By Venessa Anthony
Paan Paan is all geared up for the season, introducing a wide range of Christmas specials. The much-adored brand is ready to bring in the seasonal cheer with what is without a doubt one of the best parts of Christmas – food; and delectable treats at that.
Apart from their usual range of Christmas bread, this year, Paan Paan has introduced Christmas platters consisting of seasonal sweets. The platter will offer traditional Christmas goodies all in mini sizes so everyone gets a bite of their favourite items including breudher, mince pies, gingerbread cookies, and strawberry tarts. Paan Paan also offers the option of customisation, where customers can add on their favourite savouries from the currently existing range, perfect for an easy Christmas party.
In conversation with The Morning Brunch, Paan Paan Owner Aboo Yusuf shared how these platters were curated and what makes them a Christmas must-have. He stated that these delicacies are all made with the highest quality ingredients to create an irresistible product. Adding to this was Head Chef Jagath Wijesinghe, who admitted that sourcing ingredients this year was difficult and significantly more expensive than before.
“We overcame this by sourcing local ingredients wherever possible and substituting some with a few local products similar in taste,” he told us. You can even say they added a local twist to the seasonal goodies we all know and love, making them items you have probably never tasted before.
We also had the pleasure of sampling their range of Christmas items, and we must say that they are an absolute must-try. The flavours are unmatched – Paan Paan has really brought something fresh to the season. From the sweet range, we really enjoyed the mini cinnamon rolls, the mini breudher, and the strawberry tart. They also had a few savouries, and as always, they were delicious. We particularly found the spicy cheese tart to be a hit. The extensive range of bread also came with some dips made in-house that perfectly complemented the warm dough. It’s a great addition to a platter or even a charcuterie board and is sure to be a hit at any Christmas party.
Chef Wijesinghe also informed us that their Christmas cake does not contain any alcohol, making it safe for anyone averse to alcohol to be able to enjoy the best part of Christmas. We also must highlight the attractive prices; considering how expensive everything has become, Paan Paan has their customers’ best interest at heart and has priced their goodies at an incredibly reasonable price. Wijesinghe revealed that they are selling their seasonal products at only a 50% markup, as they really want to bring some cheer into what has been an otherwise dreary year.
Commenting on how the season is going for them so far, Yusuf noted that it is still too early to say. “After 10 December is when the season really starts picking up, and we are optimistic that the orders will begin pouring in.” He also observed that since Christmas was overshadowed due to the Covid19 pandemic last year, people are eager to get back into the holiday spirit this year, and he believes business will be good this season.
