Female Founder in Focus – Disha Parekh – Founder of Baked By Dee

Welcome to the Female Founder In Focus series!

This series on my blog celebrates women blazing trails in different areas of business, tech, art, entrepreneurship, fashion, beauty, dining and more etc.

I hope by sharing the stories and journeys of other women, you are inspired to chase your dreams, work hard and never give up.

Today’s Female Founder In Focus is Disha Parekh, the founder of Baked By Dee, a Mumbai-based bakery offering handcrafted baked goods made with premium ingredients and produced in small batches.

She’s a dear friend of mine and I watched her turn Baked By Dee from a small “experiment” into a full fledged business in a matter of months. Disha’s determination, creativity, dedication, and focus resulted in rapid growth and well-deserved success, so her story is definitely one all aspiring entrepreneurs need to know.

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Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a brand management professional turned home baker based in Mumbai. Baking has been a passion for almost a decade, but it was only in November 2020 that I finally launched my baking business.

I have 2 boys that serve as my royal tasters and a husband who is probably my biggest critic and cheerleader.

What inspired you to start baking? 

I love taking simple ingredients and converting them into something magical. There is no greater joy. I also have a big sweet tooth, so I started off baking cookies or cupcakes and then progressed to more elaborate desserts like pies and macarons.

What prompted you to start a business?

I strongly felt I wanted to do something for myself; the idea to start a baking business from home was not new. For at least 3 years I’d consider it, then drop it because of the 100 reasons it may not work out. However, something sparked in me before Diwali 2020 and I just went for it. I was so fortunate to receive a fairly large corporate order and support from neighbours to get the ball rolling. I created a hamper which included cookies, tea cake and focaccia.

Christmas happened not too long after Diwali and my friend (also my mentor) who runs a successful bakery in Bangalore suggested I sell a DIY Gingerbread House Kit. This was a brilliant idea. It was a lot of work to put together, but extremely unique for India and very well received. It was the first of its kind in Mumbai and in India!

My goal since then is to create baked goods for special occasions that are exciting and deliver happiness.

Baked by Dee sells unique, delicious baked goods that bring delight to customer’s faces. Whether it’s a DIY Gingerbread House Kit or Chocolate Easter Eggs with hidden surprises inside or a beautiful box of assorted macarons, the products are sure to deliver happiness. Every product is made with only premium ingredients, produced in small batches and handcrafted with love. 

What challenges did you face when starting your business and how did you overcome them? 

The greatest challenge was anticipating demand and being able to meet production requirements. I had absolutely no idea that some of my products such as the Gingerbread House or the Easter Eggs would be sold out so quickly and I would need to significantly ramp up my production capacity.

Also, learning to wear different hats was a challenge. The first few months, I relied a lot on my husband to pull the weight with the logistics and administration aspects of the business while I focused solely on production and marketing. This was not sustainable of course, so I learnt to take responsibility for everything related to my product from costing to production to packaging to delivery to the end consumer.

How did you fund Baked By Dee?

My husband, who has been very supportive, and I am so grateful for that.

How do you balance parenting with work? 

The best part of my job is that my office is at home. I can keep an eye on the kids while I work. I spend the mornings with them to coordinate their online schooling and activities and then take them down to play in the evenings. The rest of the time I can dedicate to my work.

What does a typical day look like for you? 

I try to bake early mornings. If it’s a busy time order-wise, I am up by 5 am and clock in a good 2-2.5 hours of baking before the household rises. Then I am typically busy with my boys until lunch time. I’ll clock in another few hours of baking in the afternoon and then again at night after dinner.

For me, it is not only about fulfilling orders. I am constantly trying out new recipes to expand my knowledge, to develop new products for my menu and to create interesting content for Instagram. Depending on the day, I may spend time taking inventory/replenishing my ingredients, organizing packaging material or thinking of content ideas for Instagram .

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How and where do you find inspiration for your creative desserts and baked goods?

Instagram or Pinterest. I save images, videos or recipes that I find interesting, then revisit them and test them out. Sometimes it’s a success, sometimes not. I also update my skills with hands-on or recently more virtual workshops with pastry chefs.

What’s your favourite dish to make / bake?

My favourite, but also the most challenging one I have come across, is macarons! There are only 4 key ingredients but the way we use the ingredients and the way they interact with one another makes all the difference. I still do a happy dance every time I make a perfect batch.

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What are some key skills you have learned or acquired to run your business?

Product Pricing, Product Photography and Creating Instagram Reels

Do you have any advice to share with other aspiring bakers or entrepreneurs?

I believe starting your business is the easy part, but sustaining it, scaling up and giving it wings to fly is where the real hard work is. The amount of organizational ability that you need to be on top of things is pretty high and without this, it is difficult to succeed. You may not have all the answers when you start and you may keep redefining yourself as you go along and as you learn, which is perfectly fine. Just don’t stop, keep evolving and be better than you were yesterday.

Connect with Baked By Dee

Website: www.bakedbydee.in

Instagram: @bakedbydee.in