And we have our first interview: Mrs. Magpie it is :)

I was preparing for my mid-term blocks when my mom asked me to check out the newspaper one day. Apparently, it contained the advertisement of a new cake shop which had recently opened in town. It was named “Mrs. Magpie”.

The name immediately drew my attention. Reading its description, I got excited because it was a patisserie (Mrs. Magpie taught me that word) and I’ve always had a sweet tooth. Just a few days later, my dad came home with a small package of cupcakes from the same cafe. A friend of his had gifted it to him. 

And, wow, did the cupcakes look good! They were so different from the usual ‘muffins’ we Calcuttans are used to. Decorated with frosting and detailed designs and so colorful  they looked so inviting! I didn't hesitate to dig in. 

And man, once I started, I couldn't stop. Small, perfectly flavored, they defined delicious. Now, after this, how could someone expect me to not drag my mom along with me to 570 Lake Terrace Road, where this wonderful cafe is located, as soon as my exams ended?

Okay. The appearance of the

shop. Anybody passing through 

that road had to be blind to not stop and admire the shop. Alongside are the pictures, you can imagine what it looked like to a thirteen year old girl, who’s grown up adoring fairy tales and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. And someone who loves eating.

And this was JUST the entrance. The inside of the shop? God, don’t get me started. I’d actually not say much because I want you, the reader to go check it out. But, ah, my reaction: Ohmygodsoamazing. 

And the food. Not at all a disappointed. Just perfect J And the cakes. Made with so much creativity and thought. They looked so tempting. I am particularly amazed by the way each cake was based on a theme.

The following December, I even got my birthday cake from Mrs. Magpie (something I had decided to do the moment I entered the shop for the first time). It was a kitty on a ball of wool. It was so adorable and tasty! :D I tried to preserve the kitten for a few days, but ah well. It did end up in my tummy after a while. You can see the picture!

So, basically, due to my obsession with the cafe (as you can clearly see above), I decided to take an interview of the owner, Ms. Sohini Behrens, who's really sweet and was kind enough to give lovely answers for my blog. We exchanged a few e-mails. Here it is:

Me: We don't really see a lot of cupcake stores in Kolkata. So what inspired you to initiate this?

Ms Sohini: At the time I thought of the shop there weren't any cupcake stores in Kolkata. One could only get regular pastries in the usual shops and the offer had not changed very much over the years.

I wanted to do something different and the cupcakes were a natural choice. One can do a lot with it in terms of cake, fillings and frostings with endless possibilities to decorate.

                                                              

Me: Did you always want to be a baker? I mean, everyone loves cakes, but making so many day after day is surely not easy!

Ms. Sohini: Actually I wanted to work as a fashion designer while growing up and I had a great job with Sabyasachi.

It was while pursuing my masters in Fashion Marketing and Management in Paris that I got interested in desserts.

I had always wanted to start my own business so I decided to open my own café. To get the necessary skills I did a patisserie diploma at Le Cordon Bleu London.

Then Mrs. Magpie was created!

Me: Everyone I know who's visited Mrs. Magpie seems to love it. Are you happy with the way things have turned out?

Ms. Sohini: I am really happy with the way things turned out. I felt it would do well, but not everyone might like what I like so I wasn’t sure, but the response has been great so far.

Me: Your store looks like a living fairytale. Any specific reasons for this?

Ms. Sohini: I wanted the café to have a unique style and to be a place to indulge one’s fantasies. The candy shop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory often came to mind when I was designing the shop. Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree and Alice in Wonderland also influenced me. These were stories I loved to read when I was a kid and sometimes it’s nice to be a child again.

Me:  Do you ever get frustrated while trying to come up with new idea? If so, what keeps you going?

Ms. Sohini: At the moment the ideas are still flowing freely ;)

I have the chance to travel a lot and always find new sources of inspiration.

Me: Haha, I'm glad! :D

This is just the first slot of questions. There’s a second slot coming up :)

In the mean time, you can always check out the cafe's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MrsMagpieIndia?fref=ts

Have you visited Mrs. Magpie yet? What did you think about it? Please leave behind comments! J