When the customers become students

The moment the door opened and I stepped inside, the aroma of freshly baked buns greeted me. Laughter, conversation and a flurry of activity filled the room. Some were kneading flour, while others were learning the techniques of making buns.

In one corner, buns were baking in the oven. There was little doubt that I had arrived at the right place. On 3 October, Tingama Restaurant in Banani hosted a one-day ‘Cheery Workshop’.

Ten people took part in the workshop organised by baker Tanzima Islam. Although they varied in age, they shared one thing in common: they were all longtime customers of Tanzima’s.

They had been missing the food she used to make ever since she moved to Australia nearly a year ago. They would regularly order patties, chicken buns, brownies and other treats from Tanzima’s ‘Cheery Chef’ page for various family occasions. After she moved abroad, they were deprived of those familiar flavours.

So when they learned that Tanzima would be returning to Bangladesh for 12 days, it was the customers themselves who asked her to organise a workshop for them. The event was arranged in response to that request. Throughout the day, the participants learnt how to prepare some of Tanzima’s signature items, including patties, chicken buns and brownies.

Tanzima grew up surrounded by cooking from an early age. Her mother used to prepare all sorts of food at home. Even biscuits were never bought from outside; they were made at home. Her father, too, is a good cook.

Although the kitchen was familiar territory, Tanzima did not take up baking herself until much later, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Amid the difficult circumstances of the pandemic, she wanted to find something she could do with her family to lift their spirits. That was how her baking journey began.

What started as a hobby gradually became something more. Encouraged by the appreciation she received from her family, Tanzima decided to take it further. After the pandemic ended, she launched her ‘Cheery Chef’ page. It did not take long for her to win a warm response from customers.

Tanzima now works with bakery and pastry products as a supervisor at a bakery called ‘32 Bakehouse’ in Sydney. She also hopes to do something new in Bangladesh when she returns, while maintaining the bond she has built with her old customers.

“I don’t want the relationship I have built with my customers to be lost because of the distance,” Tanzima says. “That is the main reason behind organising this workshop. I am also very happy to have the opportunity to spend time with them again and teach them, hands-on, how I make these foods.

“I am grateful to Tingama Restaurant as well for giving me the opportunity to organise the workshop in such a beautiful and warm environment.”