Inspiring Conversations with Manali Shah of Crumble & Flakes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manali Shah.

Hi Manali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up in India food has always been an important point of conversation in our household. I have seen my mother cook and make delicious desserts and dishes in minutes and always have been fascinated about how that happens, though I never was able to see myself in the kitchen and never even thought of pursuing something like that as a career. To be honest, I was confused about what I wanted to do, so when asked on what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would say what most Indian kids would say, ‘A computer engineer’ and further did the same, studied Computer Engineering but it just did not feel right to me, somewhere I always knew it was not meant for me. Further, my parents wanted me to have a secure and a steady future, so I came to the states to pursue my Master’s in Predictive Analytics.

After which I was offered a job in Boston as a Business Analyst, while working there I started baking at home, experimenting with various recipes, baking sweet treats for friends and family. After some time, it came to me that this is something that I was always missing in my life, I love the process of baking, bringing smiles on people’s faces and most important, I felt like I was doing something I loved and could offer something to the community. After working for over two years as an Analyst, I left my job and worked at various bakeries and cafes as a Baker and learned the process of baking in a commercial kitchen. Working at various bakeries helped to confirm that this is something I want to do. After which I completed my Diploma in Professional Pastry Arts from Austin, which helped me understand the science behind baking and help me know various baked goods which are traditional to various cultures and helped me understand the financial side to operating a Bakery Business.

I opened my own bakery ‘Crumble & Flakes’ in 2020, opening my own business has helped me learn a lot of things and has been a satisfying experience. It has given me the freedom to experiment with my recipes, I often try fusion of Indian and American baked goods. The community has been accepting of my products and helped me grow my business. Instagram and Facebook have been vital tools in getting my product out there to my clients.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I decided to leave my corporate job and venture into the field of baking, there were a lot of questions and doubts from my family and friends as to why I want to leave my well-paying job and go do something which does not give enough pay and can be unstable. There were plenty of struggles convincing them that I can do this and yes, it is not as secure as a corporate job, but this is something that makes me happy. Along the way, there has been a lot of self-doubts as well but working hard towards my goals has helped me. As we know, running a business is never an easy process, and when you are the owner of a small business, the process becomes harder. You have done multiple caps and be able to take many responsibilities. My business opened in the middle of a pandemic situation, so it is not only about baking good products, but also how you get those products out the people, consistency, proper financing, pricing, shipping the products right so it is not ruined on the way, styling your products in a way that it is appealing to people’s eye. Analyzing what product works in the market vs what does not is also a critical part of amplifying your business but saying that I would say such challenges fuel me and help me grow and learn every day, and I believe that is how the business evolves.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Crumble & Flakes?
I run a bakery, ‘ Crumble & Flakes’. We are a small women-owned, home-based business as of now with vision of expanding in future which I am very excited about. We offer baked treats from muffins, cakes, breads and much more. Everything is baked from scratch and made with lot of love. My main mission through this business is to put a smile on people’s faces through my products and be a part of their happy times. I also want to give back to the community in my small little way, a community that has supported me always. We also offer products which are influenced by my Indian culture, we try fusion of Indian and American products and try to come up with some interesting, just like Rasmali Cake, Parle- G Cupcakes (very popular cookie in India) and more, this is something that sets us apart.

Our best-selling items are Banana Bread, Cheddar Garlic Bread, Coffee cake and Espresso & cream sandwich.

We offer shipping and Delivery on various products; you can email or call us to place your orders. You can also visit us at Moore square Market (Raleigh) on Sunday (11 AM to 3 PM) and Fuquay-Varina Growers Market on Sat (9AM to 1 PM), we have different items every week and items sell out fast and it brings me joy when I see people coming back every week to get more.

What makes you happy?
I abide by the motto of doing more of what makes you happy and so when you are doing something that you love that will inevitably be reflected in the work you do. Through my products, I want to make people happy and be part of their happy times, be able to build a relationship and bond through them. When I see returning customers with happy faces, it brings me joy and makes me want to do more and bring more to the table and gradually promote Indian ethnicity and bring that unique flavor to the table through various fusion sweets and savory treats. Because there are so many delicious sweets which I have grown up eating back in India and if through my products if I could make a mark and make people aware on various Indian sweets and pastries, it would just fill my soul with joy. And lastly giving back to the community is part of my vision statement, a community that helped me realize my dream and made me believe you can do anything you really wish to. You can plan for a certain future—and end up in a totally different place and it is perfectly okay, follow your heart. I have drastically changed my field and, in the end, ended up with something that makes me happy and that is all that matters.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.crumbleandflakes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crumble_n_flakes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crumbleandflakes