Winning ways

I’ve always been a little wary of buying cakes andpastries made by prisoners, destitute women and under trials because of thatscene. Will I find a razor lurking inside the brown bread, used condoms in thecustard tart and so forth? So, I have to admit that I’ve kept myself awayfrom such excellent employment creating schemes. Imagine my intense delight and surprise then to discover the Winners Bakery on CV Raman Road, (there’s one near the Santhome Church also) and realize how terribly wrong it is to nurture such prejudices. It’s multi-parent project that was started by the Chennai Corporation, the Rotary Club of Chennai East and Mahadevan’s Chennai Culinary Institute to train young people from economically-backward families. But there the backwardness ends. From the moment you enter the shop and look at all the breads, cakes,sandwiches, pastries behind very well displayed glass counters and fresh buttercookies stacked up in pyramids near the cash counter, you are in cake heaven.From the corner of my eye I notice that all the bakery unit boys have plasticcaps, aprons and gloves like surgeons preparing for a major surgery. While theassistants are also very neatly turned out, but more to the point, are so quickand courteous while taking your orders, you can be out of there before mumbling‘lemon custard extras please (Rs 24:04)’ or ‘turn on thetruffle again ( Rs. 43: 27) ‘. They don’t stint on size and all thefavourites are there from pineapple pastries, to strawberry-embellished cakes inthe shapes of hearts, every kind of chocolate brownies, biscuits andmadeto-order triple tier celebration cakes, with egg-less and sugar-free optionsshould you want to buy those. On the other side, there is a twindisplay counter with puff pastry dough delights or to use the local description‘buff pastry’, croissants (Rs 28 for a chicken croissant), cinnamonbuns, and crunchy heart-shaped Austrian biscuits scattered over with sugar.Breads line one side of the wall, with lavishly filled well-made quiches andvegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches filled with the freshest lookingcheese, chicken, veggies and mayo come neatly packed in triangular plasticcontainers. The packing and service is professional. The pricerange is astounding. Even Korean ladies shop there, plus you can even findparking space. The only niggle that remains is why have they not realised thatthe 25 paise is no longer current and it’s absurd to calculate items downto the last four paise. Never mind, you can never lose at Winners. TIMES FOODGUIDE by Geeta Doctor 15 A/9 Bhimannapettai Corporation Community College. CV Raman Road, Chennai 600 018. Tel: 45535262 Open from: 9.00 am to 8.30 pm Alcohol not served; credit cards accepted Meal for two: Rs 250 (5) Excellent (4) Very good (3) Good (2) Average (1) Poor RATING: Food: 4 Service: 5Décor: 3