Mumbai |Mr. Sankesh Bangera, a Mumbai based pastry chef, chocolatier and entrepreneur. He studied Culinary Arts in the United Kingdom and later worked in luxury hospitality across India and overseas, including JW Marriott, St. Regis and The Ritz Carlton, with experience in Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Auckland.
Mr. Sankesh Bangera, the founder of Art of Cakes, where we work on designer cakes, chocolates, desserts and edible art, and he also run Khobake & Co, The Cake Room, our cafe in Khar West, Mumbai.
Recently, for Jay Foods, Pune, they created a 4 foot Ganpati weighing approximately 75 kg, crafted entirely in chocolate. The project took around 36 hours spread across three days.
The idea was never just to make a large chocolate Ganpati. He wanted the detailing and expression to be the heart of the piece. We worked individually on the face, trunk, hands, crown, jewellery, weapons, drapery and even Mushak. A lot of the process involved shaping, correcting and rebuilding until the sculpture felt right.
The thought carried throughout was very simple. He wanted people to see Bappa first and discover the chocolate afterwards.
.Mr. Sankesh Banger, this project was possible with the support of the Jay Foods team, especially Jatin Bhai, whose warmth, trust and involvement made the entire experience very special.
Chef Sheban Ali and Chef Sandesh Pawar also worked closely with me and played an important role in bringing the sculpture to life.
For me, this creation represents exactly what want Art of Cakes to stand for. Chocolate is not just an ingredient. It can become a medium for craftsmanship, sculpture, design and storytelling.
