If you happen to be on your regular morning walk near Rabindra Sarobar Lake on a Friday or Sunday, you might notice a car pulling up near one of the gates, unloading freshly baked round sourdough loaves. Intrigued by the scene, we looked deeper and discovered that the healthy, handmade breads are baked by Sejal Jain, the entrepreneur behind Vanilla Chilli, a venture catering to health-conscious food lovers with nutritious yet flavourful offerings.
Alongside taking customised orders, Jain has also introduced the concept of a bake sale in Kolkata particularly in South Kolkata, where such events are still relatively uncommon. While pop-up events have steadily gained popularity in the city, the bake sale format, long associated with Western food culture, is now slowly finding acceptance and appreciation among Kolkata’s evolving community of artisanal food enthusiasts.
If you think that the name Vanilla Chilli is intriguing then wait for the story behind its inception. While eating was always a passion, moving away from home for work led Sejal to enter the kitchen, start cooking and ultimately fall in love with it. “I started with baking — because baking is a science, it's precise and standardized, and that appealed to me. I launched Vanilla Chilli during COVID as a home bakery focused on desserts. The name itself was intentional — I wanted to keep it open to savoury possibilities down the road.”
But with trial and error it was understood that desserts have a niche audience. Moreover, today people are leaning towards healthier choices of food. “Many people avoid sugar, are diabetic, or simply prefer to cut back on sweets. I wanted to create something for everyone — kids, the elderly, health-conscious adults — something universally enjoyable and safe. That's what led me to sourdough bread, and honestly, I never looked back.”
She goes on, “It was a full year of research, learning, and dedication before I sold my first loaf. Anyone who knows sourdough knows that the starter is everything — it demands time, care, and patience, and I fell in love with that process.”
“During that same period, my husband and I would go for morning walks at the park, and I noticed the vegetable vendors outside — the Narikel Pani sellers, the early morning crowd. Something clicked. I thought, when I'm finally ready, this is where I want to sell. Morning walkers are my perfect audience — health conscious and intentional about what they consume”, she continued. But nothing came without challenges, “There were days I woke up at 4AM, packed everything up, and stood in the rain without a single customer. Over time, my entire life started revolving around the bake sale — every plan, every decision made around making sure it happened, no matter what.”
All about the handmade sourdoughs
No matter what your mood is – to have something classic or add a tangy twist or see a new culinary experiment- Sejal has them all up her baking tray. “Our core lineup includes the classic Country Loaf, a 100% Whole Wheat loaf with no maida, and a hearty Multigrain. Then there are my flavored loaves —. I love experimenting and change up the flavours every week based on what feels exciting and what the customers respond to. Think olive & garlic, thyme, dried tomatoes — flavors that keep people coming back to see what’s new. We also stock Sourdough Crackers and my Sourdough Milk Bread — which came about because customers would sometimes ask if I had something closer to everyday bread. The Milk Bread is my answer to that — made with a sourdough starter but with the soft, familiar feels of your regular loaf.” Apart from the sourdoughs, one can also find the Ciabatta, a classic Italian sandwich bread and she has also started offering a range of artisanal butters and dips.
She mentions, “Every loaf that leaves our kitchen has had our full time and attention.’’ She elaborates, “The thing about real sourdough — you simply cannot mass produce it. Each loaf takes more than 24 hours to make. It's not just about space or infrastructure; it's about the process itself. Rushing it would mean compromising on everything that makes it special. So for now, we are proudly a small batch bakery, producing in limited quantities.”
The Road Ahead
In the future, she wants to collaborate with other culinary institutions. But the core motto would be, “We refuse to compromise — not on taste, and certainly not on anyone's health.”
Catch Sejal and her sourdoughs every week at Rabindra Sarobar Lake, Gate 8 (Fridays) and Gate 10 (Sundays). And check the official page for occasional pop-ups at Central Park, Salt Lake (Saturdays).
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