As soon as we enter the Suguna Kalyana Mandapam on Avinashi Road, a huge Christmas tree decorated with lights, greets us. As we get closer to this tree, we realize that more than 500 plastic half-litre water bottles (without their caps) have been used to make this Christmas tree. We are at the Cake, Bake and Tea Fest, organized by the Department of Catering Science and Hotel Management of AJK College of Arts and Science. The two-day event presents the various bakery creations of the students.

Miniature models of the seven wonders of the world, made by the students, catch our eyes. There is the Taj Mahal, and the Leaning tower of Pisa, among others. We are told that they have been created for display purpose. Can’t eat them, sorry!

“This two day event is to showcase the talent of the students of this department. Student,s while working on this project, learned the arts of team work and time management. It will also give them a glimpse of entrepreneurship,” Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan, Secretary and Managing Trustee, AJK College of Arts and Science, said.

There are also plenty of stalls, selling bakery products and Christmas specialities. Each stall is supervised by a staff of the department. The stall selling fresh cream cakes is crowded. “We have black-forest, kiwi, strawberry, orange, mixed fruit, and chocolate cakes. A team of about 30 students got together and made these cakes in just one day,” Gouthaman K.K, a final year student of the department, says. He aspires to start his own baking unit.

There is another stall that is selling all the Christmas delicacies. There are cookies, plum cakes, cup cakes, and dry-fruit cakes among other desserts, made exclusively by the students. If you crave for tea with these cakes and desserts, head to the tea stall and grab your cuppa. About 45 varieties of tea, including Bon Voyage, Moscow Blend, African Carnival, Paradise Island, Classic Tiramisu, and Caramel Apple, are sold in 100ml and 200 ml cups. The teas are prepared based on orders. So, you can rest assured that the brew is fresh from the kettle. We are told that some varieties of teas that have been sourced from Sri Lanka, Switzerland, and Canada.

“This two day cake, bake, and tea fest is a nice initiative of the AJK College of Arts and Science. This is an excellent platform for the students of the Department of Catering Science and Hotel Management to showcase their talent, and the college is promoting tea that is a produced in our region. I’m happy to be a part of this event and the Chamber will continue to support such activities that promote products of our land,” D. Nandakumar, President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, said after inaugurating the event.

Seconding him is Dr. Chef Soundarajan, General Secretary of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA). “The students of Department of Catering Science and Hotel Management are very talented and creative. It is very nice to see that the AJK College of Arts and Science is promoting tea. I’m very happy to be a part of this event. I wish all the students of this department a bright future. I’m sure visitors will enjoy the display of cakes and the plethora of tea that is prepared by the students,” he said.