Hi, I am Kirtana Shenoy, Founder of The Slice. Before I speak about desserts and hampers, here is the short version of how I got here. I spent a few years in aviation, and while that world taught me discipline and an eye for detail, it was never where my heart truly was. The real story, the one I am proud of, is the career change that led me to become a certified pastry chef, and everything I have built since.
Choosing a Career as a Certified Pastry Chef
What started as a simple love for baking gradually grew into something I could no longer treat as a hobby. I remember the exact feeling of realising that weekends spent baking for family and friends meant more to me than anything my old career offered. So I decided to leave my comfort zone and start from scratch in a field that gave me genuine joy and purpose.
That leap of faith led me to formal training, and I became a Certified Pastry Chef. It reflected real hours in the kitchen, real mistakes, and a real commitment to mastering a craft I had chosen for myself. The journey to becoming a certified pastry chef in India as a career switcher meant starting over as a beginner, testing recipes that failed, and slowly building the confidence to call myself a professional. Every dessert that did not turn out right taught me something new and brought me closer to the chef I wanted to become.
Building My Baking Business
Once the training was behind me, the real work began. Building a baking business from the ground up meant learning far more than recipes. It meant understanding what clients actually want, how to price a custom order fairly, how to source good ingredients consistently, and how to turn a single dessert into a complete experience worth remembering.
Today, I collaborate with brands on dessert tables and product launches, design elegant dessert experiences for private events, and run a growing hampers business that has become the heart of what I do. Every order that comes in is a small opportunity to make someone’s celebration a little more special, and I treat each one that way.
What Goes Into a Bespoke Gift Hamper
A lot of thought goes into every bespoke gift hamper I put together. I think about the occasion, the person receiving it, and how the flavours and packaging can reflect that moment. Whether it is a rich chocolate assortment for a housewarming or delicate baked treats for a baby shower, the goal is always the same. I want the person opening the hamper to feel like it was made just for them, because it usually is.
Dessert Hampers and Experiences for Every Occasion
Over time, my hampers business has grown to cover a wide range of celebrations, and each category has its own personality.
- Wedding hampers and dessert experiences: Weddings call for a certain elegance, so I design dessert hampers and dessert tables that match the tone of the celebration, from festive pre wedding functions to the big day itself.
- Baby shower gifting: These hampers tend to be soft, playful, and thoughtfully packaged, marking one of the most joyful milestones in a family’s life.
- Housewarming treats: A beautifully put together hamper is often the first thing that fills a new home with warmth, and I love creating pieces for exactly that moment.
- Festive celebration boxes: Around major festivals, I design curated dessert boxes that make gifting feel personal instead of routine.
- Corporate gifting: Businesses often need gifting that feels premium and considered rather than generic, and I work closely with brands to design corporate hampers that reflect their identity while still feeling like a genuine gift.
Building this range of offerings did not happen overnight. It came from listening closely to what clients kept asking for and shaping my business around those real needs, one order and one celebration at a time.
Growing as a Certified Pastry Chef and Business Owner
Running a baking business is not just about what happens in the kitchen. It is equally about managing client relationships, staying consistent with quality even during the busiest festive seasons, and constantly refining my offerings based on feedback. Some of my most valuable lessons have come from a hamper that needed last-minute changes, or a corporate order that pushed me to think about packaging and presentation in a completely new way.
What keeps me going is watching this business grow month after month. Every new brand collaboration, every repeat client, and every hamper that gets photographed and shared feels like proof that this leap of faith was worth taking.
Looking Ahead
This journey is still very much unfolding. With every new technique I learn, every hamper I design, and every celebration I get to be part of, my baking business keeps growing, and so do I. Choosing to build a career around pastry was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made, and it continues to be one of the most rewarding.
If there is one thing I would tell another woman thinking about starting her own baking business or turning a passion into bespoke hampers and gifting, it is this. Start small, stay consistent, and let your offerings grow naturally out of what people genuinely respond to. My purpose has stayed simple through all of it. I want to create beautiful dessert experiences, thoughtful hampers, and small moments of happiness, one celebration at a time.
Kirtana Shenoy is a Certified Pastry Chef and the founder of The Slice, a growing baking business specialising in bespoke dessert experiences and gift hampers for weddings, baby showers, housewarmings, festive occasions, and corporate gifting.
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