Come Diwali, and the collective national quest begins. Everyone’s on the great Indian gift hunt — and after hours of scrolling, sampling, and second-guessing, we all end up doing the same thing: mithais, dry fruits and chocolates wrapped in flashy boxes and that’s it.
But someone in Belagavi decided to sit down and do the thinking. They questioned- Why should gifts be predictable when your city’s flavours are anything but? Enter two men with aprons, ambition, and a sweet spot for innovation — Chef Kedar Pai of Paistry Bakehouse & Café and Chef Ajay Ahuja of Wild Sugar.
The Muffin Magic at Paistry Bakehouse and Cafe
My first stop was at Pai Resort, where Kedar has turned part of the resort into a dreamy bakery studio. Trained at Lavonne Academy, Bengaluru, with a diploma from IHM Mumbai, Kedar and his equally talented wife, Mrinalini (a Hotel Management grad herself) are a power couple kneading love into every creation. While their café is set to open anytime now, they’re busy with the orders for their hampers which are increasing by the day.
When the Diwali brainstorming began, the duo decided to remix Belagavi’s sweet nostalgia with Kunda, Kardant and Motichoor laddu. The result? Kunda muffins and Motichoor muffins — your desi favourites reborn in cupcake avatars. The Gokak Kardant took a chocolate plunge, emerging as a dark, delicious bite, while the almond chikki florentine went glam with a glossy chocolate bath. I actually ate in slow motion. It was so good. For the savoury souls, there’s the Iyengar masala snaps — the beloved Iyengar bakery strips, reimagined with flair.
Paistry’s hampers come in two sizes — small and large — but both are big on heart.
The Wild Side of Sugar
Next, I found myself at Wild Sugar’s Udyambag kitchen — an aromatic universe ruled by Chef Ajay Ahuja. Soft-spoken, grounded, and effortlessly creative, Ajay’s world smells like cocoa, coffee, and dreams. His walls are covered with affirmations, goals, and design sketches — proof that his creativity isn’t limited to the kitchen.
A Le Cordon Bleu, Sydney graduate who earlier bagged his diploma from Merit Swiss Asian School of Hotel Management, Ooty and former Pastry Sous Chef at Theobroma, Ajay brings global finesse to local flavours. His Badam Barfi meets a spectacular twist with Gianduja (that luscious chocolate-nut paste), while his Badam Gulkand blends coconut, saunf, and paan masala for that post-meal “ahh” moment. There’s Chocolate Barfi with Biscoff, Rose Magaj Laddoos with Pistachio Filling, and two wickedly indulgent chocolates — Snickers with biscuit base and Coffee Walnut with dark ganache.
Even humble snacks got a glow-up: Chikki is reborn with rice crackers and dark chocolate, and Chiwda takes on a ragi twist straight from his mom’s recipe diary. For good measure, he threw in some baked spicy soya sticks to balance all that sweetness. wild Sugar hampers come in several variants with a choice of sweets and savory items which can also be customized.
So this Diwali…If you’re done with the predictable, and want your gifts to say “Nostalgic Belagavi, but definitely gourmet,” skip the standard sweet boxes. Go for hampers that smell of Belagavi – pure nostalgia, and a dash of imagination — crafted by two men who dared to dream beyond the regular.
Because in Belagavi this year, the sweetest thing isn’t just the mithai — it’s the innovation that everyone’s talking about.
(This is not a paid article. The author Swatee Jog is a food enthusiast who travels to find hidden gems and loves to bring local flavours to the table through words)
