GANGTOK,: Sikkim bakers, Aparajita Gurung of Simsar Bakery and Kumud Rai of Bayul Bakery, shined in the Cake Accord 2024, a festival celebrating the art of baking in Northeast India, held in Siliguri on December 7. The region’s first major cake fest was co-hosted by Homebaker and The Cake Theory.
The Sikkim duo competed across multiple categories. Their entries, a seamless blend of intricate artistry and cultural essence, stood out not only for their visual appeal but also for their homage to Sikkim’s flavours and traditions, informs a press release.
Organiser Rinchen Yolmo, a home baker from Darjeeling, said, “While Cake Events have been going on for a long time internationally as well as at a national level but they were either too far or not feasible for our bakers in the Northeast to participate. The Cake Accord was an event waiting to happen as there is no dearth of talent in the Northeast. We have simply provided our bakers a platform to showcase and recognise their talent and I’m happy to say that it was well received with 60 plus entries not just from Siliguri, Darjeeling and Sikkim but also from Guwahati, Arunachal, Delhi, Kolkata, etc. This may have been our inaugural event but we look forward to this annually.”
The Cake Accord 2024 was more than a showcase of talent—it was a platform with a purpose. By encouraging individuals from rural and urban areas to view baking as a viable entrepreneurial pursuit, the festival highlighted the transformative potential of the culinary arts. The event particularly focused on empowering women and youth, advocating baking as a pathway to economic independence and sustainable livelihoods, the release adds.