It was during the Christmas of 1883 that an enterprising local businessman, Mambally Bapu, who had just returned from Burma, baked India’s first Christmas plum cake.
“My great-grandfather Mambally Bapu shipped milk, tea, and bread from Burma to the British in Egypt. Upon his return in 1880, he established a bakery,” Prakash Mampulli recalls.
“So, Bapu’s Royal Biscuit Factory became India’s first bakery established by an Indian and open to both Indians and Britishers,” explained Mampulli, the current owner.
A few days before Christmas in 1883, Murdoch Brown arrived with a rich plum cake that he brought from England. He instructed Bapu to make one with a similar taste and appearance.
Instead of travelling for about 14 km to Mahe, Bapu decided to substitute it with a locally brewed liquor using cashew, apple, and banana varieties, Kadalipazham.
On December 20, 1884, Brown reached Bapu’s shop and received the first plum cake in India. After tasting it, Brown certified it as the best cake he had ever had.
Today Cochin Bakery in Kochi, Shantha Bakery in Thiruvananthapuram, Modern Bakery in Kozhikode, Best Baking Co. in Kottayam, and Mambally’s in Thalassery all are run by their family.