15 ‘trunkwallahs’ keep roadside cake-pastry tradition alive in Kol

Kolkata: They would criss-cross Kolkata’s lanes and bylanes at dusk, a black tin trunk stuffed with hot patties and pastries on their heads, calling out for customers in a low, hoarse voice, seeking attention to their reasonably priced stuff that had takers in every nook and corner. Those who grew up in Kolkata in the Seventies and Eighties, still recall those crispy patties and creamy pastries that they would ferry, before they suddenly disappeared following the growth of multiple confectionery chains that took over post-liberalization Kolkata and transformed taste buds.
A few of them — around 12-15 — still survive despite the odds.Sk Mumtaz, Manwar Rewazul, Reshmat, Moidul and Najibul are associated with local bakeries of Mehdi Bagan, Taltala and New Market, still preparing chicken and vegetable patties and pastries throughout the year, particularly in winter.
The pastries and cream rolls occupy the upper tier of the box. Md Idrish, 58, who is selling at different schools in Bhowanipore for the past 37 years, lives in a central Kolkata bakery. “Before the pandemic, we were allowed to enter school premises during tiffin break but now we wait outside and sales, too, have dipped.”
His 2ft x 1.5ft trunk is filled with patties and pastries. To keep the patties hot and fresh, a container filled with simmering charcoal nestles at the lower tier of the box while they ferry the stuff.
“During Christmas, families would wait for Mr Berry’s Cake, that would be carried in tin trunks by hawkers. Their two-tier containers would be filled with crispy patties, heavenly pastries and cream rolls and the hawkers would ferry them till the late 70s,” said octogenarian Rabi Chatterjee of Bhowanipore. Mr Berry’s cakes have disappeared but the 93-year-old Saldanha Bakery of Taltala that would ferry their goodies in trunks during the period still survives.
During the golden era of the city’s single screen cinema halls, 10-odd such sellers were still ferrying their goods in the Maidan, Sealdah station, Esplanade bus terminus, Metiabruz garments market, Mangla Haat and even at the Dhulagarh wholesale vegetables market. They were also seen at city’s political rallies.
“We have all updates regarding football and cricket matches in Salt Lake and Eden Gardens where we still have a good number of customers,” said Sk Manwar, 51, who lives in central Kolkata’s Mehedi Bagan. “The growing popularity of branded cake shops has made it very difficult to sustain,” said Kaji Monhar Hussain, 59, who stays at Shiraz Bakery in Taltala.
Carrying almost 25-30 kgs, a mobile patty-seller’s day starts at 9am and they work till sunset. “Walking an average of 30 km, we would earn Rs 100-200 after a day’s work,” said Sk Najibul (47) who has been ferrying patties since 2000.