Ponda-based baker Meghan Despaandey has turned her artistic passion into ‘Eat N Treat’, a home bakery offering customised cakes and creative flavours
VINIKA VISWAMBHARAN
By turning a lifelong love for art into handcrafted cakes, Ponda-based entrepreneur Meghan Despaandey has built a business that reflects both creativity and purpose.
Once a fashion designer and part-time art teacher, Despaandey now runs ‘Eat N Treat’, a home bakery known for customised cakes and desserts, while also offering Vedic numerology consultations. The two ventures may appear unrelated, but she believes they are connected by a common thread. “Presentation and creativity has always fascinated me, and when I started looking at cakes and pastries, I realised they were another beautiful form of art,” she says.
Although art had always been her first love, it was a new source of inspiration at home that nudged her towards baking. “My husband is a professional pastry chef, and watching him work made me realise I could channel my artistic skills into baking,” she recalls. “With his guidance, my own continuous learning, and the constant encouragement of my mother, I found the confidence to enter the culinary world.”
Despaandey spent nearly three years refining her skills and often sums up her journey with a simple philosophy, “The oven taught me patience”.
“My first proud moment was baking a cake and seeing the smile on my daughter’s face,” she says.
She officially launched her baking business on September 5, 2018, a date that also happened to be Teachers’ Day. “I wanted to build something of my own where I could present both creativity and taste on a cake board,” she says. “The beginning came with immense hard work and plenty of ups and downs, but perseverance helped the business stabilise and continue growing.”
Today, ‘Eat N Treat’ offers an extensive range of products, from celebration cakes, cupcakes, pastries, doughnuts and brownies to healthy cakes, puddings, tea-time bakes, wedding cakes, and customised fusion creations.
Running a food business during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, tested her determination. “Getting basic baking ingredients during lockdowns was extremely difficult. Clients were understandably concerned about hygiene, so there were constant questions about safety standards,” she says.
She also had to navigate online marketing while managing last-minute orders and customer expectations. “Many people wanted premium, intricate designs at the lowest possible price. It was emotionally and operationally exhausting,” she says. But she treated that period as a learning experience. “I maintained complete transparency about hygiene, stood firm on quality and pricing, and solved one challenge at a time. That phase made my business much stronger.”
She believes the greatest reward lies in the creative process itself. “Every cake is a fresh canvas,” she says. Constantly experimenting with flavours and designing something unique for every customer keeps her passion alive, so much so that, she says, baking never feels like work but rather an extension of her creativity.
That creativity has earned her a loyal customer base, as she has many clients returning for new designs and flavours. “The biggest compliment is when customers tell me to surprise them because they trust my work,” she says. “That trust motivates me to keep raising the bar.”
Unlike many businesses that rely heavily on digital advertising, Despaandey credits much of her growth to personal recommendations. “My business has grown mainly through word of mouth,” she explains. “Happy customers recommending me to friends and family have been my biggest promoters. I also use my WhatsApp status every day because I prefer speaking directly with clients rather than exchanging long messages although Instagram and Facebook help showcase my work.”
Among her proudest achievements is seeing the joy her creations bring to both family and distinguished clients. “I have had the privilege of creating cakes for prominent Goan dignitaries, including a former Chief Minister, sports minister, and other MLAs and local councilors. Knowing that my work is trusted for both family celebrations and important occasions is incredibly rewarding.”
Looking ahead, Despaandey dreams of combining both sides of her professional life under one roof. “My goal is to open a cafe with a dedicated Vedic numerology consulting corner called ‘Number Mantra’,” she says. “I want people to enjoy good food while also exploring ways to align their personal numeric energies for success.”
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is straightforward. “Be honest with yourself and your customers, stay creative, keep faith in God, and remember that the impossible can become possible if you are willing to take the leap,” she says.
