cooking methods, while in the Netherlands, centuries-old windmills in the middle of cities are preserved,” his letter states. The IBA, in its representation given to Narwekar, also stated that ban on use of wood would disrupt the supply of pav which is needed for vada pav.
Bakers say bread baked in a wood-fired oven has a distinct taste
The Bombay High Court directed the BMC to convert all wood-fired ovens at bakeries to LPG or pipe gas-fired units by July 7. But, IBA has demanded more time. “There are around 500-600 bakeries in Mumbai which use wood-fired ovens. It will take at least 3 years to convert all the ovens to LPG or CNG-fired ones,” Khodadad Irani, president of the IBA said.
Irani has written to Narvekar demanding a resolution. “To convert bakery ovens needs a huge investment of at least R15 lakh to R20 lakh. The government should give 50-60 per cent subsidies and encourage banks to provide long-term loans. Also, the Mahanagar Gas company doesn't have the infrastructure to reach every bakery and storing LPG cylinders is a challenging task,” Irani’s letter states.
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