Lost in Taste is an entrepreneurial innovation by Dhir Madan, a young confectioner with a talent for baking
Dhir Madan is a bright 15 year old with a love for life and a passion for baking. Currently pursuing his studies at Sharada Mandir School, Miramar, Dhir engages in various extracurricular activities and is the captain of the handball, throwball, and tenniquoit teams besides being an enthusiastic baker at the side.
Always inclined more towards baking than studying (which let’s admit is not a very bad thing), Dhir started baking at a very young age. Watching his parents and grandmother cooking in the kitchen held a sense of wonder and marvel for him. Dhir was fascinated by their ability of taking ordinary ingredients and turning them into exotic dishes. Needless to say, young Dhir constantly followed his grandmother around the kitchen and helped her out in any way that he could, all the while learning the art of baking.
He received his first order when he was in the 6th grade. That one order for brownies by his teacher escalated into many more and Dhir decided to start an Instagram page by the name of ‘Lost in Taste’ during the pandemic. Word about his newly started enterprise spread around and he went on to expand his business, whereby he started selling many other confectionaries like éclairs, cookies, and customised cakes in Goa.
Generating new ideas and taking inspiration from his customers, Dhir is always in the throes of making something new – creating designs that were never seen before. He embraces the challenges that come in keeping up with the demands of customers who are constantly looking for extraordinary products, as he feels that it helps him grow and
broaden his horizons.
With an ability of making everything ranging from cakes to brownies to cakesicles, Dhir furthermore has a talent for making deliciously healthy cakes for all the diet conscious people. Various flavours like chocolate truffle, salted caramel, strawberry, pineapple, and chocolate hazelnut exist in his Willy Wonka-ish cake menu. Of special note is the Ferrero Rocher Nutella cake along with the Lotus Biscoff flavoured cake which is a big hit with his clientele. An assortment of cupcake flavours and brownies also make a special appearance during the festive seasons.
In order to keep a steady customer base, Dhir insists on maintaining a good product quality and product consistency. Along with a friendly customer service, it is of utmost importance that the customers get the same quality and consistency of products every single time that they place an order. Only when you have the complete trust
of your customers, he says, can you truly call yourself a businessman and your venture a true success.
Thus, innovation, practice, and a good rapport with one’s customers are the three foundation stones that have
kept Lost in Taste afloat over the past two years.
Dhir is always trying to incorporate his personality into his Instagram page in order to give it a certain uniqueness that is not always present in other businesses. Recently crowned Mr. Sharada Mandir, he is always motivated by his friends, parents, and customers. Although Dhir has faced a lot of cutting remarks and stereotypes when it comes to
being a boy in the profession of baking, he says, “I have stopped reacting to any hate comments. I try to be optimistic about my approach to work. Since I have so many good people in my life, who are very supportive and motivate me in what I do, I find it meaningless to listen to all the other negative things said by others.” When asked to define his version of success, Dhir states, “The day I would consider myself to be successful will be the day when my parents are proud of the person that I have become.”
Following this thought, Dhir wishes to pursue a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in culinary arts abroad after finishing school in India. He wants to fulfill his childhood dream of opening multiple bakeries across the world and is willing to put in all the hard work required in order to achieve this dream.