Balancing teaching with baking, Lindsey Rebello of Whisk and Whittle is adding a personal baked touch to Goa’s celebrations
VINIKA VISWAMBHARAN
Long before Whisk and Whittle became a homegrown baking business in Ponda, it began with a schoolgirl’s curiosity about cakes and desserts. Lindsey Analise Rebello was in Class 8 when she first started experimenting in the kitchen, learning through trial, error, and plenty of practice.
“My experiments didn’t always end successfully! I failed miserably quite a few times,” she recalls. Her mother would often tease her, saying, “Instead of wasting so much money on raw materials, just buy a cake from the local cake shop and eat it!”
Rather than giving up, Rebello treated each failed bake as a lesson. “It made me want to understand what went wrong and try again,” she says.
Over the years, she began by making desserts for family and friends. Her closest friend, Anoushka, and Anoushka’s mother were among those who encouraged her to begin accepting orders.
“Eventually, I decided to take that leap and give it a shot,” says the 26-year-old who is a teacher by profession.
That was how Whisk and Whittle took shape. “I especially love creating desserts for people who want something personalised, fresh and made with care, rather than something mass-produced,” she says. “For me, the goal isn’t just to sell a cake. It’s to become a small part of someone’s special moment.”
The menu reflects this versatility, featuring customised birthday and wedding cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, Korean cream cheese buns, breads, serradura, mousse cups, puddings and other dessert creations. She also enjoys experimenting with flavours and introducing new products based on customer preferences.
“I don’t look at my customers as just people placing an order. I try to understand what they want, the occasion they are celebrating and the little details that would make their dessert special,” she explains.
Goa has also played an important role in helping the business find its footing. “The Goan community is very supportive of local and homegrown businesses, and word-of-mouth has been one of my biggest strengths,” explains Rebello. The state’s culture of celebrations, weddings and community gatherings has also given her opportunities to create desserts for a variety of occasions.
Nevertheless, running a homegrown business comes with its share of challenges. “One of my biggest hurdle has been managing everything on my own,” says Rebello. “Besides baking, I have to handle the cleaning, decorating, packing, deliveries, photography, marketing, customer service and social media.”
Earning customers’ trust has been equally important, particularly when creating desserts for significant occasions. “Balancing these responsibilities with teaching has demanded discipline, patience and careful time management,” says Rebello.
Despite the long hours and occasional sleepless nights, customer feedback makes the effort worthwhile. “Every time a customer sends me a message saying ‘the cake was beautiful’, ‘everyone loved it’, or ‘it tasted amazing’, it makes all the sleepless nights and hard work worth it,” she says.
Beyond growing the business, Rebello hopes to continue creating desserts that keep customers coming back. Their trust and appreciation remain central to her brand’s journey.
And that journey with Whisk and Whittle has been supported by her family at every step. She credits her father for being one of her strongest pillars, while her mother has continued to encourage her. “My brother and sister-in-law, meanwhile, have become my ‘unofficial sales team,’” she says. “Whisk and Whittle may have my name behind it, but it has never been a one-person journey.”
